Capability Reviews: Progress and Next Steps - The Civil Service
Capability Reviews: Progress and Next Steps - The Civil Service
Capability Reviews: Progress and Next Steps - The Civil Service
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Skills, capacity <strong>and</strong> capabilityWhy does this matter?<strong>The</strong> skills, capacity <strong>and</strong> capability of the <strong>Civil</strong> <strong>Service</strong> have been under scrutinyfor some time. Over recent years the way government delivers has evolvedconsiderably. Changes include:• increased commissioning <strong>and</strong> contracting for service delivery in a wide rangeof areas, working with the wider public sector, private sector <strong>and</strong> third sector;• an increased emphasis on ‘horizontal’ challenges, either through a move tointegrated service delivery to customers or the development of integratedstrategic <strong>and</strong> policy solutions to challenges such as climate change or socialexclusion; <strong>and</strong>• challenging targets for efficiency, tough outcomes through the new PSAs <strong>and</strong>more focus on open <strong>and</strong> transparent performance management.All of these trends require an emphasis on building a strong, capable <strong>and</strong> skilled<strong>Civil</strong> <strong>Service</strong>.<strong>The</strong> Public Administration Select Committee recently published a report on Skills forGovernment (August 2007). In response, the Government stated that:‘<strong>The</strong> Government, the Cabinet Secretary <strong>and</strong> all permanent secretaries arecommitted to developing a culture of excellence that continually improves skills<strong>and</strong> capability.’And that:‘<strong>The</strong> Government <strong>and</strong> senior leaders are very clear that there is much more tobe done <strong>and</strong> agree that collective action is critical if the <strong>Civil</strong> <strong>Service</strong> is todeliver the services the public expect now <strong>and</strong> into the future.’Skills for Government: Government Response to the Committee’s NinthReport of Session 2006–07 (November 2007)In terms of the <strong>Capability</strong> <strong>Reviews</strong> model, this area sits within L4 – Build capability.This focuses on areas such as talent <strong>and</strong> leadership development, managing poorperformance, <strong>and</strong> diversity. Whilst there have been some examples of excellent workin these areas, such as the achievements of the CPS in building <strong>and</strong> 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 <strong>Civil</strong> <strong>Service</strong>.34 COMMON CAPABILITY GAPS: PROGRESS AND NEXT STEPS