Permanent secretary, Ministry of Justice
In a year of political and economic change, what was your highlight of 2010?
We prepared very thoroughly for the election and post-election period, with senior officials involved in supporting the formation of the coalition government. We were also able to respond quickly to the needs and demands of the coalition, anticipating and responding to the new priorities.
Of course, tackling the public deficit is a key priority, and the Ministry of Justice is determined to play its part. Our Transforming Justice programme, which we started in 2009, meant that we could provide advice about radical shifts in policy, and the financial and economic modelling we gave to ministers enabled them to make informed decisions.
What is the biggest opportunity that coalition policies have created for the civil service?
We are part of one of the biggest changes to public services for decades. This is challenging and means we have to make some difficult decisions, especially in relation to staffing. But it also provides us with a unique opportunity to review and reform the services that we provide to the public.
I am always impressed and proud of the way staff respond to the need to change. It will be a real learning experience for us all to see how we can change the way we deliver our services, moving away from Whitehall-controlled methods to public services delivered by other providers and local services in the community.
At the Ministry of Justice we are piloting ‘payment by results’ – paying private and voluntary providers according to the outcomes they achieve in rehabilitation and reducing reoffending. Over the next four years I expect we will be doing a lot more of this.
What is the most challenging management task facing the civil service now?
Achieving the big shifts in policy and delivery that the coalition demands, at the same time as reducing our workforce. Both are necessary to realising the savings and improvements to which we are committed. Our staff are absolutely key to delivering key policy changes and running our frontline services as efficiently as possible. Maintaining their motivation at a time of obvious uncertainty is really important, and something that I and my senior team are taking really seriously.
And what’s the key to succeeding in that task?
I think it’s about having a vision and communicating it quickly and clearly. I’m very lucky to have a board, including ministers and non-executives, who have a joint vision for the department. My top team and I worked intensively with our new ministers to understand their priorities, we determined what these meant for our people, and then we told them. And we will keep telling them as our plans develop and ministers’ priorities are realised. We are also investing lots of our time in keeping people all over the MoJ, up and down the country, up to date with all our reforms.
What was the best Christmas present that you’ve ever given or received? And the worst?
I’ll interpret the question as befits a non-Christian. Best: Subbuteo, Christmas 1970 – from my mum. Worst: hand-knitted pink cardigan, Hindu puja holidays, 1973 – from my grandmother.