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Policy Manager – Capabilities Team

Role

The Capabilities Team within the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) provides programme management for the cross Government Capabilities Programme. The Programme aims to ensure that a robust infrastructure of response is in place to deal rapidly, effectively and flexibly with the consequences of civil emergencies arising from natural events, major accidents or malicious attacks.

I am responsible for two specific Workstreams within the programme:

• Warning and Informing the Public - work includes development of generic capability such as improved public warning systems and guidance for emergency responders on how to meet the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act in relation to their warning and informing duties.
• Flooding – as flooding is assessed as one of the highest risks in the UK CCS has undertaken a programme of work with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to improve flood resilience. We aim to give strategic direction to guide and support integrated contingency planning and preparations for major flood events. Work includes the development of a National Flood Emergency Framework, implementation of the recommendations set out in the report from Sir Michael Pitt on “Learning lessons from the 2007 floods”, and improvements to flood water rescue capability.

This role is a project management post, shaping and managing projects and ensuring that inter-dependencies with other projects are identified and managed. I have to analyse evidence and think strategically – setting priorities, identifying tensions around potentially sensitive and/or political issues. I act as mediator between Government departments making trade-offs between departmental and policy positions to get agreement on project development.

Another key area of work is delivering presentations and facilitating or leading consultations on important corporate issues. Networking skills and being able to present views clearly and concisely are essential.

A day in the life of … Mandy, Policy Manager in the Capabilities Team

09:15 - Arrive in the office after my commute from Hampshire to the normal flurry of activity. I answer a couple of queries and say hi to a few friends at the tea point whilst grabbing a coffee before my first meeting.

09:30 - Represent CCS at a Working Group meeting developing the Government response to the Pitt Review “Learning lessons from the 2007 floods”. Present CCS position on the resilience focussed recommendations which we lead on (that’s over thirty different strands of activity).

11:00 - Back at my desk and ploughing through a ton of e mails. Find an urgent one asking for a contribution to a Parliamentary Question in relation to setting up a Cabinet Committee on Flooding. I need to speak with colleagues from Defra and the Economic and Domestic Secretariat in another part of the Cabinet Office to develop the reply. I finish off by talking through the draft with James, my boss, and we have a final draft reply.

12:30 - Nip to the shops to grab some lunch and do a spot of shopping in nearby Covent Garden.

13:30 - Present a paper at a cross departmental meeting to discuss a specific project to provide a national capability for flood rescue. Not an easy meeting, as there are a number of issues to be discussed, but we do achieve cross-Whitehall sign up to the project plan. The priority will be to put in place common standards for a flood water training and accreditation scheme and to develop a flood rescue assets database. This will be a significant step to extending the UK’s flood rescue capability.

15:30 - I manage to put some time into planning a National Workshop on Warning & Informing the Public. I secured agreement from the Head of CCS to develop this workshop and found the funding, so I am responsible for pulling it together. I clarify the purpose and objectives of the workshop, set the agenda and identify the key speakers. I also ring and speak with colleagues at the Emergency Planning College, part of the CCS based in York, who are hosting the event.

16:30 - Finally get round to spending some time on developing a presentation I will give to a European Conference in the Czech Republic on the UK Position in relation to crisis management and crisis communication.

18:00 - Check and double check I have put all my papers away securely before dashing out the office and starting the trek home.