Issue 16 FEATURE Subscribe for free here: March 2018 THE CIVIL SERVICE, quarterly.blog.gov.uk #CSQuarterly AND BEYOND

FROM ASDA TO BELMARSH – HOW GOVERNMENT IS ATTRACTING THE BEST PRISON OFFICERS

ROBOTS LEND GOVERNMENT A HELPING HAND 2 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 3 Issue 16 – March 2018 Issue 16 – March 2018

CONTENTS

THE CIVIL SERVICE, BREXIT AND BEYOND Jeremy Heywood, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service 5

CROSSING THE ‘VALLEY OF DEATH’ Tony Meggs, Chief Executive of the Infrastructure and 10 Projects Authority (IPA)

CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY AND A CAN-DO Interview with Andrea Siodmok, Deputy Director, Policy Lab 15 CULTURE – THE LAB COLLECTIVE

THE NEW ZEALAND POLICY PROJECT Andrew Kibblewhite, Head of Policy Profession, 18 New Zealand Government

PARLIAMENT AND THE CIVIL SERVICE Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP, Leader of the House of Commons 22

FROM ASDA TO BELMARSH – Mark Adam, Prison Officer Recruitment Programme Director, 26 HOW GOVERNMENT IS ATTRACTING Ministry of Justice THE BEST PRISON OFFICERS

ROBOTS LEND GOVERNMENT James Merrick-Potter, Robotic Automation Unit, 31 A HELPING HAND and Daniella Chrysochou, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Centre of Excellence

WHY INNOVATION IS THE KEY Mike Biddle, Programme Director, Innovate UK 34 TO GROWING THE UK ECONOMY

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION – UKGI Digital Land Team 38 TAPPING THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF GEOSPATIAL DATA

ACCELERATING INNOVATION Heather-Fiona Egan, Defence and Security Accelerator 42 IN DEFENCE AND SECURITY

Civil Service Quarterly opens CONTACT US EDITORIAL BOARD up the Civil Service to greater [email protected] Sir Chris Wormald, , collaboration and challenge, Room 140, 70 Whitehall, Department of Health (chair) showcases excellence and invites , SW1A 2AS discussion. If the Civil Service is to Oliver Dowden, Minister for Implementation be truly world-leading, it needs to Read the magazine online Alex Aiken, Executive Director, collaborate more, learn from experts and subscribe for free – Government Communications quarterly.blog.gov.uk outside the Civil Service, listen more David Halpern, Chief Executive, to the public and front-line staff EDITORIAL TEAM Behavioural Insights Team and respond to new challenges with , Permanent Secretary, Adam Thorndike, Cabinet Office innovation and boldness. Department for Environment, Food and [email protected] Any civil servant can write for Rural Affairs Civil Service Quarterly – contact Simon Holder, Cabinet Office Sir Richard Lambert, Chairman, [email protected] [email protected] Board of Trustees, British Museum Aine Collins, Cabinet Office Cover photo: ©Crown copyright John Pullinger, National Statistician [email protected] and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Thanks to Lily Clayton, Authority Department of Health Sam Beckett, Joint Head, Government Economic Service MEDIA CONTACT Charles Roxburgh, Director General, Suzannah Brookner, Cabinet Office Financial Services, HM Treasury suzannah.brookner@cabinetoffice. Jill Rutter, Programme Director, gov.uk The GCS Design Centre Institute for Government DESIGN BY DESIGN102 , Permanent Secretary, Contact us at: Department for Exiting the European [email protected] Union, and Head of UK Governance Group, www.design102.co.uk Cabinet Office 2 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 3 Issue 16 – March 2018 Issue 16 – March 2018

EDITORIAL

Civil Service Quarterly 16

and preparing the country for of new prison officers is close a new partnership with our to meeting its objectives ahead European partners and a new of time and under budget. global role for the UK outside Mark Adam from the Ministry of the EU. Justice charts the progress of the There is much that an open campaign and what lies behind Civil Service can learn from its success. its counterparts overseas, and The Digital Land Team from of much that they can learn from UKGI look at the collaborative us. In this spirit, and as Head work that led to the creation of the Policy Profession in the of the Geospatial Commission. UK Civil Service, I welcome This new body will support the the article from Andrew exploitation of the huge potential Kibblewhite, my equivalent in in geospatial data – information New Zealand, on their Policy about location and place – to Project for improving capability fuel new businesses and better in policy development and public services implementation. James Merrick-Potter and The subject of the CSQ Daniella Chrysochou consider elcome to this 16th Interview, Andrea Siodmok, the efficiency benefits that edition of Civil Service speaks about an approach to the robots and robotics can bring to WQuarterly. design and delivery of policy in public services and what is being In this edition, we cover a wide areas such as homelessness and done to accelerate the take-up range of issues: from Brexit crime reduction that is based on of robotic process automation preparations to a dynamic new exploration and experimentation. (RPA) across government. approach to policy development; As Deputy Director of Policy Lab Finally, a pair of articles look and from the use of robotics in the Cabinet Office, Andrea at support through the Industrial in government to new ways of leads the ambitious cross- Strategy Research Fund and the stimulating innovation in industry government work to support Defence and Security Accelerator and science to support UK the 17,000 policy-makers in (DASA) for creating solutions economic growth and enhance government with cutting-edge to some of the big economic our defence and security. tools and practices. and defence challenges of the All have something to say How to bridge the gap between 21st century. on how the Civil Service works developing a policy and putting now and the opportunities to it into practice – the so-called be grasped and challenges met ‘Valley of Death’ – is the focus for in order to make it the best civil Tony Meggs, Chief Executive of service in the world. the Infrastructure and Projects Our lead article is from Cabinet Authority. Secretary and Head of the We are also fortunate to have Civil Service Jeremy Heywood. an article from Andrea Leadsom In CSQ12 (October 2016) he MP, Leader of the House of wrote about the immediate Commons. She underlines Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Civil Service response to the how vital is the interaction Secretary, Department of Health result of the referendum on UK between Parliament and the membership of the European Civil Service and the importance Union. Now, as we move ever of civil servants having the closer to withdrawal from the EU, skills to support ministers on he describes the indispensable parliamentary business. contribution of civil servants to Just over a year after its launch, moving the negotiations forward a campaign to recruit thousands

Let us know what you think by email ([email protected]) or on Twitter #CSQuarterly 4 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 5 Issue 16 – March 2018

THE CIVIL SERVICE, BREXIT AND BEYOND

Jeremy Heywood, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service

ne year after the Government triggered OArticle 50, and a year to go until the UK’s departure from the European Union, this is a perfect opportunity to reflect on the progress made by the Civil Service in delivering on the EU referendum result and to look at the challenges ahead. There are few, if any, peace- time precedents for the scale and complexity of the constitutional and organisational challenge of withdrawing from the EU. Brexit is therefore a major test of the Civil Service’s ability to adapt and change. I believe 6 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

we are rising effectively to that EU (WITHDRAWAL) BILL This vital Bill is now making its challenge and providing critical way through Parliament. It is an support to the Government. Since All of this has required extensive integral piece in the jigsaw that I last wrote in these pages, much and often rapid work, from will ensure that the UK’s statute has been achieved in supporting providing creative legal and book functions properly after the Government to negotiate policy advice to support the Brexit. Brexit and prepare the country formal negotiations in Brussels, Producing the EU (Withdrawal) for life after we have left. to reassuring stakeholders in the Bill is also a great example of We have come a long way UK, Europe and beyond about the effective cross-departmental since Article 50 was triggered our approach and operational collaboration that has on 29 March 2017, and the recent planning on the new customs and characterised the Civil Service’s decision by the European Council immigration systems after we leave. support for the Government on to welcome the agreement One concrete example of Brexit. Even more people across reached with the European this high-quality work is the government will be involved Commission on parts of the European Union (Withdrawal) in putting it into practice. draft Withdrawal Agreement Bill, introduced in July last year. legal text marks another One of the most significant STRONG TRADITION critical milestone along the pieces of legislation ever way to exit. The deal reached proposed to Parliament, its Assessing how to incorporate will protect our economic and passage will mark the end of the over 40 years of European law security cooperation over the supremacy of EU law in the UK. into domestic law is complicated. coming period and ensure At the same time, it is designed The work on this, led by the a smooth transition into our to ensure that the UK exits the Department for Exiting the future partnership with the EU. EU with the maximum certainty European Union (DExEU), which Cruicially, it will give businesses and continuity – so that, as far did not even exist 20 months ago, and citizens the time they need as possible, the same rules and has delivered objective policy to prepare for our departure. laws will apply on the day after analysis and advice of the highest exit as on the day before, unless quality, from both policy-makers and until Parliament decides to and government lawyers. change them.

Second round of in progress at the European Commission Prime Minister signs the letter to European Council President Donald Tusk triggering Article 50

Brexit is a test of the Civil Service’s ability to adapt and change — and we have risen to the challenge.

