With the end of 2016 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top officials to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2017 – and shed some light on their festive favourites. Sue Owen, permanent secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, takes part in our annual perm secs round-up
What was your highlight of 2016?
Well, the Rio Olympics and Paralympics of course – highest Team GB medal total, and the first country ever to exceed their medal total after a home games.
But I’m going to have another. For me, another huge highlight was the commemorations, organised by DCMS, of the centenaries of two of the biggest World War One battles: Jutland on 31 May up in the Orkneys, and the Somme on 1 July, which was marked with events at Westminster Abbey, Manchester, and, of course at Thiepval, France. The logistical challenge of running events in remote locations was massive, but equally challenging was planning appropriate content and ensuring that descendants as well as VIPs could participate. Both events were a triumph – despite the Brexit vote coming just ahead of the Somme centenary.
What has been the most significant change in your organisation this year?
Actually it wasn’t the July changes at ministerial level – we’ve done that before! Rather it was welcoming the Office of Civil Society into DCMS. Our departmental vision is “Driving growth, enriching lives, and promoting Britain to the world”, so OCS are a real boost when it comes to “enriching lives”. We’re finding way more synergies than we expected, too – be it on participation through volunteering, novel financing methods such as Social Impact Bonds, ways to promote philanthropy, libraries as an agent of civil society, and the “inclusive economy” unit – a nice parallel to our digital economy unit.
What will be the biggest challenge of 2017 – and how are you preparing to meet it?
Sorry if everyone is saying this – but it has to be Brexit. It lends a whole new dimension to the “promoting Britain to the world” dimension of our vision. But with Britain’s immense soft power in DCMS sectors, and with tourism, digital and creative industries growing faster than the economy average, we have lots of opportunities.
What was the best Christmas present that you’ve ever given or received? And the worst?
In 2015 the spouse bought yet another coffee device. I was annoyed initially, it’s the size of a spaceship, but wow, this one is the ultimate – it’s literally “bean to cup” in one touch. And none of those ridiculous (expensive) Nespresso capsules. Worst gift is one I made for my little brother in 1971. Everton won the League in 1970 and it took me a year of hand-sewing in secret to make an Alan Ball “gonk” toy with orange wool hair and Everton kit. Ball was transferred to Arsenal three days before Christmas 1971.
More: Perm secs round-up 2016 – Britain's top civil servants review the year and look ahead to 2017