Capability Reviews: Progress and Next Steps - The Civil Service

Skills, capacity and capabilityWhy does this matter?The skills, capacity and capability of the Civil Service have been under scrutinyfor some time. Over recent years the way government delivers has evolvedconsiderably. Changes include:• increased commissioning and contracting for service delivery in a wide rangeof areas, working with the wider public sector, private sector and third sector;• an increased emphasis on ‘horizontal’ challenges, either through a move tointegrated service delivery to customers or the development of integratedstrategic and policy solutions to challenges such as climate change or socialexclusion; and• challenging targets for efficiency, tough outcomes through the new PSAs andmore focus on open and transparent performance management.All of these trends require an emphasis on building a strong, capable and skilledCivil Service.The Public Administration Select Committee recently published a report on Skills forGovernment (August 2007). In response, the Government stated that:‘The Government, the Cabinet Secretary and all permanent secretaries arecommitted to developing a culture of excellence that continually improves skillsand capability.’And that:‘The Government and senior leaders are very clear that there is much more tobe done and agree that collective action is critical if the Civil Service is todeliver the services the public expect now and into the future.’Skills for Government: Government Response to the Committee’s NinthReport of Session 2006–07 (November 2007)In terms of the Capability Reviews model, this area sits within L4 – Build capability.This focuses on areas such as talent and leadership development, managing poorperformance, and diversity. Whilst there have been some examples of excellent workin these areas, such as the achievements of the CPS in building and harnessing thetalents of an increasingly diverse organisation, this is not generally the case. After17 reviews, only one department has scored ‘well placed’ in this area (the formerDepartment for Constitutional Affairs), suggesting that it remains a key developmentarea for the Civil Service.34 COMMON CAPABILITY GAPS: PROGRESS AND NEXT STEPS