Dr Malcolm McKibbin
Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service
What were your biggest policy and delivery challenges in 2013? How did you handle them?
2013 was a busy year, with major challenges such as agreeing a new Economic Pact, hosting the G8 Summit and the World Police and Fire Games, and the programme of Londonderry/Derry as the UK City of Culture. These events required close cross-departmental co-ordination, external collaboration and meticulous contingency planning.
As a result, we can proudly say that we agreed an Economic Pact to help rebalance the economy and drive investment, jobs and growth; this was signed by the PM, the secretary of state, and the first and deputy first ministers. The G8 summit at the Lough Erne Resort was hugely successful, with world wide exposure, thousands of journalists and dignitaries and only a few protestors. Even the weather was on our side! President Obama also took time out to address an audience of young people in Belfast – an event that will stay in their minds forever. The World Police and Fire Games, dubbed the friendliest games ever, attracted 7,000 competitors in 56 sports across 41 venues, and 3,500 volunteers. The City of Culture project is on target, with over 250 events held to date including the Turner Prize. All in all, a challenging but successful year.
Where have you made most progress in implementing the Civil Service Reform Plan, and what are your reform priorities for 2014?
We have worked hard on improving capability and digital engagement. Succession planning and developmental opportunities for permanent secretaries are being considered and, through SCS Masterclasses, we have reinforced the need to improve leadership and innovative capability that will help people to learn, think and act differently. In September we launched our new 2013-16 People Strategy, with specific commitments on effective leadership, high performance, an enabled workforce and improved skills and resourcing. We have also made good progress on seven exemplar digital engagement projects, and are undertaking a landscape review of citizen contact. During 2014 we will be delivering on People Strategy commitments and the next batch of online transactional projects.
What are your key challenges in the last year of the Parliament? How will you tackle them?
We will continue to drive delivery on the executive’s Programme for Government commitments, as these are the ‘bread and butter’ issues upon which ministers – and by extension the civil service – are likely to be judged at the next election. We will also be supporting ministers in the development of the next Programme for Government, where our most significant challenges will include further developing the policy context for a more holistic social strategy, and identifying how the economic and social agendas could be better integrated to help deliver wealth creation and social inclusion.
What would you most like Santa to bring you this year? And what should he take away?
Having recently moved house, I hope Santa will be able to find me! (Happily, I’m told he’s good at this.) I’d really like tickets for the ‘best seats in the house’ at the Rugby World Cup final in 2015. And if he has space on his sleigh, perhaps he’ll take away all the perfectly good furniture we brought with us when we moved house and which has subsequently been replaced; apparently, it didn’t fit with the ambience of our new home!