Permanent Secretary, Department for International Development
Which events or policies have dominated your attention during 2012?
This has been a year in which we have focused on implementation in DfID. We are on track with the commitments in the Coalition Agreement and our business plan. Many civil servants across the country are coping with falling real wages and changes to T&Cs and it is inspiring to see how, through these tough times, they continue to display commitment, innovation and energy in serving the public.
How have the shape and capabilities of your department changed during 2012?
Like all departments, we are cutting costs through a radical efficiency programme. But our front line capability is growing, as we deliver the government’s objectives in fragile and conflict-affected states. For the first time ever, we have also brought in 53 new graduates on a one-year development scheme – at the end of which they will each need to find new jobs. The calibre and enthusiasm of these young folk has given the whole department a shot in the arm.
Our last capability review noted that leadership and line management was patchy. We have worked on this and have made good progress. But there is more to do.
Which aspects of the CSRP are most important to your department?
The CSRP is important for its comprehensive over-arching approach as well as for the individual actions it contains. I was a big fan of the old capability reviews, so I think their replacement, the new improvement planning process, is crucial for DFID (and for everyone else!). As an accountant, I am passionate about value for money and the efficiency agenda. We have made good progress on the CSRP’s actions on management information and we now need to use that to drive better performance. The Plan’s focus on horizon-scanning also strikes a chord with me.
What are your main challenges for 2013?
Ninety per cent of the staff at DFID will need to spend 90 per cent of their time delivering the results we have promised for tens of millions of the poorest people in the world. These include sending children to school; improving access to water and sanitation; and helping countries embed their democracy and improve governance. But we have to look to the longer term too. The prime minister is chairing a global UN panel recommending new international development goals post-2015. The panel reports in May. We will want its recommendations agreed in the UN General Assembly.
Tell your colleagues a Christmas joke
The teacher says to the boy: “Give me a sentence using the word ‘fascinate’.” Pause. Furrowing of brows. And finally: “My coat has nine buttons but I can only fasten eight.”
And if I’m allowed another one: one day, a man goes to a pet shop to buy a parrot. The assistant takes the man to the parrot section and asks him to choose one. The man asks: “How much is the yellow one?” The assistant says: “$2000.” Shocked, the man asks why it’s so expensive. The assistant explains: “This parrot is very special. He knows typewriting and can type really fast.” “What about the green one?” the man asks. “He costs $5000, because he knows typewriting and can answer incoming telephone calls and takes notes.” “What about the red one?” “That one’s $10,000.” “What does he do?” “I don’t know,” the assistant replies. “But the other two call him boss.”
To read more from permanent secretaries, visit the perm secs' round-up homepage