Jeremy Heywood

Government lawyers have ‘CLEARING THE THICKET’ coherent and timely decision- a strong tradition of cross- making in the UK. It has been a departmental working. This has An important role for civil mammoth task, and success has been strengthened by the fact servants is ‘clearing the thicket’. relied on continued seamless that, through the Government Policy advisers and other collaboration with DExEU and Legal Department (GLD), we specialists are cutting their way other departments, together with have brought most government through the legal and legislative UKRep, our experts in Brussels. legal teams into a single unified complexities of Brexit, briefing We knew from the outset that organisation. They are drawing Ministers so that they can exiting the EU would make huge on all their expertise in EU, take the required decisions, demands on the Civil Service and international, constitutional and armed with all the information would require all the accumulated administrative law, as well as they need. The various cross- professional capability of civil subject-specific legal expertise government Functions – servants. We haven’t hesitated to (agriculture, trade, immigration, Technology, Commercial, Digital, provide new staff and resources transport, and so on), and on Finance, HR, Legal, and so to bolster those parts of the their experience in negotiating on – are supporting this work, Civil Service facing the greatest international treaties and particularly as negotiated pressures. We also recognised drafting legislation. outcomes or plans are turned into that, after four decades, the UK Since June 2016, GLD has deliverable work programmes, lacked some of the specialist recruited over 350 new lawyers, procurements and projects. skills for tasks that had been many of whom are working on Within the Cabinet Office, the centralised within the EU. Most EU withdrawal issues. In addition, Europe Unit, led by , obviously, the UK was short of the departments have been calling has helped draw together this specialist trade negotiators we on external lawyers, through cross-government work too. would need when, as confirmed panels established by GLD, to Since its creation in October 2017, by the European Council, the UK assist on particular topics such this small unit has supported starts to negotiate and sign trade as financial services, energy and both the formal negotiations deals during the Implementation international trade. in Brussels and the process of Period. 8 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

The letter to European Council President Donald Tusk from Prime Minister Theresa May triggering Article 50

BUILDING TRADE Department for International agreements). DIT continues to CAPABILITY Trade (DIT). It aims to support work with countries to ensure staff in developing their trade there is no disruption for business To meet the immediate challenge careers and to create a cross- and consumers. of supporting the Government government network of trade in the exit negotiations, we had experts. COMMON FRAMEWORKS to get the best out of the many DIT itself now has more brilliant current civil servants than 3,500 staff, with global Just as for the UK Government, who do have experience of reach through more than 1,400 Brexit will also have major negotiating in and with Brussels. colleagues in its international implications for the devolved We did this while supplementing network. Recruitment to the administrations of Scotland, that expertise with specialists department’s Trade Policy Group Wales and – once it is from outside where they were has specifically included officials reestablished – the Northern most needed (as we have seen in with trade and negotiating Ireland Executive. Civil servants the GLD-appointed panels), and experience. in the devolved administrations tackling the task of improving our The Government is seeking are working hard to prepare their skills for the longer term. continuity for business, investors own statute books, anticipate Looking to our future outside and consumers in relation to the return of powers previously the EU, we are now steadily existing EU free trade agreements held in Brussels, and set out their building up the Civil Service’s and other EU preferential priorities for the negotiations. trade capability through a new arrangements. During the This also brings added International Trade Profession Implementation Period, the importance to the relationships that will allow us to make the UK’s and EU’s shared aim is for between the UK Government and most of the new opportunities for international agreements - to the devolved administrations. the UK in having an independent which the UK is a party by virtue Since December, the Joint trade policy for the first time in of EU membership - to continue Ministerial Committee (EU 40 years. to apply to the UK as now. The negotiations) (JMC(EN)) has met The profession will be launched EU has stated that the UK is to three times. The Joint Ministerial formally in May, headed by be treated as a member state Committee (Plenary), chaired Crawford Falconer, Chief Trade for the purposes of international by the Prime Minister, took Negotiation Adviser at the agreements (including EU trade place on 14 March, allowing for CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 9 Issue 16 – March 2018

discussions on the negotiations The Civil Service will continue collection of revenues – but and on key issues such as the EU to make it our highest priority for the longer term, so that the (Withdrawal) Bill. Through these to support the Government in border functions properly after structures, progress is being achieving the best possible result Brexit. This is no less than the made on common frameworks for the UK from the negotiations public would expect or demand. for the UK, to make sure we and making sure the country is protect our internal market and ready for exit. COMPLETE FAITH fulfil our international and trade In all this, we are drawing on obligations while respecting traditional Civil Service strengths Lastly, as a Civil Service, we the devolution settlements. in policy-making, law and finance. could hardly fail to be aware of One of the achievements of But we have not taken our eyes the recent, public, conversation JMC(EN) was the agreement on off what comes after Brexit, and around the reliability of analysis frameworks principles in October building the new strengths we and information produced 2017, which was underpinned by will need. The work of the cross- by parts of the organisation outstanding working by officials government Border Planning in relation to Brexit. I would across all administrations. Group typifies the detailed, only restate that we are collaborative approach needed constitutionally committed – BEST POSSIBLE RESULT to make sure we are ready for and culturally conditioned – to withdrawal under all scenarios. give honest, objective, impartial Now, the next phase of the This cross-departmental group is advice, based on the available negotiations, on the terms of our planning not only for Day 1 after evidence, regardless of any other future security and trade and withdrawal – to ensure continuity factor. I have complete faith in economic relationship with the of border management, my fellow civil servants and that EU, is about to begin in earnest. maintaining security, the flow we will continue to meet this of goods and people, and the high standard.

THE WORK OF THE BORDER PLANNING GROUP

Making sure the UK’s borders continue to work effectively when we leave the EU is a critical responsibility of government. This work has obvious security, safety, health and economic dimensions.

The cross-government Border Planning Group typifies the combined preparatory and long-term planning role of the Civil Service in the lead-up to and looking beyond Brexit, from Day 1 onwards – whatever the eventual circumstances of the UK’s withdrawal.

The BPG involves all the government departments responsible for border-related activity. It consists of around 30 separate departments and agencies, including HMRC, DEFRA/FSA, /, DfT, DIT, BEIS, FCO, DCMS and DoH. Its focus is on operational effectiveness, rather than policy, and is planning the readiness and implementation of what is negotiated and agreed.

Supported by a new cross-government Borders Delivery Group, the group’s task is to scope and define all the changes needed to ensure that the border operates when we leave the EU, and then that those changes are planned and delivered effectively.

However, making the border work is not just about what government does, but how industry, and much of the transport sector, functions. The Borders Delivery Group also manages engagement with the many organisations that use, operate and support the border, making sure they all understand and plan for the changes that are coming. They include border organisations (like port and airport operators); hauliers, freight forwarders and agents, ferry operators and airlines, and Local and District authorities that carry out compliance functions for ports and airports.

Through this work, we have gained a clear understanding of which border locations EU exit will most affect. For example, the roll-on/roll-off ports (such as Dover) and Eurotunnel, which handle a high percentage of the UK’s trade in goods with the EU. Also, we now have an appreciation of which sectors and industries will be most affected by change at the border. As we work more with these industries and locations, we are increasingly engaging with EU counterparts at an operational level, so that we are all working to similar planning assumptions. CROSSING THE ‘VALLEY OF DEATH’

Tony Meggs, Chief Executive of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 11 Issue 16 – March 2018

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN POLICY CREATION AND DELIVERY

he ‘Valley of Death’ may intensive infrastructure and sound an overly dramatic military equipment projects, Tdescription for the gap through to IT projects and major between developing a policy and transformation programmes such putting it into effect. However, as Universal Credit or Courts if you have had the misfortune of Reform. Irrespective of their dragging an ailing policy through diversity, they have one thing that valley, under the beady eyes in common: If the projects are of circling media vultures, then not successfully implemented, you will understand. As you will if then the policy objectives are you’ve been a policy implementer not delivered. waiting on the other side of the dead zone to try and revive said ‘VALLEY OF DEATH’ policy. If you’ve been in either position, or neither, read on to In the world of research learn how we can bridge that gap. and development, it is well As Chief Executive of the understood that turning a Infrastructure and Projects successful piece of research, Authority, I oversee support for a laboratory discovery, into a the efficient and effective delivery usable product or service is of all types of infrastructure and difficult. That is why the gap major projects. These range from between research and successful railways, schools, hospitals and commercial development is housing, to defence, IT and major sometimes known as the ‘Valley transformation programmes. of Death’, so hard can it be to We are also there to improve cross from one side to the other. performance over time. In a similar vein, we can think of the space between policy IMPLEMENTATION development and policy delivery as another valley of death The vast majority of government because it represents the space policies are delivered through the in which so many policy initiatives implementation of a project or are undermined, sometimes programme of some description. fatally, as they are thrown across These projects and programmes the valley from the ‘policy’ team span a wide range, from capital to the ‘delivery’ team. 12 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

THE SIX SINS OF PROJECT project initiation maximises the establish a seamless flow and FAILURE chance of a successful outcome; inter-connectivity between policy poor project initiation is a conception, policy development, The common causes of failure in harbinger of failure further down and policy delivery to ensure major projects are well rehearsed. the line. that we apply best practice They are pretty much the same from the earliest phase of policy outside of government as within, INITIATION PHASE development and across a wide range of project types: It is in this initiation phase that What does this mean in practice? government projects can be at Here are my top four suggestions: • lack of clarity around project a unique disadvantage. Good objectives; project initiation takes time, and 1. ALWAYS INVOLVE • lack of alignment among time is generally in short supply. DELIVERY EXPERTISE IN stakeholders; The amount available is often POLICY DEVELOPMENT • unclear governance and determined by the demands accountability; of the electoral cycle and the Policy teams should continuously • insufficient resources, whether commitment of governments consider implementation issues: human or financial; to deliver their agenda within it. how will this policy actually get • inexperienced project It is entirely appropriate for delivered; how can the policy leadership; and government to make such be adjusted to make it easier • over-ambitious cost and commitments and be held to deliver; what will it take in schedule. to account. For civil servants terms of resources; how long and policy-makers, these will it take; what can we learn Well-designed projects address circumstances are a fact of life. from similar developments all of these issues, and more, in If we do the right initiation work, elsewhere? The most reliable way the vital project initiation phase. announcements can be made with of ensuring that these issues are Taking time at the beginning to confidence and promises delivered addressed up front is by including ensure that objectives are crystal upon – bridging that yawning gap. someone with project or other clear, stakeholders are aligned, I believe the single most operational expertise from the accountabilities are well-defined, powerful thing that we can do to very start, as part of the policy and so on, saves enormous pain improve the successful delivery development team. and heartache later on. Good of government priorities is to

