I've seen this in Yes, Minister! The civil servants will hire more civil servants to find out how much fewer civil servants are needed, and create more red tape whilst finding out how much red tape to cut. Then the tea ladies will go, but be back in a couple of years.
xxxxxxxxxxx r
Giving ministers power to personally appoint senior civil servants would
make officials more accountable and effective, a think tank has argued.
Reform said the civil service was "not fit for purpose" at the moment
and its deficiencies harmed delivery of policy.
Officials should be more accountable for how policy is implemented and
not be "shielded" by ministers, it added.
Cabinet Office minister Liam Byrne said accountability must be
"sharpened" but warned about politicising advice given.
'Constitutional principle'
Speaking at a seminar organised by Reform, Mr Byrne said there were "big
debates" to be had about whether ministers should have direct authority
over appointing top officials.
"Obviously there are questions to ensure how we safeguard against
politicisation of the civil service, which is a constitutional principle
that has to be preserved," he added.
Reform said root-and-branch changes to the structure and culture of the
civil service were needed whichever party won the next general election.
Changes to the government machine were vital to achieving lasting
improvements in the delivery of public services.
“ Successive governments have put Whitehall reform on the back burner,
only to realise that the levers of power don't work ”
Reform report
There is little accountability at all levels of the civil service,
Reform's report claims, while innovation and new thinking are not
rewarded.
Among its recommendations, it says the prime minister should be allowed
to appoint the senior civil servant in each department after
consultation with ministers, as now happens in Australia.
In addition, ministers should be able to draw on advice from outside the
civil service by bringing in their own private secretaries and special
advisers.
In conjunction with this, the current doctrine of ministerial
responsibility for policy should be abolished to make officials directly
responsible for how decisions are formulated and for failures in
implementing them properly.
Reform says the civil service has already become politicised, with
ministers influencing appointments and officials being party to
essentially political decisions.
Direct ministerial appointment of officials, reinforced by enhanced
scrutiny of civil servants by Parliamentary committees, would make the
system more "transparent and honest".
Recruitment at all levels of the civil service must be "opened up", it
added, with all jobs advertised externally, flexible contracts
encouraged and managers able to offer key staff incentives.
"Successive governments have put Whitehall reform on the back burner,
only to realise that the levers of power don't work," said Greg Rosen,
co-author of the report.
"Ministers and aspirant ministers need to realise that Whitehall reform
is a precondition for success in other areas."
Value for money
Ministers have announced reviews into how the performance of civil
servants is managed, how they can provide better value for money and
deliver policies more effectively.
Former trade minister Lord Jones caused a stir recently when he said the
civil service could get by with half its current staff and many
officials "deserved the sack".
“ As we accelerate public spending, we must accelerate public service
and civil service reform ”
Liam Byrne, Cabinet Office minister
Mr Byrne said progress had been achieved in making the civil service
more responsive and diverse in the past 11 years but much more needed to
be done.
"There has to be further progress towards creating a truly meritocratic
civil service," he said, with more room for innovation and a "greater
accent on delivery skills and capabilities" .
The huge sums the government was investing in the economy to fight the
recession meant an efficient civil service was more important than ever,
he added.
"As we accelerate public spending, we must accelerate public service and
civil service reform," My Byrne said.
Speaking at the same event, Conservative MP Richard Bacon said reforms
would be of little use if ministers ignored advice from officials and
then blamed mistakes on administrative failures.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news. bbc.co.uk/ go/pr/fr/ -/1/hi/uk_ politics/ 7924008.stm
Published: 2009/03/05 00:47:57 GMT
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Civil service 'unfit for purpose'
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