Working to make government more effective

Online event

Civil service reform during the coronavirus crisis

What innovations would help the civil service respond to the coronavirus crisis?

This event was recorded as part of our IfG LIVE podcast.

This government – and some of its most influential advisers – came to office wanting to reform the way the civil service works. Change will come through the response to the enormous demands of the coronavirus crisis, but perhaps not the same as anticipated earlier in the year.

So what innovations might help the civil service respond? What might be the long-term consequences for the structures and processes of the civil service? And will there still be space to pursue the reforms that had previously occupied the government’s thinking?

Our panel included:

  • Ben Gummer, former Minister for the Cabinet Office
  • Una O’Brien, former Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health
  • Sam Freedman, CEO, Education Partnerships Group and former senior policy adviser to then Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove

The event was chaired by Alex Thomas, Programme Director at the Institute for Government. 

Listen to the event

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