Covid pressures demand Whitehall overhaul, says new Commission

Covid pressures demand Whitehall overhaul, says new Commission

A powerful group of business leaders and former senior public officials today calls for a fundamental overhaul of the machinery of government to improve delivery and protect public services in the wake of the Covid epidemic. 

The Commission for Smart Government warns that “every organisation in the country is urgently considering how to adapt and survive in the new world which the virus is shaping, and government can’t be exempt.”

The 19-strong Commission includes tech entrepreneurs and experts, former permanent secretaries, and retired senior military and police leaders.  The Government’s Lead Non-Executive Director, Lord Nash, and his predecessor, Sir Ian Cheshire, are also members.

The bipartisan Commission is independent of the Government but has been welcomed by the Cabinet Office Minister, Michael Gove, who last month singled out the initiative in a speech calling for radical civil service reform.

The Commission argues that the Whitehall machinery, despite its strengths, is no longer equal to the challenges facing the country, failing to match strategic vision with execution. 

It says that problems are too often characterised as the fault of civil servants when they are in fact systemic, and when politicians are equally responsible for failure.

The Commission rejects the idea that simply increasing private sector delivery is the solution, pointing to poorly executed and expensive outsourcing projects.  It says that the Covid response highlighted serious weaknesses in public administration, but also strengths, particularly in the dedication of public servants and the effective fusion of private and public sector talent.

It calls for a system of public administration with the skills, capabilities and incentives to design policy, operate and execute at pace, and manage complex processes more successfully.

The Commission will run for a year and consult on an open platform, making its draft papers and evidence sessions visible, and encouraging all those with ideas and experience to contribute.

It launches with ‘12 key questions’, inviting views on the proposed scope of its work and suggestions of both successful and failed public sector initiatives where lessons can be learned. 

It is particularly keen to assess international examples of reforms where the UK might learn from successful innovation.

The Commission’s Chairman, Nick Herbert, said: “Covid has exacerbated pressures on government and further exposed the limitations of the Whitehall machinery.  It has never been more important to ensure that public administration works better.

“We believe that an independent review will help to assess the issues objectively, make the case for change, and take the issue beyond party politics.

“The Commission will not only consider what might be going wrong, but also look to highlight positive examples of what has worked well.  It will generate practical ideas and a road map for reform, drawn up by those with first-hand experience of government, public administration and the private sector.”

Sir Paul Marshall, one of the Commissioners, said: “Smart Government is not a party-political issue.  It is something we should strive for as a country whichever party is in power.

“Our aim is to develop a set of recommendations which will help our country achieve world-class government in the 21st century knowledge economy”.

Lord Bichard, one of the Commissioners, said: “There is a growing consensus that the machinery of government has to change and that is reflected in the breadth of the Commission’s membership.

“The challenge now is to find answers which command support and can be delivered urgently as we emerge from the Covid nightmare.”

General Sir Chris Deverell, one of the Commissioners, said: “It has been my privilege to be involved in government for over two decades.  In that time, the world has changed considerably, but much, much more change is coming.

“It is essential to ensure that future governments are best placed to face their challenges and seize their opportunities.  I hope the Commission can help with that.”

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia, one of the Commissioners, said: “Government needs to develop quickly to keep up with a world which is transforming at break-neck speed. The aim of the Commission is to support this change”.

Husayn Kassai, one of the Commissioners, said: “The Commission brings together operators and experts to suggest improvements and innovative ideas of how tech can help close the performance gap between the private and public sector. Following the global pandemic, this is especially timely as government accounts for more than half of the UK economy.”

Daniel Korski, one of the Commissioners, said: “The first task of government is to deliver for people – but its machinery has become gummed up, it struggles to compete with the private sector for talent and isn’t innovative enough.  The Commission will aim to highlight good and bad practices and recommend a way to improve the cogs and wheels of government.”

Sir Mark Rowley, one of the Commissioners, said: “I look forward to the Commission helping to describe new approaches to help Whitehall meet the increasing pace and complexity of today’s challenges and opportunities”.