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CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 22, February 2020 Subscribe for free here: quarterly.blog.gov.uk #CSQuarterly THE CSQ INTERVIEW – WITH CABINET SECRETARY AND HEAD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE SIR MARK SEDWILL TEN YEARS OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS – GENERATING INNOVATION IN SOCIAL POLICY CONTENTS EDITORIAL brought about by advances in THE CSQ INTERVIEW: 4 science, technology and data. SIR MARK SEDWILL Cabinet Secretary and Honouring Lord Heywood’s original Head of the Civil Service conception, this edition of CSQ features a familiar breadth of BECOMING A ‘POLICY MASTER’ 10 subject matter, showing policy Della McVay, Deputy Director becoming practice. In each case, for External Affairs and it offers an examination of how Partnerships, Universal government is addressing a specific Credit Programme, DWP policy-related challenge, while adapting to rapid political, cultural 10 YEARS OF THE NATIONAL 12 and technological change in the SECURITY COUNCIL world at large. Darragh McElroy, Deputy This issue opens with a new Director, National Security in-depth interview with Cabinet Communications Secretary and Head of the Civil elcome to this, the 22nd Service Mark Sedwill. Now in edition of Civil Service FIGHTING FRAUD AT 18 W post for over a year, he offers his Quarterly, which is also my HOME AND ABROAD reflections on his combined role last as chair of the CSQ Mark Cheeseman, and, as Brexit is delivered, he sets Editorial Board. Deputy Director, out the immediate and long-term Counter Fraud Centre of Regular readers will recall that challenges he sees for the service Expertise, Cabinet Office Civil Service Quarterly was the and the way it works. brainchild of the late Jeremy, As Darragh McElroy notes, the THE POWER OF 24 Lord Heywood. His vision was first responsibility of every PARTNERSHIPS: DRIVING of a publication that not only government is often seen to be INNOVATION AND TACKLING showcased the very best of Civil the security of the country and POLICY CHALLENGES Service policy-making and analysis, the safety of its citizens. It was Shevaun Haviland, and shared its innovations, but only ten years ago that a single, Deputy Director, Business opened it up to challenge and new high-powered, central body was Partnerships Team, ideas. In October 2014, having given the authority to co-ordinate Prime Minister’s Office chaired the editorial board for and Cabinet Office strategy to ensure that security. its first five issues, he invited me Darragh charts the creation of to take over, from my vantage the National Security Council and MEET ‘ARNOLD’ 28 point as head of the Government describes the main challenges it Gemmaine Walsh, Policy Profession. The time is now faces today. Director of Communications, right for someone else to take Department for Education the reins, both as head of the A striking development in profession and chair of the board, recent years has been the spread INNOVATION NATION 32 and I’m delighted to be passing of automated processes to improve Emma Lindsell and both batons on to Jonathan the efficiency of both public Isobel Stephen, Slater, Permanent Secretary at services and back-office functions. Executive Director, Strategy, the Department for Education. The Department for Education Performance and Engagement, now benefits from the Government Jeremy was a great champion UK Research and Innovation Communication Service’s very first of policy making and I hope that robot, ARNOLD. You will have to in the seven and a half years I’ve read Gemmaine Walsh’s article SPOTLIGHT: BRILLIANT CIVIL 38 been Head of Profession, we have to discover what that stands for, SERVANTS – CIVIL SERVICE moved policy making forward. I am AWARD WINNERS 2019 but ARNOLD is making a huge particularly proud of the work we difference to the speed and Imogen Findlay, have done to improve the training Senior Corporate effectiveness of communications and development offer for policy Communications Manager, between DfE and the public. Cabinet Office making, including the development of our Masters programme with Fraud is among the commonest the LSE, and the recent addition crimes, affecting the public of a flexible, modular, postgraduate sector no less than other parts programme, building to a of the economy. We have looked postgraduate diploma with King’s previously at government initiatives College London. But policy-making to counter this menace, and has to continuously evolve and the time is right for an update improve, and the profession will on progress. Mark Cheeseman, not only have to step up to new Deputy Director of the Counter challenges, but also seize the Fraud Centre of Expertise in opportunity for how we work, Cabinet Office, writes that in CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY | Issue 22 – February 2020 | 3 its professionalisation of counter Isobel Stephen describe how much to be proud of and fraud in the public sector, the this works and the benefits it shouldn’t be afraid