The new Scottish Government permanent secretary, Joe Griffin, has set out his vision for leading civil servants in Scotland in his first appearance in front of MSPs.
Appearing at the Finance and Public Administration Committee yesterday, Griffin discussed priorities including reducing headcount and implementing the Scottish Government’s new hybrid-working policy.
In an opening statement, Griffin spoke about the need for the Scottish Government’s workforce to get smaller, saying: “As ministers set out last week, further reform is needed across our public sector. The public sector reform strategy sets out a clear vision for change towards a smaller, more agile public sector that delivers better value, eliminates duplication and develops deep digital capability to improve our public services.
“The Scottish Government must be part of that, playing a leading role in reducing in size and adopting the best of reform and the digital capabilities to improve how we do things.”
He added: “How we lead change is crucial, and this needs to be done with kindness and with skill, taking people with us, but also with the determination to do the right thing.”
In follow-up questions, Griffin was asked what he thinks the optimum size is for the Scottish Government and how long it will take to get there.
Griffin mentioned a commitment in the Public Service Reform Strategy, launched last week, that Scottish public bodies, including the Scottish Government, will make £1bn worth of savings over the next five years by improving efficiency, reducing duplication across the public sector.
And he said the Scottish Government "needs to be part of that in terms of how we look at our workforce", but that he does not have a specific figure for reducing headcount.
Griffin said some of the increases in recent years have been driven by the need to respond to crises like the Covid pandemic, but that he believes the Scottish Government can now make some reductions, and that it has already begun to.
“We're down some 5% over the course of the last three years," he said.
The Scottish Government had around 28,800 staff in total, as of the end of March, with 9,300 of these in core directorates.
Explaining why he doesn't have a specific reduction figure in mind, Griffin said: “I think when we're in a pretty dynamic environment. The way that things have panned out over the last few years, I'm not sure how you would reach a number.”
Griffin said he is “open minded” to the idea of setting a target, however, if ministers say they wish to do so.
Hybrid working: 'I'm certain it's the right thing to do'
Later in the session, Griffin was asked about the Scottish Government’s new hybrid-working policy, which asks officials to go into the office for 40% of their week from October onwards, and strong hints at a move to 60% in the near future.
Griffin said he and his fellow senior civil servants had taken a collective decision on the new hybrid-working model “quite early on in my tenure, and I'm absolutely certain it's the right thing to do”.
“I think we do believe, and there is evidence to suggest, that people working together in person are more likely to engage in high value activities,” he said.
Griffin said technological improvements have enabled home working to become “a good substitute” for office working but that it “has its limitations”.
“There needs to be a purpose to being together, but things like innovation, creativity, building relationships, working across silos… I think that is much more likely to be achieved by people being in person for some of the time.”
He said the key will be to “find the right balance”, and that he “understands some of the anxieties that people have”. The Scottish Government will “absolutely need to make sure that we are taking account of diversity and inclusion requirements”, he added.
On the proposed 60% requirement, Griffin said: “I think let's secure the two-days-a-week policy first, and demonstrate the benefits that it brings. Speaking personally and collectively, we would certainly be interested in going further in due course. But I think for now, the two days is what we want to secure.”
In his opening statement, Griffin also discussed the importance of leaders working together and his commitment to openness and transparency.
He said the Scottish Government leadership team meets regularly with the cabinet “to drive delivery aligned with the government's programme” and its “ability to work across organisational boundaries is key, as well as our collective leadership to build capability and ensure the highest standards of governance, accountability, financial management and transparency”.
Expanding further on transparency, he added: “I am committed to openness and transparency. We are continuing to sustain improved FoI performance, ensuring government business is conducted on government systems with the new mobile messaging apps policy, providing clear performance reporting in our annual accounts, and reviewing and improving transparency in our management of strategic commercial assets.”