Illustration of use of video technology in courts reform CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 13 Issue 16 – March 2018

associated implementation programmes, often make very broad assumptions as to how the public will react to a policy when it is implemented, and therefore what benefits will be delivered. Unfortunately, the large ...the single most uncertainty range associated with those assumptions is frequently powerful thing that we forgotten as business cases are written and approved, and the can do to improve the benefits banked in advance. There is a strong case for successful delivery of understanding uncertainty in a more systematic and quantitative government priorities manner and trying to define it. For example, if the level of is to establish a uncertainty is large enough to jeopardise the project, could a seamless flow and inter- pilot project be undertaken to establish an acceptable level. These suggestions are all connectivity... in service of one objective: to increase the probability of successful policy implementation by making delivery planning an integral part of the policy-making process. The more we can do to operate in a seamless and integrated way 2. GET AN INDEPENDENT 4. UNDERSTAND AND from the very beginning, the ASSESSMENT OF EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY closer we will come to bridging DELIVERABILITY BEFORE the Valley of Death and improving ANNOUNCEMENTS AND Frequently in government we the probability of successful COMMITMENTS ARE MADE try to define quite specific delivery of government policy. outcomes, despite having very There is always a need for uncertain circumstances and For more information about the independent expert assessment highly imperfect information. IPA, visit www.gov.uk/ipa, email of project plans. This is to counter This, especially when combined [email protected] or follow us on the inevitable optimism bias that with optimism bias, can lead Twitter @ipagov. affects any project in its early to disappointment all around. phases. The IPA can help here, Policy initiatives, and their as can departmental assurance teams, peer review teams from other departments, or external experts. The important thing UNIVERSAL CREDIT is to calibrate each project or programme against real Universal Credit – the biggest modernisation of the welfare world experience from outside system in a generation – originally suffered from having delivery the project. timetables and costs committed to and announced before having properly engaged with delivery teams. This resulted in an over- 3. TAILOR ANNOUNCEMENTS ambitious project that didn’t fully recognise what was required to ACCORDING TO THE DEGREE achieve its transformational aims on the scale envisaged. OF DELIVERY CONFIDENCE This led to a reset in 2013 and a rethink of the entire delivery approach to enable a more realistic prospect of successful There is a delicate balance to delivery. The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) changed its be struck between giving out deadline for complete roll-out within two years to a new ‘test and something that’s newsworthy learn’ approach. This involved rolling out the programme safely and over-committing on detail. and securely in incremental stages, iterating the service as it went, This will give time and space with a multi-disciplinary team in place comprising both Operations for proper option analysis as and Policy teams embedded in the programme to design and part of initiating the project. deliver. As the project moves through This new approach and the introduction of multi-disciplinary the appraisal and option selection teams was a first for the department, but it has now changed the process, then more detailed way we approach large-scale projects into delivery. and specific announcements can be made. 14 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 15 Issue 16 – March 2018

CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY AND A CAN-DO CULTURE – THE LAB COLLECTIVE

Interview with Andrea Siodmok, Deputy Director, Policy Lab

WHAT IS THE POLICY LAB? WHAT SORT OF POLICY we do is bespoke, so the team WHY ARE YOU CALLED A PROBLEMS DOES THIS takes care to spend time with ‘’LAB”? APPROACH WORK BEST policy leads to understand what WITH? constraints are fixed and where We are an award-winning start- there is an appetite to push the up in government based in the Our policy problems usually cross boundaries. Cabinet Office, seed-funded existing departmental silos as well by the Policy Profession, with a as involving change outside the WHAT MAKES THE LAB huge ambition to support 17,000 traditional levers of government. DIFFERENT IN ITS APPROACH policy-makers with cutting-edge We have worked successfully TO DEVELOPING POLICY? tools and practices. We work with on subjects as diverse as social teams across government on key housing and cybersecurity as well The most notable difference to priorities such as homelessness, as cross-government challenges more traditional approaches is employment support and crime such as the PM’s Anti-Corruption that much of our work is in the reduction – our first project Strategy and the Industrial field – literally getting our feet is showing early savings of Strategy Grand Challenges. dirty – discovering insights, co- 180,000 hours of police time and Our comfort zone is working designing and testing policies £3.7 million efficiency savings. We with complex, intractable, highly with a range of people across don’t wear white lab coats, but uncertain policy areas, but in the country. Central to this is curiosity and creativity are at the reality we can work with any the spirit of open policy-making, heart of the Policy Lab ethos of policy team to support them to acknowledging that policy- exploration and experimentation. work in new ways. Everything makers don’t have a monopoly 16 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

on wisdom and that good ideas experts on projects. Sometimes University, The Royal College can come from many places – a project is instigated by an of Art, Northumbria University, from citizens, frontline workers, extra-governmental body, such University of the Arts London, as academic experts, as well as as our work on social care with well as the Royal Society of Arts. private sector entrepreneurs and SCIE (Social Care Institute for innovators. Excellence), and on the role of arts ARE YOU A in civic society with the Calouste TROUBLESHOOTER FOR HOW DO YOU SEE Gulbenkian Foundation. More FAILING POLICY? YOUR ROLE? commonly we work with a range of organisations to use co-design Not really. We see our value in Fundamentally we are here to ensure a policy is workable helping teams bridge strategy and to support the design and and evidence-based, such as our delivery by testing and learning implementation of new recent collaborations with the early in the policy development policies. We see our role to What Works Centres and the process. There is no doubt that listen, to inspire and to enable. Government Office for Science. un-tested policies are more risky, In practice, this means every which on occasions can lead to project is different, sometimes WHAT ARE THE SKILLS catastrophic failure. Our approach we form joint teams, where we AND BACKGROUNDS OF reduces this likelihood by building wrap around a policy-team and THE PEOPLE WHO WORK prototypes and testing them work ‘hand in glove’. In other IN THE LAB? when there is still time to adapt projects we help teams navigate and to learn from mistaken a range of world-class policy We are a small team of around assumptions. James Dyson tools from data science to design. ten people including specialist created over 5,000 prototypes It’s always a joint effort playing to ethnographers, researchers and for his first vacuum cleaner – how the strengths of the team. designers. All our projects are many of us can honestly say we led by senior policy advisors have tested and iterated policy DO YOU WORK WITH EXTRA- who are seconded into the even a fraction? Clearly, a national GOVERNMENT BODIES ON team from other government policy is not a household product, PROJECTS? departments. We also provide but our belief is that there are paid student placements and parallels and that testing and Yes, we nearly always work research fellowships, with recent prototyping policies is important with external organisations and partnerships with Cambridge before they get too big to fail.

Mapping out the policy landscape Policy Lab uses visualisation techniques to get to the heart of policy problems

...good ideas can come from many places – from citizens, frontline workers, academic experts as well as private sector entrepreneurs and innovators.

HOW MANY POLICY PEOPLE of Art that uses visualisation of innovation labs. We are HAVE YOU WORKED WITH? techniques. We are adapting members of Nesta’s new ‘States these to tackling policy issues. of Change’ faculty and regularly We intensively work with around For example, we worked with the host international visitors. 500 policy-makers a year and Government Office for Science on We are also collaborating with share our practical tools with a the Future of Rail and the Future LSE and Oxford SAID to deliver further 5,000 civil servants. Our of Ageing using this approach. world-class training to a number visitors come from around the The result was that the sessions of other governments as well world, and we have met with we hosted got to the heart of as our own Senior Leaders and over 50 countries to share best the policy problem more quickly Fast Stream talent schemes. practice. Our Twitter account than if the evidence had been @policylabUK, open policy- presented in another way. DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE making blog, toolkit and FOR POLICY PROFESSIONALS Slideshare also add thousands WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR WHO MAY NOT HAVE COME of views to our content. We’ve POLICY LAB? ACROSS YOU BEFORE? also done a couple of TEDx talks, most recently for the Welsh We aim to deliver ten large Our door is always open, so Government. Where possible we projects each year, so we have to please contact us with your like to share our evidence and make tough choices as demand questions and we will be happy assumptions to demystify policy- for our services grows. Looking to help. You can reach us by making and improve government to the future, as part of a Brilliant emailing policylab@cabinetoffice. transparency. Civil Service, we have to scale gov.uk and find out more by up our ambition and encourage following us on Twitter WHAT NEW TOOL OR others to take up the gauntlet, @PolicyLabUK. We are also TECHNIQUE ARE YOU REALLY acting as a hub to share best presenting at all the Civil Service EXCITED ABOUT? practice. Some departments Live events across the country are already setting up their own this year, so come and find us and One that immediately comes Labs, notably HMRC and DWP. meet the team. We look forward to mind is something called But we also see our role to ensure to hearing from you. ‘speculative design’. This the UK is world-class, so we has sprung from the work of actively share our experience researchers at the Royal College with an international network 18 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

THE NEW ZEALAND POLICY PROJECT Andrew Kibblewhite, Head of Policy Profession, New Zealand Government

REFLECTIONS ON THE FIRST THREE YEARS CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 19 Issue 16 – March 2018

uring my recent trip to the POLICY PROJECT – UK, Chris Wormald, Head INITIAL PHASE Dof the UK Civil Service Policy Profession, asked me to To tackle these issues, we share my perspectives, as his New adopted a ‘collective impact Zealand counterpart, on lifting operating model’ – based on policy capability and quality. Stanford University’s model of social innovation – hoping this NEW ZEALAND’S would ensure changes were more POLICY CONTEXT substantial and enduring. During the first two years, the Before the Policy Project began Policy Project concentrated on: in 2014, there were numerous attempts to improve policy • establishing the Head of capability and performance in Policy Profession role; New Zealand. Despite these, the • connecting conversations Policy Project reached a similar across the policy community diagnosis of the ‘policy problem’ to identify challenges to policy in the Policy Project Narrative: capability and performance; • building the relationship • policy is of variable quality; capital we need to enable • a shortage of skilled senior change; and policy advisors (equivalent to • using design-thinking UK Grade 7); techniques with policy leaders, • policy advice sometimes managers and analysts to lacks evidence, evaluation of co-design three foundational effectiveness, and feedback frameworks for policy on the needs of users; improvement. • we meet the immediate demands of ministers PM LAUNCHES POLICY but don’t invest in policy FRAMEWORKS capability for the future; and • weak cross-government In August 2016, Prime Minister systems for collaboration, John Key launched the alignment and prioritisation. three frameworks for policy improvement that spearhead

