Fixing the foundations: improving government skills

This is a paper about something quite dull but very important: how to boost the skills of governments so that they serve us better. The weaknesses of government capacity are all-too visible, revealed by inquiries into big failures (Grenfell, COVID, Horizon) as well as a host of smaller failures. But it seems easier to face up to disasters after they happen than to shore up the foundations of government capacity so that they don't happen in the future.

Just after the UK election I prepared a note with recommendations to the new UK government on how to fix the UK's broken training system. I've discussed it with some senior civil servants and ministers. But it's not clear what if anything will happen even though the government's chances of success depend critically on fixing these major weaknesses in capacity.

This should be a vital part of the government's professed goal to 'fix the foundations', and much of this is obvious to ministers and others with experience of running things. But it's less obvious to those without practical experience; to the many lobbyists increasingly powerful around government; and to the civil servants who have only spent time in Whitehall.

Here I share the paper to elicit comments, suggestions and debate (the picture below is from Singapore, a country which takes government skills much more seriously than the UK).

I've been involved in government training programmes all over the world - from the US to China, UK to Australia, Brazil to India - and seen both the good and the bad. In a recent survey I took stock of both what's being taught and how it's being taught worldwide, and suggested possible improvements. This note addresses what the UK could do.

No-one disputes that good education matters, whether for young people, or for professions like medicine and engineering. The idea that education matters just as much for the quality of government shouldn't be controversial. But it's too often neglected.

The paper advocates creating a new UK College of Public Service Leadership, with physical centres but also networked across the country and making full use of both digital tools and face to face learning. 

It argues that:

·      The current system is fragmented and weak – and much less effective than equivalents in other countries

·      It needs to be rebuilt urgently to ensure the capacities to deliver the government’s goals, which are challenging

·      Recent inquiries – COVID, Grenfell, Horizon – have revealed glaring weaknesses in government capacity

·      A new approach needs to be UK-wide – a partnership with devolved administrations and local government, not just for Whitehall

·      It needs to be driven by an ethos of service to the public, a spirit of collaboration and a bias to action

·      This initiative will not deliver immediate results – but should have a significant impact on successes later in the parliament, which is why action needs to start now.

There's a link to the paper at the bottom of this page.

Fixing the foundations - government skills.pdf

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