Martin Donnelly
Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Which events or policies have dominated your attention during 2012, and how have you tackled them?
This year has given us a chance to focus on delivering policy and its impact on growing the economy. We have focused on supporting growth across the UK economy. A lot of work earlier this year led to the successful launch of Britain’s industrial strategy, which has been widely welcomed by business and investors. We have also been delivering on the ground, with Regional Growth Fund projects, new support for exporters and the successful launch of the Green Investment Bank.
How have the shape and capabilities of your department changed during 2012?
I feel a real sense of energy in the department. We have become more flexible, and more aware of the strength that we have across BIS and the wider family of 40 or more partner organisations, from the Met Office to Companies House. Delivering the industrial strategy involved moving a range of policy staff at very short notice – and we couldn’t have done that two years ago. This also reflects our more confident culture – which is something on which we’ve been working hard over the last 12 months, based on our three values: committing to each other’s success; focusing on what matters most, and being empowered to deliver.
Which aspects of the Civil Service Reform Plan are most important to improving the capabilities and operations of your department?
We found the Civil Service Reform Plan to be really useful in supporting many of our existing modernisation plans. I find the focus on open policy making reflects what we do – using outside experts to get as much evidence as possible on what works and what doesn’t. We are also investing more in staff skills, with a strong emphasis on project management and really effective people management. A key challenge for all members of the SCS is to build the capability of their teams over the course of the year. And we’re keen to improve our technology to create a modern workplace for our staff where we can work more flexibly and collaboratively.
What are the main challenges facing your department in 2013?
Our main challenge is ensuring that every single one of our policies is having the maximum impact on the ground and really contributing to the economic healing process. It will be the year in which our industrial strategy becomes effective at sector level; the Green Investment Bank becomes fully active; and our ‘Catapult Centres’ – a network of technology and innovation centres – will all be up and running. And we won’t be neglecting the international dimension. In January, I am taking my executive board colleagues to Berlin, to ensure that we are working closely with counterparts there; and I will be focusing on the trade negotiations between the EU and the USA, which will be a priority for the G8 in June. So it’s an exciting and challenging year for the department – I’m looking forward to it.
Cracker jokes are notoriously bad. Can you give your colleagues a good joke to tell over the Christmas dinner table?
What athlete is warmest in winter? A long jumper.