Diagram 1: Collective impact operating model 20 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

Diagram 2: Quality characteristics, enablers and acid tests of the Policy Quality Framework

the Policy Project’s approach. Secretaries) and deputy chief improving policy capability and They focused on: skills; capability; executives chosen for their performance in 2017-2020: and quality. potential to be system-level 1. Establishment of a Policy The Policy Quality Framework champions. This reflects lessons Capability Leads Network describes the key characteristics from the UK, without going as of policy practitioners and of quality policy advice, as well as far having formal departmental managers who already take identifying the enablers of great heads of policy profession. a lead role in improving their advice. This framework and its In early 2017, the project was agencies’ policy capability. accompanying tools are being strengthened by two important 2. Policy Profession Board used by many agencies as they developments that have given it agreement to seek three-year develop papers and perform a much firmer base of financial club funding commitments agency-wide reviews of the and stakeholder support for from larger agencies. quality of advice. The Policy Skills Framework sets out the knowledge, applied skills and behaviour that public policy professionals need to deliver quality policy advice. It comes with tools to enable individuals and teams to identify where development is needed. It can also add value in areas like recruitment, performance assessment and remuneration decisions. The Policy Capability Framework sets out the key questions that agencies need to answer to assess their policy skills. It is now used by many agencies to test their capability and identify improvements for producing quality policy advice. All of this was overseen by a new Policy Profession Board comprising chief executives (similar to UK Permanent Diagram 3: Policy Skills Framework: knowledge, applied skills and behaviours CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 21 Issue 16 – March 2018

CURRENT DELIVERY FOCUS

Progress since the second half of 2017 has included:

• devising of an online Policy Methods Toolbox, emphasising methods like design thinking, behavioural insights and a ‘Start Right’ commissioning tool; • a policy workforce analysis to identify issues and assess the appetite for collective action.

We are also:

• helping the Policy Profession Board expand its role to include developing and deploying senior policy leaders (as one of three public-service-wide Career Diagram 4: The four dimensions of the Policy Capability Framework Boards); and • developing guidance and developing a common change hosted executive roundtables support for agencies to agenda and solutions. with international and foster a culture of Free and 2. Steal with pride – we have domestic subject matter Frank Advice and Policy avoided ‘reinventing wheels’ experts, and published Stewardship (now published by taking what has been ‘conversation trackers’ from with supporting Frequently successful elsewhere and these events to help stimulate Asked Questions). working it into our frameworks. demand for more innovative 3. Outside-in legitimacy – policy methods. WHAT HAS WORKED SO FAR? domestic recognition of our approach and common I look forward to the next three In the first three years of frameworks was assisted by years of the Policy Project, as we the Policy Project, the four receiving some international build on our progress and work approaches below have made an recognition, including from with the policy community to important contribution. Australia (e.g. on people- design and implement innovative centred policy and free and solutions for these challenges. 1. Do with, not to – we have frank advice) and the OECD I hope the tradition of exchanging generated a lot of goodwill (skills for a high-performing knowledge and wisdom between and ensured relevance by civil service). New Zealand and the UK involving policy leaders, 4. Influencing the people who continues to benefit us both in managers and practitioners in make decisions – we have the coming years.

ONGOING CHALLENGES

The Policy Project faces a number of challenges as we work to improve the quality of policy advice, so that government decisions more consistently improve the wellbeing of New Zealanders. I am sure these will ring true to UK policy developers:

• Complex system level barriers – we are working over the long term to reduce barriers to agency change. These include accountability requirements, resource constraints, and fragmented governance arrangements. We need to address whether we have the right institutions and mechanisms for better policy collaboration, prioritisation and stewardship. • Role and goal clarity – the Policy Project focuses on building policy capability rather than actual policy development. Even so, it is vital to identify the right objectives and the right sequencing of interventions to achieve them. • Behaviour change – we are ensuring all our activities are easy to use and hard to avoid. We are particularly focused on supporting agencies to adopt our frameworks. • The management cohort – the pressure to deliver according to the status quo weighs most heavily on policy managers. They have less of a mandate than senior policy leaders to drive systemic reforms, and more incentives to prioritise delivery over change. • Measuring impact – the Policy Project monitors its webpage traffic, framework uptake, event attendance, and policy quality impact. The challenge now is to show how this has resulted in real changes to policy quality. 22 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018 PARLIAMENT AND THE CIVIL SERVICE

Rt Hon. Andrea Leadsom MP, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 23 Issue 16 – March 2018

arliament is the centre of our democracy. Civil Pservants are always very interested in what goes on there and how it works – because Parliament is very interested in them. In what is a historic time for Westminster, I want to encourage all officials, wherever you are in the UK, to remember that Parliament matters. Every week I read out the forthcoming business for the House, after which MPs have an opportunity to ask for a debate or statement on any issue. If you are a civil servant, the chances are that from time to time MPs will ask to scrutinise something related to your work. Hence, Parliament matters. As a government, we should champion its work by engaging with it as positively as we possibly can.

ADVOCATES AND CRITICS

MPs and peers scrutinise every aspect of the work of HM Government and the public services it delivers. If you work for the DVLA in Swansea, the Commons’ Transport Select Committee will be paying close attention to your performance. If you are in a far-flung embassy, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the country you’re working in will be keen to learn more about your work. All those working in public services are guaranteed to have passionate advocates fighting their corner, as well as strong critics about how the delivery of those public services should be improved, on the green and red benches. 24 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

Some may feel daunted by such intense scrutiny. The Commons chamber does not always feel like the most comfortable of environments for government ministers (and nor should it). Yet ministers always listen carefully to what MPs and peers have to say.

PLUGGED IN

While the Palace of Westminster All those working is a uniquely distinctive building sitting on its own beside the in public services Thames, it houses a Parliament that is connected to our public life in myriad different ways. From are guaranteed to e-petitions and select committee inquiries, to the ‘surgeries’ have passionate MPs hold to hear the problems faced by their constituents, Parliament is plugged into the advocates fighting their corner.

Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the House of Commons CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 25 Issue 16 – March 2018

WHY POLICYMAKERS SHOULD CARE ABOUT PARLIAMENT

• Be aware that select committees take a great interest in your work. MPs run inquiries which investigate topical issues and their evidence sessions regularly produce news stories. • Your first instinct might be to legislate, but it is not always the best option. In this busy, historic session of Parliament, it may be that you can achieve the same result without having to push forward with a bill. • Ministers are expected to notify an MP if they visit their constituency in an official capacity. Failure to do so results in complaints on the floor of the House. • The principle that all policy announcements should be made to Parliament first is taken very seriously by the Commons – and Mr Speaker is more likely to allow Urgent Questions whenever he feels this principle is not upheld. • Secondary legislation is receiving more scrutiny in this Parliament, making it more important than ever that statutory instruments are well-drafted.

work of every civil servant in the legislative agenda. I chair country. So when MPs raise issues Cabinet’s Parliamentary Business they care about, we should all and Legislation Committee, recognise that they aim to do so which is something akin to a in an informed, considered way. ‘Dragon’s Den’ for Bill proposals. This, after all, is the essence of We demand high standards our democracy. Parliament acts precisely because Parliament is as a funnel: if something is going so effective at scrutinising our wrong in your department, or if proposed policy changes. something could be done better, sooner or later that message will CHAMPIONS find its way to MPs and peers. When it does, we shouldn’t As part of this, and broader expect them to keep quiet about efforts to improve parliamentary it: politicians know the value capability, each department now of campaigning hard until they has a designated Parliamentary achieve a change. So they make Champion. Their role is to their case to ministers, and the promote the importance of Government, which is committed Parliament and an awareness to sustaining a flourishing of how it works, and to make democracy, responds striving to sure that departments take be as responsive and consultative Parliament’s requirements into as possible. account when making decisions. They are also there to make sure UNDERSTANDING that civil servants have the skills PARLIAMENT needed to support ministers on parliamentary business, including Because we can all help with Bills and statutory instruments. this process, civil servants need If you want to know more to understand how Parliament about Parliament, and how to works. Civil Service Learning gain the skills and experience you offers courses on Parliament that will need when dealing with it; or will help you appreciate – among if you have any ideas about how other things – how your work is to improve your department’s scrutinised; how the stakeholders relationship with Parliament – you are dealing with feed their your departmental Parliamentary views into Parliament; how Champion is the person to Parliament makes laws – and the approach. Whatever your role many ways in which Parliament in the Civil Service, I hope you can put your minister on the spot. will think about the interest I feel I have something to Parliament takes in your work. offer here, too. As Leader of the House of Commons I am responsible, along with the Chief Whips of both Houses and the Leader of the House of Lords, for overseeing the Government’s 26 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 27 Issue 16 – March 2018 Issue 16 – March 2018

FROM ASDA TO BELMARSH

Mark Adam, Prison Officer Recruitment Programme Director, Ministry of Justice

HOW GOVERNMENT IS ATTRACTING THE BEST PRISON OFFICERS

rison officers are an essential With over part of the justice system. PBut between 2010 and 2016, 80,000 offenders prison officer numbers dropped by nearly 25%, while the numbers in custody across of offenders in custody increased. over 100 prisons, The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the department’s executive the prison service agency Her Majesty’s Prison and is a big operation Probation Service (HMPPS) set up a small, multi-disciplinary and attracts a team to recruit thousands of new lot of media. prison officers to meet targets set out in a November 2016 White The White Paper Paper. Just over a year later, it is close to meeting its objectives commitments ahead of time and under budget. meant that the

A CHALLENGING BACKDROP reputation of the department and A key commitment in the White Paper, ‘Prison Safety and Reform’, its agency HMPPS was to gain a net increase were at stake. the prison officer workforce by 2,500 by December 2018. The circumstances were hardly Emily Tofield, Group Director, auspicious. The launch of the Communications and Information. White Paper coincided with a number of prison disturbances. BUILDING THE TEAM The pressure to recruit additional prison officers to keep prisons safe and reduce re-offending rates was acute. 26 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 27 Issue 16 – March 2018 Issue 16 – March 2018

It was vital we did this [compiling the database] at pace, to inform investment and geographical media targeting decisions. It was also crucial for our operations teams to identify and deal with the bottlenecks in the application process.

