Joining up Thinking
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MAKING THE INTEGRATED Issue 305 | April 2021 | www.civilserviceworld.com REVIEW WORK SECURITY DEFENCE Joining up thinking FOREIGN POLICY DEVELOPMENT USA A-OK? LOWDOWN ON ODP A COVID DECADE? How America got its civil service All you need to know What happens now 01 CSW305 cover.indd 1 14/04/2021 10:37:42 Championing Diversity, Accelerating Inclusion Dods D&I is a unique experience-sharing platform. We design and deliver cutting edge events to keep you up to date with the evolving landscape of Diversity and Inclusion. Kickstart your learning by joining us for a CPD-certifi ed event, designed to provide you with vital skills and insight to advance cohesion, productivity and wellbeing in your organization. To view our upcoming event schedule, please visit: www.dodsdiversity.com www.dodsdiversity.com | [email protected] | 0207 593 5739 @dodsdiversity Dods Diversity & Inclusion DIVERSITY & INCLUSION Dods D&I Advert for CSA Webinair 230x300.indd 1 13/04/2021 11:59:35 CONTENTS April 2021 Editorial Published by All interviews with [email protected] civil servants were 020 7593 5569 conducted prior to the period of national Advertising mourning following [email protected] the death of the www.civilserviceworld.com 020 7593 5606 Duke of Edinburgh RED BOX 4 INBOX Editor’s letter and your comments 6 NEWS Analysing Outcome Delivery Plans OPINION 8 ALEX THOMAS Improving Whitehall’s shock abosrbers 9 DAVE PENMAN Why out of the office is not out of mind 10 ADAM WRIGHT Mapping the Covid decade 11 IAN CHESHIRE Time to abolish spending reviews FEATURES 12 WINNING FEELING Five Civil Service Award winners share details of the work that got them recog- nised, and what it was like to triumph 12 CHRIS ATKINSON 14 ABIGAIL AGYEI 16 GILLIAN WHITWORTH 18 SARAH MORTON 20 MARK BELL OF THE DWP’S VME-R PROGRAMME 26 22 THE INTEGRATION GAME The Integrated Review set out a new vision for security, defence, development and foreign policy. Can it be realised? 26 THE AMERICAN WAY A number of pandemic policy tsars have raised concerns about political appoin- tees in Whitehall. Lorenzo Castellani shares lessons from the US civil service DIGITAL AND DATA 28 LIVE WIRE A roundup of all you need to know from public sector tech’s big event, from how 11 28 GOV.UK’s Covid homepage was built to regulating the internet of smells civilserviceworld.com | April 2021 | 3 03 CSW305 contents.indd 3 14/04/2021 10:36:55 ❯ RED BOX EDITOR’S COLUMN Edited by ❯ RED BOX Sarah Astion FROM THE EDITOR he government’s level- and have persisted in the face ling-up drive has had a of eff orts (though not always Tdiffi cult year. Some of the consistent) to tackle them. diffi culties have been of the gov- Perhaps what this problem ernment’s own making, as plans needs is some kind of national attached to the broad agenda – reset. A moment when both which is intended to help spread companies and workers reas- economic activity, opportunity sess the value of cramming as and, yes, civil servants across many people as possible into a the country – seemed to use square mile of real estate in the varying criteria. The Towns capital and consider whether has been a dreadful national lor Rishi Sunak seem to be Fund, for example, appeared to everyone needs to be in the experience as many have lost readying the ground for another go to some of the places deemed offi ce, all of the time. From such loved ones and all of us have call back to the workplace. left behind and not others, while an idea grows the potential of had to become used to talking This would be a shame. No- the eponymous Levelling Up people working in less-fashion- about daily death tolls in a way one is denying that people will Fund didn’t include some widely able parts of the country and that would have been previously need to go back into the offi ce. accepted measures of poverty. commuting only occasionally. unimaginable, and the nation There are many things that There have also been, of Perhaps such a situation could was always going to change civil servants do that would be course, problems caused by mean that people don’t need after such an event. Indeed, improved by being able to be in the coronavirus pandemic. to work as much to pay a big it seems to be presenting an the same room as other people. Eff ort that would have gone mortgage, freeing people up opportunity for some of these But there are also many into implementing the prime to join community groups and societal