17 August 2007
Whitehall's capability reviews are to be formally evaluated and could be adjusted to improve the way they work together to meet government targets.
The Cabinet Office announced on August 14 that it has asked the National School of Government to assess the Departmental Capability Review programme and to recommend how it could be improved.
Speaking to Public Finance recently, Ian Watmore, head of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, which oversees the DCR process, said that he could envisage changes to the regime. 'I think that we need to think about the capability to deliver cross-cutting objectives as well as individual departments' delivery needs,' Watmore said.
But the Cabinet Office this week reiterated that no changes to the system have been agreed. The NGS's evaluation will be carried out by its internal Sunningdale Institute, a forum that draws on expertise from universities, business, think-tanks and civil servants.
Until now, the DCR process, which was launched in 2005, has assessed individual departments' leadership, strategy and delivery capabilities.
The regime has proved to be more robust than many critics expected and a critical DCR at the Home Office led former home secretary John Reid to describe his department as 'not fit for purpose'.
Meanwhile, Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell has confirmed that the Treasury and Revenue & Customs, the two major departments yet to be assessed, will be reviewed this autumn. The results will be published in December.
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