Ruth Owen
Head of Profession for Operational Delivery
Director-General, Personal Tax, HM Revenue & Customs
What were your biggest policy and delivery challenges in 2013, and how did you handle them?
I was appointed head of profession in May. My biggest challenge has been getting to grips with the role and ensuring that I provide the kind of leadership for the profession that my 280,000 colleagues in Operations deserve from me. Seven out of 10 civil servants work in the profession, and we have a direct impact on the everyday lives of over 60m UK citizens and businesses at home and abroad.
That has meant almost starting from scratch in:
a) looking at the profession and being clear who is in scope within the Operational Delivery profession;
b) working out how best to reach such a large audience and helping them to understand the importance of being part of the profession and raising our standards, as well as being clear what is in it for them;
c) building our professional communities – both at a senior level (we brought the Operations Senior Civil Service cadre together for the first time ever this year), as well as by geography and areas of interest (such as contact centres);
d) developing a prioritised plan for the profession. This recognises we are at a very early state of maturity in comparison to other, more established, professions and we need an ambitious agenda, but is also realistic about the levels of awareness and status of the profession, even within our own membership.
Where have you made the most progress in implementing the civil service reform plan, and what are your reform priorities for 2014?
Professionalisation is a key plank of the Civil Service Reform Plan and for the Operational Delivery Profession we have developed our own Capability Plan. I plan to launch it early in 2014. Our Capability Plan identified the core skills we need to develop in Operations roles, as well as how, as a profession, we need to build the key skills identified in the Civil Service Capability Plan. These include digital; commercial, project and programme management and leadership of change.
The priority for 2014 is delivering that plan. Most important to me is making a reality of the plan for our people in operational roles across all departments. That means moving beyond plans and making available to them enhanced learning to meet business priorities and the ability to achieve accredited learning and professional qualifications. Progress has been slower than I would have liked on this agenda, as we have had to work out how to maximise opportunities for such a large community, while recognising that learning budgets across departments are limited and need to fund a wide range of priorities. I am hopeful we have now had a breakthrough that can achieve widespread take-up in professional learning for Operations colleagues at an affordable cost.
What are your key challenges in the last full year of the Parliament, and how will you tackle them?
I am really keen that our profession now makes strong and visible progress in the year ahead. My goal has to be that every member of the Operations profession:
- is aware of the profession and understands what it means to be part of the profession, including standards and clear career pathways both within the profession and between professions;
- recognises their transferable skills and has the opportunity to develop their skills and achieve external recognisable accreditation or qualifications;
- and, most importantly, is proud of being part of the profession that acts as the front face of the civil service and offers excellent service to the citizens and businesses of this country.
What would you most like Santa to bring you this year? And what would you like him to take away?
I am working over the festive period, so a quiet Christmas and New Year period would be my first request. Being more demanding, I wonder if he has a magic diary which allows me to fit in all the things I want to do in a very busy working week?
To take away: any dodgy Christmas jumpers coming my way from well-meaning friends or relatives!