This was our conclusion in our report, ‘Change in government: an agenda for leadership’. We warned that unless the government can rapidly develop and implement a comprehensive plan for cross‐departmental reform in Whitehall, the government’s wider ambitions for public service reform, the Big Society, localism and decentralisation will fail. The open letter is right...

The Civil Service today, unlike other private or public sector entities, must now meet the demand for four contrasting skill sets simultaneously.  The well established skills of policy advice to Ministers, management of public services, and contracting, outsourcing and procurement must be practiced in conjunction with the new skills which arise from the demands...