Will Rose, MoJ Deputy Director for Data and Insight for Human Resources (HR). 28 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 29 Issue 16 – March 2018 Issue 16 – March 2018

vital to winning the confidence of ministers, the MoJ executive committee and senior HMPPS leaders. The data that supports the programme spans over a hundred prisons, thousands of prison officer posts and vacancies across the system, and thousands of applicants entering the multi- step application process.

MARKETING INSIGHT AND ACCURACY

Discussions with recent applicants and recruits from a previous campaign were revealing. While they were aware of frequent negative news coverage about prisons and the stark challenges facing prison officers, they said they didn’t hear many positive messages. In February 2017, MoJ set up a that regularly reviewed Learning from this, the campaign recruitment team based on three progress, and meetings with showcased professionals at main principles. ministers at least once a work in prisons and emphasised week. They also had direct the positive aspects of the role. 1. To be multi-disciplinary lines of communication These included the variety, It brought together HR with the Director-General of professionalism and teamwork; and marketing specialists, Prison Reform and the Chief the opportunities for training and analytics professionals, project Executive of the Prison and career progression; the benefits managers and operational Probation Service. of Civil Service employment; the staff in a 30-strong team. pride and satisfaction in a socially This arrangement contributed 3. To prioritise problem-solving valuable job; and the opportunity to a sense of shared purpose using data analytics and to turn offenders’ lives around. and responsibility, and a insight Postcode analysis of recent focus on outcomes. In purely The team monitored the recruits also revealed that prison practical terms, working recruitment programme officer recruits are likely to come together in the same location prison by prison, tracking from social groups classified made it possible to work more each candidate’s progress under the Mosaic system as: quickly, with instant responses through the application, Aspiring Homemakers, Family and less email traffic. and identifying bottlenecks Basics, and Transient Renters. The team reported to the MoJ through the data produced Campaign targeting proved executive committee every by the process. Operational a challenge. No professional fortnight. Weekly feedback to intelligence and applicant qualifications are needed to be a stakeholders used a specially insight was used to prison officer. However, the less created, comprehensive support the data analysis. tangible qualities of judgement, activity dashboard, with Candidate diversity was integrity, resilience and strength infographics to make the data another aspect informed of character are essential, as are easier to understand. by data. As Adrian Scott, good people skills. People with Director, Prison Reform these qualities, not surprisingly, 2. To have the right leadership Portfolio, adds: “Analytics can be found in many different and governance was vital to reveal where in jobs. From a campaign targeting The leadership team the recruitment process we point of view, applicants join prioritised rapid learning and were losing candidates from the prison service from a improvement; the gathering different ethnic groups.” disconcertingly diverse range and use of data to solve of organisations, sectors and problems; managing suppliers QUALITY DATA disciplines – from ASDA to local by bringing them into the sports clubs, from pubs to retail, team; motivating the team; As this third priority suggests, the call centres to the NHS, and from and building assurance. delivery of high-quality, timely the British Army to Pizza Express. The governance structure evidence by the Data and Insight Alongside the paid-for activity allowed rapid decision- team has been fundamental to came a renewed emphasis on making and built trust. the programme’s success. As low-cost and no-cost PR. The For example, the team had well as ensuring that the key team did not have budget of a small management board decisions were data-driven, it was TV campaign proportions, 28 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 29 Issue 16 – March 2018 Issue 16 – March 2018 12 WORK but they needed to raise the 9 LIFE 3 profile of the prison service, change misconceptions about A ONE-DAY DIARY FROM MORNING LATTE TO the prison officer role, and put it LIGHTS OUT on a level of esteem with that of

6 a police officer. The MoJ campaigns team Idaya Oseni, gathered human interest stories and identified a raft of media Prison Officer opportunities to showcase the Idaya Oseni, 27, is a prison officer at HM Prison Swaleside. She lives in Kent good work prison officers do MY ALARM GOES OFF… and build pride as well as attract At 6am. I’ll eat toast, egg and beans. I iron my uniform – a shirt applications. A feature placed in IDAYA OSENI LEFT HER JOB and trousers – and polish my boots IN RETAIL TO RETRAIN the night before to save me time. AS A PRISON OFFICER Stylist, for example, used public We can wear make-up, but I tend to keep it light. I’ll leave at 7am. point across. People can feel low media to challenge perceptions at this time of year, but the prison I’M RESPONSIBLE FOR… A RADIO IS VITAL FOR COMMUNICATING serves Christmas dinner, which of the role. The safety and security of category WITH COLLEAGUES can help. At 6.30pm, I pass over to B male prisoners – those who’ve a support officer, hand in my belt, committed crimes that earn four keys and radio and sign out. years or more, such as robbery. I’d at 7.25am. I scan my GEO-TARGETING say 90% of this job is talking and fingerprint, collect my keys MY MOST MEMORABLE providing a positive outlook when and radio, and sign in. Then WORK MOMENT… people feel low. I teach them ways I attend a briefing from the IDAYA HELPS INMATES Was my first shift as movements to deal with problems, although governor who tells us what MAKE POSITIVE PLANS FOR In partnership with prison LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE officer three weeks after I started. you have to be professional and aspects of work we need to If you mess up, the entire prison not become friends. A lot of improve. We disperse into regime is delayed. I did it correctly governors, the marketing prisoners have turned to crime as our individual wings and meet a lock-up period where they return and it gave me so much they feel there’s no other option; with six other officers. We get to their cells – I’ll grab nachos from confidence – my supervising team ran high-intensity local I show them it doesn’t have to be assignments for that day, anything the canteen in the visiting area for officer gave me a piece of cake. that way when they come out. from being search officer – lunch. In the afternoon we re-open recruitment pilots. These were, checking cells for prohibited cells, and inmates will exercise as THE WORST PART OF I GOT MY JOB… items such as phones – to the we follow up on questions from the MY JOB… targeted at specific prisons with After working as a retail supervisor movements officer, who has to morning – most of my job is finding In some ways is similar to retail – – I’d studied TV journalism at know where every prisoner on the solutions for prisoners or showing still mostly dealing with complaints. pressing operational needs, university. I wasn’t making an wing is at any time. Each wing has them options if they have a dispute. impact on people’s lives, just dealing around 120 prisoners. After people If an argument gets physical and THE BEST PART OF like High Down, Belmarsh, Isis with complaints, so I applied for leave for education and other I’m on my own, I’ll press the alarm MY JOB… this job. I did 12 weeks of training activities, we do roll call and unlock for support. I don’t get scared; it’s Is when someone tells me I’ve and, imminently, prisons in the and qualified in November 2016. cells so prisoners can come and about being patient – prisoners changed their life. A former speak to us. We discuss TV or tend to be more polite to female MY TYPICAL DAY… prisoner came to visit the other day Thames Valley, also in response politics – the prisoners keep up officers, although sometimes you and he said I’d helped him make Begins by checking into the prison with news. At 12.15pm there’s need to use authority to get your different decisions on the outside. to operational requirements. AFTER WORK… This ‘geo-targeting’, supported My Plan B: Probation Officer I’ll be home at 7.10pm and call my I have a natural sense of duty of care – I’m the oldest of my siblings and grew up learning to family in Essex. I’ll make something by pinpoint evaluation, was look after people. Civil Service jobs really fit me, so I don’t think I’d break away from them like lasagne and eat chocolate completely. I’d like to work with ex-convicts on the outside and help them through life. while watching Suits on Netflix. designed to help prioritise I’ll be in bed at 10.30pm. DAY GEMMA PHOTOGRAPHY: LOTHIAN-McLEAN MOYA WORDS: activity accurately and ensure 18 STYLIST.CO.UK Day in the life of a prison officer, from Stylist magazine that investment in media promotion was as cost-effective as possible. Regular monitoring and HMP HIGH DOWN – INTENSIVE RECRUITMENT INITIATIVE, evaluation of how the campaign 9 JUNE TO 2 JULY 2017 was performing was essential to this agile approach and to making An intensive, dedicated recruitment project has resulted in over 100 new the marketing more accurate. prison officers recruited to work at the prison. Main features and results: The team monitored everything • short-term need for an intensive campaign to meet shortages from web hits to application at a priority prison; completions and online test • the team worked with prison governor and staff to develop an passes. And vacancy, retention onsite recruitment process and pipeline ‘demand’ data was • they found ways to improve time-to-hire and conversion rates; used to inform the supply of • over a six-week period, the campaign attracted over 1,000 applicants on a week-by-week, applications, with 104 prison officers successfully recruited; prison-by-prison basis. As soon • Louise Spencer. Governor, HMP High Down: “The results more as the campaign met the required than speak from themselves and show just what applicant numbers for a particular can be achieved when people prison, it could switch spend to with the right skills and focus where it was needed more. come together.” OUTCOMES

By the end of December 2017 the team could report a net gain of almost 2,000 additional prison officers. It is on track to meet the target of 2,500 significantly ahead of schedule. Approximately 40% of applicants responding to the campaign are female and 30% are of ethnic minority HMP High Down background. These results show 30 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 31 Issue 16 – March 2018 Issue 16 – March 2018

that the campaign is appealing to a diverse group, moving away from the stereotypical idea of a prison officer. The marketing budget, approved by the Cabinet Office We wouldn’t have been in December 2016, will be under- spent by around £1 million. able to generate that

