The Scientific Civil Service was created in 1945 to regularise the ad hoc arrangements made by government for employing scientists during the war. It continued until the Fulton Report in 1968. The Fulton Report advocated the elimination of the various classes within the Civil Service because they imposed a rigid structure which made it unnecessarily difficult for staff to move between roles to gain a breadth of experience. It is nonetheless important that scientists and engineers within the Civil Service are valued for their expertise and that attractive career and development opportunities are open to them. To a large extent this is managed within individual departments and establishments.
The science and engineering profession across government is being developed with strong central leadership by the GCSA in his role as HoSEP. He is supported in this role by a network of departmental HoSEPs, a directory of which can be found opposite in Related Documents along with their associated Terms of Reference.
To fulfil his role as HoSEP, the GCSA has developed a long-term strategy for the HoSEP network. The vision is to build a cohesive community, across government, supporting scientists and engineers within the Civil Service and championing the profession across government. The strategy document can be found opposite in Related Documents.
As HoSEP, the GCSA is also:
- Co-ordinating and promoting the spreading of good practice
- Taking responsibility for implementing and keeping up to date the requirements of the government skills strategy as it applies to the science and engineering profession; and
- Meeting regularly with departmental HoSEPs to discuss issues of importance to the profession, such as skills and recruitment.
The first HoSEP Annual Report covering the financial year 2008/9 can be found in Related Documents.
To contact the HoSEP Secretariat please email XGov.Hosep@bis.gsi.gov.uk.
