Dave Penman: The work of senior civil servants is impressive, valuable and at times unenviable – those awarded New Year’s Honours richly deserve their gongs

It’s right that the current crop of successful, committed public servants have been recognised by the honours system. But with senior officials’ pay and reward packages decreasing while the political risk associated with their roles shoots up, will the government be able to attract equally talented successors? 


By Dave Penman

14 Jan 2016

It was perhaps to be expected, however depressingly, that in the first fortnight of the new year we would see headlines disparaging the achievements of key public servants, for being recognised in the New Year’s Honours list or stepping down from the role (or both in Lin Homer’s case).

There have been a number of key exits over the last year and I suppose when three of the most experienced permanent secretaries – Nick Macpherson, Lin Homer and Una O’Brien – announce their departures within weeks, it will inevitably lead to speculation.

Anyone close to Whitehall would have been expecting a number of departures. There was a raft of new appointments in the first couple of years of the coalition and it’s not unusual for perm secs to move on or around after four or five years. Inevitably, resignations and appointments run in cycles. As Count Arthur Strong famously sang: “Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel” (that’s one for the comedy geeks out there).

The very media outlets that are cheerleaders for fixed-term appointments for senior public sector roles are the same ones that look for scandal when a permanent secretary steps down within a similar timeframe. Perm secs by their very nature are successful public sector managers, who have spent a career being recognised and promoted for delivering success. No-one would be in the frame for one of these posts unless they have an exceptional track record. Of course some will be better than others and, inevitably, running a department and the complicated business of delivering the government’s agenda will result in mixed reviews. But it depresses me how quick some commentators – and, I’m afraid, some unions – are to heap the blame for government policy onto the shoulders of those tasked with the, at times, unenviable task of leading public services.

Lin Homer at HMRC was a prime example of this. The FDA has had a good relationship with Lin since her appointment. We’ve not always agreed and, as would be expected, have had some major disagreements. Yes, during her tenure HMRC has been the subject of scrutiny and criticism over settlements it reached, levels of service to taxpayers and its record on prosecution. However, her department’s track record is one where over two parliaments, HMRC has won the case for reinvestment of resources. Around £2bn has been re-invested to tackle tax avoidance and HMRC has demonstrated that this investment in highly skilled public servants delivers results, with record-breaking revenues of more than £517bn, including compliance yields up by 43% since 2011/12. All of this was achieved against a backdrop of the other demands of the chancellor, to cut resources by around a quarter.

Being a permanent secretary, senior responsible officer or taking on any senior civil service role will always be a difficult job, but who would deny that it’s at its most difficult when the resources available to deliver services are being cut so dramatically, while at the same time expectation on delivery only increases? Add in the grandstanding of some select committees – happily trashing the reputation of public servants to aggrandise their own – then for good measure throw in the ministerial merry-go-round and inevitable political juxtapositioning that can see departmental priorities change overnight.

It’s no surprise, therefore, that despite all the courting of senior private sector executives to take on these jobs, they are not knocking down doors to apply. The fact that senior civil service roles offer a fraction of the package available for similar roles in the private sector does not add to their allure. Changes to pension arrangements, contribution rates, tax allowances, pay freezes and redundancy rules have all disproportionately impacted on senior civil service roles. So while the overall package is reducing in value, the political risks associated with the jobs are at the same time increasing. This doesn’t seem to be the best way for a government to recruit the talent needed to implement its programme and deliver high quality public services.

Speak to any perm sec or senior leader and they’ll tell you that despite all of this, they have a fantastic job: challenging, interesting and worthwhile. Most, indeed, have committed a lifetime to public service.

It should come as no surprise therefore that successful, committed public servants also receive the gratitude of their country in the mechanism that the country has chosen to recognise public service. Whether you’re a fan of gongs or not, it’s how the UK demonstrates gratitude to citizens for public service or achievement. Few question why a multimillionaire actor, singer or athlete should be recognised, but you’re apparently fair game if you’ve committed a lifetime to making Britain’s public services better.

Yet, for all of this, we continue produce the next generation of talented leaders regardless. Nick, Una, Lin and the others will be hard acts to follow. But what of their successors? Will they continue to accept the ever-declining package for the ever increasing risks? At some point the balance will tip and only then will we realise what we’ve lost. After all, as Count Arthur Strong is fond of saying, “it’s not rocket salad”.

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