WHAT DID THE TEAM LEARN? level of interest in being a

The team is candid about what it prison officer, nor run such got right and what needed fixing. successful recruitment [for The use of data was invaluable for marketing and resourcing. HMP Belmarsh] if it hadn’t It also helped the team get a grip of strategic issues such been for the work we did as recruiting a more diverse workforce and understanding with the MoJ team. retention challenges. Emily Thomas, Governor, HMP Belmarsh. Because every prison faces a different recruiting challenge, and vacancy rates vary significantly across the estate, this recruitment campaign did not lend itself to simple solutions. The importance of working closely with operational staff in prisons to tease out the answers low-cost and no-cost media every year just to maintain became a key priority. Team and intensive PR alongside the numbers as well as to fill existing members built good working paid for targeted media, was vacancies. relationships with HMPPS that fundamental to the campaign’s MoJ and HMPPS also need helped them understand the local efficiency and effectiveness. enough officers to deliver a new issues and use relevant data to This approach is relevant to other offender management model. find solutions. major government recruitment Retention and diversity need As well as professionals from campaigns. to be improved. The challenge different specialisms working well the team has now is to adapt together, the team collaborated THE JOB IS NEVER DONE the successful campaign, make with HMPPS to provide a better the approach business as usual, experience for job candidates. Looking ahead, it’s worth and to apply the learnings to the This extended from running noting that, despite the net wider MoJ group recruitment and prison tours, to ensuring a gain in prison officer numbers retention. thorough familiarisation process achieved by the campaign, for new joiners, from uniform, gross recruitment figures are pay and security passes, to significantly higher. Current practical things like introduction retention rates mean that around to IT systems and ‘who do I 2,000 new officers are required ask for’. A local network of prison recruitment advisers was essential to making this work. Campaign success in generating applications for prison officers roles can create its own problems, given the procedural requirements, including the need to vet new staff. Reducing the time it actually takes to hire people has preoccupied the programme team at a time when application numbers are growing and vetting times lengthening. This can be achieved by careful monitoring and use of data, tight contract management and juggling priorities. Lastly, the focus on locally targeted promotion, maximising Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service job fair, QEII Centre, January 2018 30 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 31 Issue 16 – March 2018 Issue 16 – March 2018

ROBOTS LEND GOVERNMENT A HELPING HAND

James Merrick-Potter, Cabinet Office Robotic Automation Unit, and Daniella Chrysochou, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Centre of Excellence 32 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

opular culture typically that a human would. will still be in use well into the takes futuristic ideas to RPA is now considered to be next Parliament. Pan extreme. The depiction sufficiently developed, resilient, Government also has a large of robots and robotics is no scalable and reliable to be used in clerical workforce. Many of them exception. Robots have been large organisations. work routinely with these legacy staples of science fiction for systems. Sometimes they might decades. Frequently, they are TANGIBLE BENEFITS have to use several systems to shown as warnings of a dystopian complete a task. And some tasks future where human beings are At the moment, government is require ‘re-keying’, that is, reading either relegated to the status of behind other clerically intensive information on one system and decadent, passive consumers, or industries that have already typing it into another. ultimately become slaves to the adopted RPA. But this means we RPA gives the opportunity to very machines they’ve created to can learn from their experience either reduce the time taken on serve them. and from the example of individual tasks or, in some cases, This fiction is, of course, far early adopters in government, to automate the tasks altogether. from the reality. The truth is that principally HM Revenue & Customs. As an example, a survey by HMRC robots and robotics are with us Modernising our IT estate is a found 130 different tasks with now – and have been for some long-term Civil Service aim, but high potential to benefit from time, revolutionising the way RPA can bring business benefits automation. we work, by bringing speed, in a single financial year. accuracy and efficiency to certain The benefits come because IMPROVING THE WAY WE WORK mass, repetitive tasks. government is a heavy user of Robots and robotics could older, legacy, IT systems. Some At a time when Civil Service significantly change the way the of these systems are 40 years’ headcount is under pressure, Civil Service operates, too, and old and likely to stay in use for automation gives us the potential help us serve the public better. a little longer yet. While most to reduce the need for agency and departments have plans to other temporary staff to handle BUILDING ‘A BRILLIANT replace or are already replacing peak workloads. It also means we CIVIL SERVICE” or re-engineering these systems, could divert staff to other tasks for some it is unviable – the need with higher ‘value add’, like direct John Manzoni, Chief Executive of for the systems will disappear contact with customers. Further, the Civil Service, summed up the before any investment could be it means we could automate some challenge and the opportunity in a recovered. Many other systems customer contacts altogether and speech in January on Civil Service transformation. He said: “We aim to be the best Civil Service in the world. A brilliant Civil Service RPA IN ACTION IN HMRC SERVICES producing 21st-century solutions that make a real difference to the 1. Dashboards for contact centre advisers lives of the people we serve.” He has specifically highlighted Dashboards give information and guidance straight to advisers’ the part robotics and robot computer screens. They use robotics to open files automatically technology can play in creating from a number of different systems, so advisers can answer this brilliant Civil Service, saying: customer questions quickly and accurately. This can cut “Many of our [government] customer call times by up to 2 minutes. services will begin to benefit from the huge potential of For one of the dashboards, advisers previously had to use robotics – or, more accurately, 66 mouse-clicks to navigate different systems for relevant robotic process automation information. They can now do this in 10 clicks. Making this (RPA).” Adding: “In speed and process easier allows advisers to focus on other things, such accuracy of response, RPA could as quickly identifying customer details, in order to provide the transform the experience of correct guidance. citizens registering for services, or applying for grants or benefits.” 2. Employer registration – end-to-end processing

WHAT IS ROBOTIC Robotics is used in the employer registration process to validate PROCESS AUTOMATION? data from online applications and provide a unique reference number to new employers, so they can start employing staff for RPA uses special software to the first time. automate routine clerical work, such as data entry into a system. If problems with the application are detected, robotics assigns In RPA, a software ‘robot’ cases to an ‘exceptions handling’ team. Around 85% of reproduces the actions of a applications are processed automatically, and employers who person interacting with the user register with HMRC to start paying staff receive confirmation interface of a computer system. three times faster than before. Automated services like employer It mimics a human and interacts registration reduce processing costs by around 80%. with applications in the same way HMRC contact centre advisers at work

reduce training times and error with Capgemini, with the aim of inefficient or flawed process. rates in other tasks. educating civil servants about It is one of many available tools Additionally RPA has the RPA and helping departments and needs to be the right one for potential to improve the way take their first steps in developing the job. The correct alternative civil servants work. It can create an RPA capability. may be to redesign or even scrap more time to spend on customer- If you are interested in learning the process. facing work, enhancing jobs by more about the RPA Centre of We should be open to new, making it easier to find relevant Excellence can contact us at smarter ways of working, but if information and to complete [email protected]. we develop digital technology tasks. RPA will replace roles but it in the wrong way, or try to use shouldn’t necessarily replace jobs. NO SILVER BULLET it in the wrong place, it will not deliver the expected advantages GOVERNMENT’S EARLY As well as delivering tangible and value. ADOPTERS results in the short term, RPA In terms of benefits, the key plays a role in building the digital consideration is that while RPA RPA is already being used in government of the future. RPA may allow business areas to government, with HMRC at the tools are already beginning to make a process more efficient forefront of the automation bridge into other technologies (i.e. require less effort), it is up revolution. The department has like optical character recognition to the business what to do with been working with robotics or chatbots (programs capable the resulting ‘benefit’. This could for a number of years and has of interacting with people – in a include redeploying people to deployed over 11,500 robots ‘conversation’ – in text or audio more value-added work. RPA across nearly 60 processes, form). Used correctly, these won’t save money on its own. including its system for can help Government optimise However, by using technologies registering new employers. services and processes. such as RPA in the right places Building on HMRC’s successes, However, we must bear in mind and in the right way, we can and drawing on their expertise, that while robotics specifically, continue to make sure that civil the Cabinet Office recently set and artificial intelligence in servants are working efficiently up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) general, can be an incredibly and effectively and in rewarding to accelerate the take-up of RPA powerful technology, it is not roles. And we can build a brilliant across government. The CoE has a silver bullet. It will not solve Civil Service of the future been established in partnership problems in a fundamentally 34 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

WHY INNOVATION IS THE KEY TO GROWING THE UK ECONOMY

Mike Biddle, Programme Director, Innovate UK CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 35 Issue 16 – March 2018

rashing cars in the desert might not sound like Csomething that can help scale the grand challenges we face as a country, but researchers and businesses are learning from a range of innovations to develop ways of creating new and well-paid jobs to boost the economy. The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) is part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, and will play a key role in increasing the amount spent on research and development in the UK to create a big impact on economic growth. It is being developed and delivered by Innovate UK and the Research Councils – which will merge to form UK Research and Innovation in April 2018, a new organisation to maintain the UK’s world- leading position in research and innovation and create the best environment for them to flourish. At the heart of the ISCF is a simple aim: to transform existing industries and create new ones. However, this doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy.