changes. Companies examples where we have minister’s election-winning help invigorate the places they are adjusting to remote work- learned that it is less crucial appeal to traditional Labour love. From this, young people ing, so it will be a phenomenon than we thought. The govern- heartlands was within months might begin to notice that they well beyond even the depress- ment should harness this for subsumed into the fi ght against don’t have to have a London ingly long tail of Covid cases. many reasons – not least, as the pandemic, from which it is postcode to get on, and they can This is what makes the gov- Penman notes, that greater only now beginning to emerge. choose to stay closer to home ernment’s urging of employees fl exibility might lessen the And, even if there had been should they wish to, but bring- in general, and civil servants in pain of future pay restraint. But no Covid, the pledges may ing with them the prestige and particular, back into the offi ce the chance to join up level- have foundered for many other wages of higher-paying jobs. such a missed opportunity. ling up with the post-Covid reasons. The inequalities and Or perhaps none of this As Dave Penman of the FDA economy is chief among them. deprivation across the UK, would happen. But until now, we union relays in his column this The government will only and the north-south divide in have not had a chance to fi nd month, both the prime minister get this opportunity once. It prosperity, are long-established out. The coronavirus pandemic Boris Johnson and chancel- should at least try to take it. 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Articles written by contributors 020 7593 5588 UK public sector: £49 do not necessarily refl ect the views of SENIOR ARTWORKERS UK private sector: £99 the organisation ACTING DEPUTY EDITOR Matt Titley Beckie Smith Max Dubiel Visit www.civilserviceworld.com/ POSTAL ADDRESS [email protected] Antonello Sticca subscriptions for details Dods, 11th Floor, The Shard 020 7593 5687 London Bridge Street SE1 9SG PHOTOGRAPHY ADVERTISING TELEPHONE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS EDITOR Alamy, Adobe Stock, 020 7593 560 020 7593 5500 Geoff rey Lyons Photoshot, unless stated otherwise FAX geo [email protected] 020 7593 5501 DIGITAL CAMPAIGNS EXECUTIVE ISSN 2515-0235 (Print) Charlotte Newbury (Jessica Bowie and Suzannah Brecknell are on maternity leave) 4 | April 2021 | civilserviceworld.com 04-5 CSW305 leader and letters.indd 4 14/04/2021 10:36:39 ❮ CORRESPONDENCE RED BOXEdited by ❯ RED BOX Winnie Agbonlahor money’s worth out of Union enced staff will move from Lon- flags stock though before don and tiny numbers of local they have to lose the Saltire junior support staff recruited INBOX and... who knows what else?” locally. Experience may be lost [email protected] And Eleanor Greene from those unwilling to move.” twitter.com/CSWNews quipped: “Have the poles Emma Musgrave replied: been risk assessed for the “There is also much talent extra strain of two flags?” and expertise in the regions and lots of individuals who CALCULATED RISK to the Cabinet Office and the can’t or won’t move to London. Cabinet secretary Simon Foreign, Commonwealth and OLD NEWS This was about levelling up.” Case’s assertion that there Development Office, and an News that the Department But Geoff Eales said he was will be “no return to normal” encouraging attitude towards for International Trade speaking from experience. “I for the civil service after other temporary placements is moving to the newly- know, I was part of the ‘talent’ the pandemic, and that it in Whitehall and beyond.” refurbished Old Admiralty which moved from Durham must become more willing to A J William Parr asked: Building was met with ex- to London for an HMRC post take risks, was welcomed “Will there be a successor to the citement and nostalgia. 45 years ago, moved back to “Agree, and not just for European Union’s Bilateral Ex- “I started my civil ser- Teesside briefly but had to delivering public services,” change Scheme, so that UK civil vice career in 1979 in the Old move back to London,” he said. Eamonn M. wrote. “Future servants may continue to bene- Admiralty Building working “Suffice it to say that a efficiencies in HR are going to fit from overseas secondments?” for the Civil Service Depart- regional departmental presence come through greater develop- ment. Was a lovely building,” as large as HMRC’s was not suf- ment of people data analytics David Dollimore said.