Ken Ingram, head of e-learning at CSL, said the increase was partly down to better promotion of the programme by departments’ communications teams.
Speaking during a session at the first day of this year’s Civil Service Live event in Gateshead, he said: “Generally if you look at the service that is provided [now] and what was there before, I think it’s a huge step forward.”
The news comes after Civil Service World survey carried out earlier this year found that 52 per cent of civil servants believed training had deteriorated, compared to 31 per cent, who felt it had improved in their organisation over the last three years.
CSL came into force in 2011, and involved a major operational change. Departments still have their own training budgets, but must procure most of their training through CSL, which buys-in training through a framework operated by private firm Capita.
Asked about changes since the introduction of CSL, 27 per cent of respondents named “searching, booking and administrative” systems as an area which had deteriorated – this was the third most popular answer. Among those who thought the system was worse overall, over half (52 per cent) indicated that searching, booking and administrative systems had deteriorated, suggesting that these concerns were a big factor in causing people to think negatively about CSL.
Ingram said the programme is aimed at avoiding duplication and eliminating waste, but also described infrastructure in departments as “awful” and admitted technology within departments is “our biggest nightmare”.
After the session, he told CSW that difficulties in IT arise due to a lack of uniformity across government. “IT systems have been set up differently with different contracts in each department, so when you’re trying to create something that works across the board that makes it more difficult.”
Today’s Civil Service Live was opened by Defra permanent secretary Bronwyn Hill, who gave the opening keynote speech. She called on the 1,500-strong audience of civil servants to learn from each other at the event, which she described as a “great opportunity for all of us to remind ourselves why we are civil servants”.