FIRST PRIORITY

When we started a little over a year ago, our first priority was to pinpoint exactly the biggest challenges facing industry. So, we asked them. We ran a two- week UK tour that included nine workshops, eight cities and 618 attendees from the UK’s innovation ecosystem. This helped to identify the first challenges to be tackled through the fund. Next, we developed a clear and compelling statement summing up these challenges – to experts and the public – so everyone knows what we are trying to do, by when, and why. Understanding the challenges we face in the 21st century and how these can be turned into opportunities to grow the UK economy is not straightforward. We must ensure that our scientific and innovation excellence isn’t merely theoretical but has real-world impact. You can see examples of how this has 36 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

worked in past projects we’ve Challenge directors are area Strategy Council will be funded: for example, 2D-Tech, experts and will coordinate responsible for independent a University of Manchester different delivery organisations to evaluation of progress and will spin-out, which takes part in rise to the challenge. be tasked with taking a long-term commercial ventures involving And, also like the DARPA view. Government’s commitment graphene, an ultra-light, atom- Challenges model, the ISCF to raising the amount that the thin carbon-based material of the strategy supports taking risks public and private sector spend future, which was discovered at and pursuing high-return on research and development the university. opportunities. to 2.4% of GDP is bold and One of DARPA’s challenges ambitious. The ISCF will play a SINGLE VOICE involved a ‘race’ with a $1-million central role in reaching this target. prize fund for the developer If we are going to accelerate of the fastest self-driving car commercialisation of the most to travel 142 miles through the exciting research and innovation Mojave Desert in the US South that the UK has to offer, then West. In the first year of the we need to be honest about challenge, every vehicle crashed, where we are truly world-class. failed or caught fire. But the It’s only then that we’ll have the success lay in galvanising a big impact the Government is community of problem-solvers. striving for. This is where UK So much so that, when the Research and Innovation will challenge programme ended really come into its own, bringing last year, it had made significant together Innovate UK and the strides and created some of seven research councils to act the leaders in the self-driving as a single voice for UK research industry. and innovation. The industry-led challenges FIRST WINNERS can really only be addressed through multi-disciplinary While challenge projects may research and collaboration not achieve a 100% success between business and academia. rate because of technological We’re working this way because and market uncertainties, it’s we need a joined-up approach important to explore new and to produce the science that promising ideas. businesses both want and need. The first set of UK projects are starting to come through. 21ST-CENTURY CHALLENGES The Government announced £1 billion in the 2017 Budget for All of the established challenges the first wave of challenges in align with the four ‘Grand batteries, space, robotics and the Challenges’ set out in the manufacture of medicines – the Industrial Strategy White Paper: first competition winners were announced in November 2017. • artificial intelligence and the While it’s too early to measure data economy – putting the impact, the potential is exciting. UK at the forefront of the For example, automation artificial and data revolution; business Perceptual Robotics • clean growth – maximising the is leading a £1.3-million project advantages for UK industry with Autonomous Surface from the global shift to clean Vehicles, University of Bristol and growth; VulcanUAV to use autonomous • the future of mobility – drones to inspect offshore wind becoming the world leader in farms. This could save money and the way people, goods and avoid the need to send people services move; and into potentially dangerous seas. • an ageing society – harnessing the power of LONG-TERM APPROACH innovation to help meet the TO INNOVATION needs of an ageing society This is a long-term approach The ISCF borrows from the US that will provide certainty by Defence Advanced Research setting a strategic direction Projects Agency (DARPA) model for our economy. With this in by placing the responsibility mind, it is important to put the for delivering a challenge in the right evaluation and reporting hands of a challenge director. structures in place. The Industrial CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 37 Issue 16 – March 2018

GET INVOLVED

We’re looking for the next round of proposals for challenges that are industry-led, meet a major industrial and societal need, and lead to tangible benefits in productivity and economic growth.

Proposals must:

• be compelling, focused, understandable and have a real benefit if solved; • be industry-led and in an area of existing strength; • take advantage of the depth and expertise of UK research; • offer a clear opportunity for sustainable growth, including global markets; • evidence that government support is necessary and of strategic importance; and • increase productivity.

Find ‘Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: tell us what to support’ on GOV.UK.

CENTRES FOR ADVANCED THERAPIES

£21 million of ISCF funding – as part of the medicines manufacturing challenge – will help set up a network of advanced therapies treatment centres. These will be alliances between existing facilities in the north of England, Scotland, the Midlands, Wales and a final site in Manchester.

This is a joint collaboration between hospitals, therapeutics development businesses and the supply chain. 38 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION UKGI Digital Land Team

TAPPING THE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF GEOSPATIAL DATA

OS Data visualisation of Britain’s road network (source: Ordnance Survey) CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 39 Issue 16 – March 2018

ne of the favourite sayings of the Ordnance Survey is Othat everything happens somewhere. Combine this with the digital sector – based on digital computing technologies – and you can see the vast potential of geospatial data as a new, general-purpose technology that can unlock significant value across the economy. This data, about location or place, is becoming an increasingly critical element of a successful economy. Whether it’s using your mobile device to find the nearest restaurant, or using geographical analysis to manage an emergency response to flood location, geospatial data matters. The Government recognised this in its manifesto commitment to bring together the data held by five core bodies: Ordnance Survey, HM Land Registry, UK Hydrographic Office, British Geological Society and Valuation Office Agency. This article sets out the work that turned this commitment into the Budget announcement of a new Geospatial Commission.

THREE KEY POINTS

A multi-department team (including: Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy; Digital, Culture, Media & Sport; Housing, Communities & Local Government; Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; and the Government Digital Service) and UKGI (UK Government Investments) (with additional consultancy input) undertook initial research that highlighted three key points:

• we have world-class capability in geospatial data; • previous attempts to coordinate data policy have struggled; and, • while, there were lots of ideas for using data better, we needed to evaluate properly the opportunities in the public and private sectors. 40 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

The team’s combination of a body that thinks about officials and consultants brought our geospatial strategy and WE HAVE SOME different approaches and lenses to economic opportunities. OF THE BEST bear on wide-ranging possibilities • Governance and geographical for exploiting geospatial scope. The bodies named GEOSPATIAL data in the public and private in the manifesto were not sectors. We also had extensive consistent in their geographical CAPABILITY IN engagement with the core scope. For example, Ordnance THE WORLD partner bodies – government’s Survey covers Great Britain, geospatial experts – themselves. whereas the Land Registry In 2017 the UK ranked covers England and Wales. 2nd out of 50 countries We divided our work across a Nor were they uniform in their number of strands: structure, with trading funds, in the Geospatial • Confirming the scope of government companies and Readiness Index geospatial data. This involved non-ministerial departments produced by the Global developing definitions all in the organisational mix. We Geospatial Industry to differentiate between also understood that much of Outlook. those who created the core the valuable data, particularly reference data and those for issues around housing, were who then provided additional held by local authorities. This all analysis or content. This led needed to be worked through. to many discussions on the • A bottom-up economic nature of data created by analysis of the opportunities Provides some of the most public bodies like the Met in the public and private detailed and frequently Office, the Environment sectors. There were many updated topographic Agency and local authorities. suggestions for how This, in turn, resulted in the geospatial could be used maps in the world. inclusion of the Coal Authority more effectively, but it was as a sixth core body, but also critical to keep the approach in advice that the Commission grounded in evidence and should engage across a wide analysis. Through extensive range of public sector bodies. user engagement and case • Exploring the lessons to be studies, we developed an learnt from previous attempts economic case for reform to better coordinate data that suggested a £6 billion Data is found on over policy (e.g. the Public Data to £11 billion per annum 90% of the world’s ships Group, UK Location Council opportunity in the private trading internationally. and Transparency Board). sector alone. This valuation From this we identified that to was done according to the stand the best possible chance Green Book, HM Treasury’s of succeeding, a new body guidance on policy, project would need a combination of and programme appraisal and budget, a clear purpose and evaluation, and was signed off remit, and ministerial support. by HMT. The economic case Our world-leading • International comparisons. also allowed us to develop Building Information These showed that, while a number of actions for Management programme we had expertise in ‘unlocking’ this value, creating different individual bodies, a potential plan of work for the is replicated in countries the UK differed from every new body. This then fed into like Australia. country we would consider our understanding of what a competitor in not having capabilities would be needed.

Geospatial data is already driving innovation and creating new businesses. Geovation is Ordnance Survey’s incubator for new business and its members include new businesses such as:

• FLOCK, an end-to-end safety and insurance solution for piloted and autonomous drone flights providing real-time quantified risk analysis, for easier pay-as-you-fly insurance. • GEOSPOCK, is a real-time database for storing and managing location data include weather modelling, facial recognition, voice recognition and DNA sequencing for healthcare. • LANDINSIGHT makes it easier and clearer to find off-market leads for development land and property. It gives instant access to ownership details, planning history, environmental constraints, and other details. • SHIPAMAX, a data-driven platform in development for bulk shipping – replacing the thousands of unnecessary emails, siloed Excel files and instant messages between players required for each booking. CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 41 Issue 16 – March 2018

OS MasterMap Topography layer of Bristol City (source: Ordnance Survey)

• An ‘ecosystem’ analysis Commission to provide strategic • The combination of an to look at the wider oversight to the various public evidence-based use-case opportunities. This work bodies who hold this data. To approach and a wider looked at the geospatial further boost the digital economy, ecosystem view enabled us to data as a system – how the Government will work with stay grounded in terms of what it is generated and how the Ordnance Survey (OS) and was needed practically to have it interconnects. It also the new Commission, by May an impact, while keeping an considered new potential use 2018, to establish how to open eye on future opportunities for cases, including the role of up freely the OS MasterMap data geospatial data. open data in building a robust to UK-based small businesses • Senior sponsorship, through a ecosystem. in particular, under an Open steering group of Permanent Government Licence or through Secretaries and Director We also asked academics and an alternative mechanism, while Generals, chaired by John the private sector for their views, maintaining the OS’s strategic Manzoni, was important for which helped to challenge our strengths. The Budget provides building consensus across assumptions and keep us focused £40 million a year over the next government, and allowed us on solving real problems rather two years to support this work.” to rapidly focus on the main than imagined ones. issues. This extensive work concluded LESSONS LEARNED • Be wary of simplistic ideas with the recommendation and solutions. We had to that we establish a Geospatial In terms of lessons learned, five resist the temptation of simple Commission to set the geospatial things stand out: solutions, like seeing open data strategy for the UK, with as a panacea, or feeling that the individual bodies remaining • The use of a blended team rest of the world was better at responsible for delivering data of cross-government officials geospatial. Neither is true – case and solutions in their own areas. and strategy consultants studies and evidence were vital The Chancellor announced the helped in cutting through in challenging them. creation of the Commission at the departmental silos and • Finally, the most important 2017 Autumn Budget: “The UK has challenging long-held policy thing we learnt was that some of the best geospatial data assumptions. The consultants there are amazing people in the world, and much of it is held also brought a different way working across government by public bodies. The potential of thinking that challenged excited to be involved in the economic value of this data is our own assumptions and opportunities of geospatial huge. To maximise the growth encouraged new ideas. One data, and a cross government- of the digital economy and particularly valuable approach team is a great way to bring consolidate the UK’s position as was the framing of intangible them together. the best place to start and grow a benefits around what you digital business, the Government would need to believe in order will establish a new Geospatial to deliver that outcome. 42 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

