Leadership

Jonathan Rees

Director General, Government Equalities Office

Dr Malcolm McKibbin

Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service

The 2012 Permanent Secretaries' Round-Up

Sir Bob Kerslake

Head of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government

Robert Devereux

Permanent Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions

Last week the Civil Service Commission published its response to two proposals in the Civil Service Reform Plan for greater ministerial involvement in senior civil service appointments. The most discussed proposal would give ministers the right to choose their permanent secretaries from a number of candidates judged suitable by a selection panel. In our response, the commission actively supports the involvement of ministers in permanent secretary competitions and has agreed some further changes to strengthen that involvement. But we stop short of giving ministers a choice. That would, we believe, be a step too far.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has paused his plans to allow ministers to choose their permanent secretary from an approved shortlist, after the Civil Service Commission intervened to propose a compromise arrangement.

We were both honoured to attend and be part of the Civil Service Awards last month. From Stranraer to Bournemouth, the outstanding work of civil servants was celebrated – whether they’d delivered roads or the Olympics, run prisons or Jobcentres. In one evening we recognised the very best of the civil service and left in no doubt that we lead some of the most talented professionals.

Civil service head Sir Bob Kerslake has told CSW that the turnover of permanent secretaries in the past two years has been too high, and that “in an ideal world” there would not be as much change.

The civil service makes a “huge contribution” to serving the country and its good work should be recognised, Margaret Hodge, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said at the Civil Service Awards on 22 November.

A gathering of civil service chiefs from around the world has identified a need for western governments to strengthen their horizon-scanning and strategic planning capabilities, with former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell calling for the UK to commission think tanks to develop policy on some of the long-term issues that it’s “difficult” for governments to tackle.

The head of HMRC has got a hell of a journey to make with this vast and complex organisation. Matt Ross meets Lin Homer, whose inbox bulges with thorny questions around Universal Credit, child benefit reforms and staff morale.