Capability Reviews: Progress and Next Steps - The Civil Service

3. Take-off or tail-off?: the future ofthe programmeIn May 2007, the Civil Service Steering Board (CSSB) commissioned a team fromthe Sunningdale Institute to evaluate the Capability Reviews programme, analysewhat had been achieved so far and make suggestions for how to build on theprogramme to deliver the next stage of Civil Service reform.The evaluation said that the Capability Reviews programme has made a good startand that:‘Few previous attempts to reform the Civil Service, and none where the leadershipcame from within the Civil Service rather than being politically-driven, have hadsuch a good start.’It also warned that the gains made so far could slip away without committed actionand follow-up.Whilst the evaluation is independent, the team involved its clients (CSSB and thewider group of permanent secretaries) at key points in the project, not least toensure that the findings resonated with those who will be charged with acting onthem. This engagement has meant that some of the recommendations are alreadybeing acted upon; in other cases, the Civil Service is still considering how best totake them forward.With the strong sense of ownership that the evaluation has generated amongst thegroup of permanent secretaries across the Civil Service comes the expectation thatthey will act on its findings. Therefore the evaluation team will take stock of theprogress that has been made after a suitable period of time – probably six months –and report back to the Cabinet Secretary.The recommendations of the evaluation form two groups:• those designed to sustain momentum and strengthen the short- to medium-termimpetus of reform; and• more far-reaching recommendations designed to catalyse a more profoundchange in how the Civil Service delivers by introducing dynamic capabilities.Within these two broad headings, recommendations ranged from strategic reforms toprocess changes.Sustaining momentumThe evaluation found that a good start has been made and that, whilst the CivilService reform is not in danger of ‘going backwards’, there is a risk that the gainsmade by the programme will ‘tail off’ if momentum is not maintained. The figureopposite, reproduced from the evaluation report, sets this out.58 TAKE-OFF OR TAIL-OFF?: THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAMME