In the opening session of the day, Alastair Campbell – previously Tony Blair’s press secretary and Director of Communications and Strategy – outlined what he saw as the best things about civil servants: their public service ethos, work ethic and adaptability.
In one example, he told the full auditorium at London’s Olympia about a visit made by Tony Blair to Bangladesh. On getting off the plane, a rather crumpled Blair decided he needed to change his suit before his big meeting – and a particularly amenable official from the Department for International Development agreed to donate his. ‘Now that’s adaptability!’ joked Alastair.
On a more serious note, Alastair was keen to point out that, though the Civil Service can have a reputation for being fuddy-duddy, it is actually very good at adapting to sudden and unexpected changes, as well as dealing with crises.
However, he also observed that: ‘When there is an obvious need for a genuine, cross-departmental tackling of problems, it can be hard to break down the silos.’
Oh, and he mentioned his book a few times…!
Next up was a panel discussion on the topic, ‘Does class still matter in the Civil Service?’, chaired by the BBC’s Matthew Amroliwala.
The panel, which included previous Apprentice winner Tim Campbell and Civil Service diversity champion Bill Jeffrey (also Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence), were in agreement that things had improved a lot, but felt there is still more to do.
Although only one member of the panel – Sue Owen, a Director General at the Department for Work and Pensions – had not been to a comprehensive school, the panellists pointed out that it’s not just about the kind of school you went to; it’s about the expectations your parents had for you. Did they want and push you to succeed?
As Bill said, ‘We need to make ourselves open to people for whom the expectation was lacking. We should aim for what BT calls “effortless inclusivity”.’
Ideas suggested by panellists and the audience included delaying the FastStream until candidates have already worked in the Civil Service for several years; targeting universities that have a more diverse intake, changing the culture of the Civil Service so that everybody feels they belong; and going out to schools to talk about careers in the service.
The importance of the final point was illustrated by one new recruit, who revealed that when he told his mates he was joining the Civil Service, they confused it with silver service – and thought he was going to be a waiter!
The day’s closing session on ‘Entrepreneurial spirit and encouraging innovation’ featured more discussion of Peter Jones’s socks – and why Gus O’Donnell should wear a superhero suit – than expected, but it was nevertheless the highlight of the day!
Peter Jones seemed to care passionately about the Civil Service and was open about its flaws as well as its positive points, seeming to be genuinely upset when he discovered that ideas he saw as ‘no-brainers’ had not already been implemented. ‘There are some amazing innovative initiatives, but they’re not being transported across the Civil Service,’ he said.
But in his role as one of the judges on Lions’ Lair, Peter was impressed by the standard of this year’s entries, and particularly by the Cabinet Office’s Ann Hall, who put forward a meticulously researched idea for a central Civil Service marketplace of training providers.
He concluded by saying: ‘There’s so much great work going on, and I truly believe that you’re all making a huge difference. Keep going as superheroes and doing what you do.’
As for the idea of putting Gus in a superhero suit, Peter didn’t manage to persuade him to go that far. But Gus did agree to come back next year wearing a pair of Peter Jones-range socks.
What other delegates were doing and seeing on day one
Pictured left to right, Rita Ross, Antony Carpen and Helen Stephenson
‘I’ve been to sessions on constitutional reform, public trust and whether class matters in the modern Civil Service – basically, anything about community empowerment, as that’s my role.
‘I’m here to ask important people lots of awkward questions. I’m not always able to discuss policy in the workplace, plus my role involves lots of micro-policy. This is a chance to look at the big picture.’ Antony Carpen, Department for Communities and Local Government
‘I’ve been to an event about Yasmin Alabhai-Brown’s personal experience of public service. It was really interesting and inspirational. I’ve also been to a session on combating obesity through Change4Life, which was great for finding out more about strategy and future plans.
The stalls have been interesting too, especially the ones one how to become a governor, and the Diploma in Public Service, which I didn’t even know existed. Rita Ross, HM Revenue & Customs
‘I’ve been to a workshop on counter-terrorism, which was interesting but unfortunately the acoustics were awful so it was very difficult to hear. ‘I’ve also been around a few stands and had a couple of very informative discussions about government skills. I’m currently having to write skills profiles for staff at work and needed some guidance.
‘Civil Service Live gives us the chance to talk to people and see what other departments are doing.’ Helen Stephenson, Government Communications Headquarters
