In a significant push towards reforming public services, senior minister Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, is set to advocate for a radical transformation of the civil service during a speech at University College London’s East Campus on Monday. His vision for modernising the state involves fostering a culture similar to that of successful start-ups, aimed at enhancing efficiency and responsiveness within government operations.
Backed by a robust £100 million innovation fund, McFadden's initiative seeks to introduce "test and learn" teams across public services. This approach mirrors strategies employed within the business sector, allowing for small-scale experimentation with new ideas to assess their viability before wider implementation. “If we keep governing as usual, we are not going to achieve what we want to achieve,” he will emphasise, highlighting the need for a shift in mindset.
McFadden elaborates on this paradigm shift, stating, “Suddenly, the most important question isn’t ‘How do we get this right the first time?’, it’s ‘How do we make this better by next Friday?’” This iterative cycle of testing, addressing issues, altering designs, and retesting is positioned as a crucial methodology for enhancing public service delivery.
The minister plans for the initial projects involving the innovative approach to focus on family support and temporary accommodation, which are set to commence in January 2025. Teams will initially operate in cities including Manchester, Sheffield, Essex, and Liverpool, with McFadden asserting that, despite their small scale, “they could rewire the state one test at a time.”
Encouraging collaboration between the public sector and experienced professionals from the start-up and tech industries, McFadden will call for individuals to participate in six- to twelve-month “tours of duty” within government. This initiative is directed towards harnessing their expertise in tackling complex challenges, such as those found in criminal justice and healthcare reform.
However, opposition from the Conservative Party has emerged, as Richard Holden, a shadow Cabinet Office minister, criticises the Labour government for not doing enough to curtail bureaucratic processes. He argues that existing Labour policies have led to increased state expenditure, impacting taxpayers across the nation. Holden asserts, “Everything Labour has done so far has been to swell the size and cost of the state, on the backs of workers, pensioners, farmers and family businesses across the country.”
As the public service landscape prepares for these proposed changes, the integration of an agile, test-driven approach into government operations could signal a shift in how public services respond to the needs of citizens, with potential implications for future governance and administrative efficiency.
Source: Noah Wire Services