Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has announced a plan to reform the public sector by adopting a test-and-learn culture similar to that of digital companies. He will launch a 100 million pound Innovation Fund to deploy teams of problem solvers nationwide to tackle some of the public sector’s biggest challenges. The teams will comprise data and digital experts, policy officials, and frontline workers who will be free to experiment and adapt.
McFadden has encouraged tech firm workers to join the government for six—to twelve-month tours of duty to work on national missions such as criminal justice or healthcare reform. He has also called for prison governors, social work heads, and other frontline public service workers to take up central government secondment to deliver the Plan for Change. The plan aims to simplify recruitment processes and make the state more like a startup.
Introduction to Public Sector Reform
The UK government has announced a £100 million fund to pioneer public service reform and deliver the Government’s Plan for Change. This initiative aims to make the state “more like a start-up” by adopting a “test and learn culture” similar to digital companies. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, will launch this new approach, which involves deploying teams of problem solvers to improve public services and support the delivery of the Plan for Change. These teams will be given the freedom to experiment and adapt, using data and digital skills, policy officials, and frontline workers to drive change.
The government’s reform plan comes after the Prime Minister unveiled his plan to put more money in people’s pockets, get the NHS back on its feet, and rebuild Britain. The £100 million Innovation Fund will be used to deploy new test-and-learn teams nationwide, who will apply this mindset to the public sector’s biggest challenges. The teams will begin by focusing on two projects across Manchester, Sheffield, Essex, and Liverpool from January 2025, tackling challenges such as family support and temporary accommodation.
The “test and learn” approach is a new, innovative way of working in partnership with councils, businesses, and local organizations. It represents a shift away from traditional policy-making, where teams will be empowered to experiment and find new and innovative ways to fix problems. This approach is inspired by the best digital companies and first-class government projects, which have successfully adopted a “test and learn culture.” By adopting this mindset, the government hopes to make the state more agile and responsive to the needs of citizens.
The government’s plan for reform also includes encouraging people from startups and tech companies to enter government for six to twelve month “Tours of Duty,” putting their skills to use tackling big challenges such as criminal justice or healthcare reform. This initiative aims to attract fresh talent and new perspectives to the public sector, which can help drive innovation and improvement in public services.
The Test-and-Learn Approach
The test-and-learn approach is a key component of the government’s plan for reform. This approach involves setting teams a problem and then leaving them to get on with it, empowering them to experiment and find new and innovative ways to fix problems. The teams will be focused on initiatives that seek to restore crumbling public services and demonstrate a new way of doing government.
The test-and-learn approach is designed to be flexible and adaptive, allowing teams to respond quickly to changing circumstances and learn from their mistakes. This approach is inspired by the agile development methodologies used in the tech industry, where teams work in short cycles, testing and iterating on their products and services. By adopting this approach, the government hopes to create a more dynamic and responsive public sector, which can better meet the needs of citizens.
The first wave of test-and-learns will focus on two projects: family support and temporary accommodation. The teams will be tasked with reducing costs and increasing the number of disadvantaged families that family hubs reach. After this initial phase, the government plans to expand the test-and-learns to other parts of the country, setting them bigger challenges such as reducing the need for temporary accommodation in the first place or finding new and effective ways into work.
Attracting Talent to the Public Sector
The government’s plan for reform also includes initiatives to attract fresh talent and new perspectives to the public sector. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will encourage people from startups and tech companies to enter government for six to twelve month “Tours of Duty,” putting their skills to use tackling big challenges such as criminal justice or healthcare reform.
The government also wants to attract more people with direct frontline public service experience to take up secondments in central government and deliver the Plan for Change. This includes prison governors, social work heads, directors of children’s services, and other professionals who have firsthand experience of the challenges facing public services. By bringing these individuals into central government, the government hopes to tap into their expertise and knowledge, using it to inform policy-making and drive improvement in public services.
To attract the best people to come and work for government, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will also overhaul how recruitment is carried out across the civil service. The current process can be bureaucratic and off-putting, with applications taking days to fill in and external candidates finding it near impossible to jump through the hoops. The government plans to simplify the recruitment process, using what works to make it more accessible and attractive to talented individuals from outside the public sector.
Conclusion
The UK government’s plan for reform represents a significant shift in how the public sector operates. By adopting a “test and learn culture” and empowering teams to experiment and adapt, the government hopes to create a more agile and responsive public sector. The £100 million Innovation Fund will be used to deploy new test-and-learn teams nationwide, tackling some of the biggest challenges facing public services.
The government’s plan for reform also includes initiatives to attract fresh talent and new perspectives to the public sector, including encouraging people from startups and tech companies to enter government for six—to twelve-month “Tours of Duty.” By bringing in individuals with direct frontline public service experience and simplifying the recruitment process, the government hopes to tap into their expertise and knowledge, using it to inform policy-making and drive improvement in public services.
Overall, the government’s plan for reform represents a significant opportunity to transform the public sector, making it more dynamic, responsive, and effective. By embracing innovation and experimentation, the government can create a better future for citizens, one that is characterized by improved public services, increased efficiency, and enhanced quality of life.
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