ACCELERATING INNOVATION IN DEFENCE AND SECURITY

Heather-Fiona Egan, Defence and Security Accelerator CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 43 Issue 16 – March 2018

he Defence and Security investment or match funding, Accelerator (DASA) does making it easier for suppliers of Tthings differently to find all sizes to enter competitions. and fund exploitable, innovative DASA helps businesses grow, ideas to overcome defence not just through funding, but by and security challenges across offering business support, access government. to end-users, technical expertise, Launched in December and help in building links between 2016, it is a cross-government business need and innovations organisation, created by the being developed. Additionally, Ministry of Defence (MOD), with suppliers’ agreement, and supported by a number of they share their proposals with other departments, including the partners and allies, potentially Home Office and the Department opening up new markets, for Transport. including exports. This is good for DASA delivers funding suppliers, customers and UK plc. competitions and events to find the very best innovative solutions NATIONAL REACH to turn into usable technologies and services. In just one year, by collaborating In July 2017, DASA responded and forging partnerships, DASA quickly to the terrorist attacks has become part of a thriving in Manchester and London. innovation community. It is fast Within 3 weeks of the attacks becoming the go-to body for it had scoped, consulted on, policy-makers in government, secured £1 million in funding and end-users in the military, for, and launched the Improving police and security services, Crowd Resilience competition. for new solutions to defence Seven out of 40 suppliers and security needs. were successful in the Home To help defence and security Office-funded competition professionals, DASA is making and are developing solutions itself visible and accessible. for demonstration in May and It is reaching out across the UK, November this year. embedding itself in the private sector, with start-ups and spin- UNEARTHING SOLUTIONS outs, at innovation hubs and science parks, seeking out the By reaching out beyond best ideas, products or services, traditional defence and security wherever they are to be found. suppliers, DASA unearths the It now has regional Innovation brightest opportunities and Partners and plans to open a brings together talented, like- London hub. minded people. DASA organises competitions Last year, 40% of the 155 and events, including hackathons, contracts awarded went to new ‘sandpits’ and pitch panels, suppliers. Industry, academia to explore and develop ideas. and small and medium-sized Efficient commercial processes enterprises (SMEs) shared mean that it can place contracts £19.2 million in research and within three weeks of the development funding ideas on decision to fund. paper to ready-to-use products. The Open Call for Innovation Overall, 58% of funding was offers a way for anyone with awarded to SMEs, supporting UK a good idea that falls outside economic growth by investing in the scope of one of the themed innovation throughout the country. competitions to pitch for funding to defence and security decision- EASY ACCESS makers. DASA is still young. However, For the private sector and by prospecting for new ideas, academia, DASA offers a clear piloting new ways of doing route into government defence things, and learning as it goes, and security, access to people it has the potential to make with knowledge and skills, and a real difference to frontline potential funding to develop an defence and security services. idea. All the intellectual property remains with the supplier, and they do not usually require co- 44 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

A REVOLUTIONARY COMPETITION

DASA’s first themed competition, Revolutionise the human information relationship for Defence, was launched in January 2017. Sponsored by Joint Forces Command and funded by the Defence Innovation Initiative, this £6-million competition aimed to find new technologies, processes and ways of operating to improve defence staff’s ability to analyse and exploit data to inform decision-making.

This competition:

• offered a standard track and a fast track; these follow matching processes, but the fast track has a compressed timescale, allowing proposals to mature rapidly; • required that a vision for how the idea or solution could be exploited be included in submissions; and • piloted DASA’s now standard short form contract, which makes complex contracting more accessible to SMEs and universities as well as prime contractors.

Seven organisations were awarded Phase 1 fast-track contracts. Two suppliers received Phase 2 funding to continue development (see case studies below).

FORESIGHT, INSIGHT, HINDSIGHT: HELPING THE MOD MAKE BETTER DECISIONS

London-based decisionLab uses progressive data science, analytical modelling and operational research to build business tools to improve decision-making. Through DASA’s first themed competition, this small consultancy has received both Phase 1 and Phase 2 funding for its unified asset health model and risk forecasting tool ‘neural network’. It’s estimated that this DASA-funded innovation could save the public purse a significant amount for an investment to date of just over £500,000. decisionLab’s Phase 1 proposal was designed to improve safety in defence aviation by forecasting the risk of faults. They could see that, with some research and development, their neural network would allow aircraft engineers and maintenance personnel to view the status of systems and their predicted health a day, a week, or even a fortnight in advance. As well as improving safety, this would offer cost and efficiency savings in maintenance scheduling and keep aircraft airborne for longer. This repurposing of technology from the civilian to the military market was an excellent opportunity for diversification and growth. Strong exploitation opportunities were clear, as decisionLab had previously partnered with Rolls-Royce, and was moving ahead with prototype deployments in both civil and defence systems. Rolls-Royce offered data, expertise and deployment opportunities.

NAVAL APPLICATIONS

After a successful Phase 1 project and demonstration, it was apparent to stakeholders that decisionLab’s Phase 2 proposal had naval as well as aviation applications. Seeing this opportunity, the Royal Navy invested £150,000 in the development of the neural network for use on board a Type 45 destroyer. A Royal Navy ship is incredibly complex, and the Type 45’s systems can record 10 million data points a day. With such a huge and complex dataset, the type of machine learning offered by the neural network will likely have a significant impact on maintenance schedules and support, improving capability, saving money and delivering efficiency. As part of the Phase 2 project, decisionLab is training its neural network on 1.8 billion lines of Type 45 Platform Management System data. Each day the system gets smarter and more capable. The plan is to install it on HMS Diamond for a trial this summer. CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY 45 Issue 16 – March 2018

It’s estimated that this DASA-funded innovation could save the public purse a significant amount for an investment to date of just over £500,000.

HMS Diamond Type 45 destroyer (Crown copyright 2014) 46 CIVIL SERVICE QUARTERLY Issue 16 – March 2018

DASA COMPETITIONS

DASA has funded 155 projects worth £19.2 million to date. It is currently managing 13 competitions at different stages. Among these are:

MOD Defence People Challenge – a people-based competition with five sub-challenges focused on rehabilitation, skills, retention, recruitment, and motivation. It is looking for innovative ideas on how best to manage people, in both military and civilian contexts.

Future of Aviation Security (two competitions) – 1. A joint Home Office and Department for Transport competition funded research into new technology to bolster airport security and speed up passenger screening. 2. To find explosives hidden in electrical items in hand luggage.

Improving Crowd Resilience – a Home Office competition to reduce the threat from terrorist or malicious use of explosives and weapons in public places, using the crowd as a sensor.

Synthetic biology for transparent materials – competition to identify materials that are thinner, lighter and offer ballistic protection to produce transparent armour.

Beyond battery power – competition to identify technology that will reliably extend the battery life and power of portable and robotic autonomous systems such as mobile phones.

‘Last mile’ resupply at the front line – A British Army challenge to design pioneering technology to get vital supplies to soldiers on the front line; 25 projects were funded in Phase 1, to develop projects including: autonomous hover-bikes, unmanned air and ground vehicles, novel means of autonomously loading and unloading; navigating and delivery ordering, management and control using app-based technologies.

ADVANCE WARNING

Under the fast track of DASA’s first competition, independent research technology company Montvieux was awarded funding to develop its ‘predictive cognitive control system’ in partnership with the Centre of Intelligence Innovation. The system aims to alert intelligence analysts to activity in potential areas of interest or anomalies, before an incident occurs. It automatically analyses data from multiple streams simultaneously and operates all day, every day. If successful, this system will be able to perform at a scale and speed way beyond human analysts with access to all available intelligence sources. As part of Phase 2, the system is being tested on the operational network at RAF Wyton and is showing new capabilities to Defence Intelligence analysts on a daily basis.

DEFENCE VALUE The project is a great example of collaboration between DASA, the≈competition sponsors, Joint Forces Command, and the front lines working to turn technology into true capability. Joint Forces Command’s adoption of this technology will allow real users to test the technology, while demonstrating the real defence value of the technology. It’s anticipated that this kind of system could be applied to any problem where all-source text analysis is being used to predict an incident or outcome. REGISTRATION OPENS 25 APRIL

Civil Service Live is back for 2018 The UK’s largest event for civil servants is even bigger this year; with new locations, there’s even more opportunities for civil servants to learn, network, and share best practice with colleagues at hundreds of exciting workshops and sessions. Join the conversation and follow us on Twitter: @UKCivilService | #CivilServiceLive

NEW DATES AND LOCATIONS FOR 2018! Thursday 7 June 2018 SEC Centre, Glasgow Wednesday 13 June 2018 NEC, Birmingham Wednesday 27 June 2018 Winter Gardens, Blackpool Thursday 5 July 2018 City Hall, Cardiff Thursday 12 July 2018 St James’ Park, Newcastle Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 July 2018 QEII Centre, London

Visit www.civilservicelive.com to get involved in the events, and find out about exhibiting at the events, volunteering and mentoring opportunities. Register to attend from 25 April 2018 at civilservicelive.com

Organised by: Media partner: © Crown copyright 2018 You may re-use this information (excluding images and logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives. gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/2/ or email [email protected]