to shout UK is establishing itself as a will bring. about it. So, I am delighted that, world leader. in this, my last edition as chair, During my seven and a half we make room to celebrate Shevaun Haviland, from years as head of the Policy some of the winners of the 2019 the Government’s Business Profession, the training Civil Service Awards and their Partnerships Team, explains and development of policy brilliant work. how building long-term professionals to help them partnerships between business shape policy in an increasingly It has been a pleasure and and government can help us complex world has been a honour to chair the Civil Service to tackle the UK’s biggest top priority. The introduction Quarterly Board and I’d like to social and economic challenges, of an Executive Masters in take this opportunity to thank and create a fairer, more Public Policy programme, both my fellow board members inclusive, society. which the Civil Service co- and the excellent team at the designed and delivers with the Cabinet Office who do the hard The funding of research is London School of Economics, work of putting Civil Service big business and supports is a signal innovation, bringing Quarterly together. The best bit vital innovation in areas together leading practitioners of chairing the board is that you from medicine to climate and academics on key policy get to learn about the amazing change, and from the arts and challenges. We asked Della work that different parts of the humanities to engineering. To McVay, a recent graduate of Civil Service do, and I will look maintain the UK’s reputation the programme, to describe forward to continuing to read for excellence and effectiveness her experience and what it has about them in future editions in this field, arrangements for taught her. of Civil Service Quarterly. funding previously managed by seven separate UK research Part of Jeremy’s thinking in Sir Chris Wormald, councils have been brought creating Civil Service Quarterly Permanent Secretary, together under a single body, was that, as much as the Civil Department of Health UK Research and Innovation. Service needed to open itself and Social Care UKRI’s Emma Lindsell and up to new ideas, it also had Let us know what you think by email to [email protected] or on Twitter #CSQuarterly Civil Service Quarterly opens up the EDITORIAL TEAM David Halpern, Chief Executive, Civil Service to greater collaboration Behavioural Insights Team Simon Holder, Cabinet Office and challenge, showcases excellence [email protected] Clare Moriarty, Permanent and invites discussion. If the Civil Secretary, Department for Exiting Service is to be truly world-leading, Helen Card, Cabinet Office, the European Union it needs to collaborate more, learn [email protected] from experts outside the Civil Bernadette Kelly, Permanent Imogen Findlay, Cabinet Office Service, listen more to the public Secretary, Department for Transport and frontline staff and respond to [email protected] Jonathan Slater, Permanent new challenges with innovation Daniel Cutts, Cabinet Office Secretary, Department for Education and boldness. [email protected] Sir Patrick Vallance, Government Any civil servant can write for Thanks to Benjamin Jackson, Chief Scientific Adviser Civil Service Quarterly – contact Department of Health and [email protected] Social Care Sir Richard Lambert, Chairman, Board of Trustees, British Museum Cover photo: © Crown copyright MEDIA CONTACT Sam Beckett, Joint Head, CONTACT US Matthew Blom, Cabinet Office Government Economic Service [email protected] [email protected] Charles Roxburgh, Director General, Room 317, 70 Whitehall, EDITORIAL BOARD London, SW1A 2AS Financial Services, HM Treasury Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Jill Rutter, Programme Director, Read the magazine online Secretary, Department of Health Institute for Government and subscribe for free – and Social Care (chair) quarterly.blog.gov.uk Alex Aiken, Executive Director, Government Communications 4 | CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY | Issue 22 – February 2020 THE CSQ INTERVIEW: SIR MARK SEDWILL Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service The most impressive thing I’ve seen is that public trust in the Civil Service continues to rise and is now at record levels CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY | Issue 22 – February 2020 | 5 WHAT HAS MOST IMPRESSED THERE HAS BEEN SOME YOU ABOUT THE CIVIL MEDIA REPORTING AROUND SERVICE RESPONSE TO YOUR CIVIL SERVICE IMPARTIALITY. FOCUS ON TEAMWORK, HOW DOES THAT MAKE IMPACT AND TRUST AND YOU FEEL? THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE It’s frustrating, but we can’t FACED IN THE LAST YEAR? be completely immune from I think those messages the wider public and political have landed pretty well. I debate. One of the things I said was trying to find a way of in a message across the Civil describing those priorities Service was that Brexit is a that was meaningful and felt polarising issue. That is a fact.
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