Becoming a minister: Part 3 – Working with the civil service

In the third episode of our six-part series, we talk about how ministers can work with the civil service. As a new minister, you now have access to the civil service machine: a small army of officials whose job it is to serve the government of the day and deliver on its agenda, from your private office team who provide your close day-to-day support, to policy development and communications specialists, to civil servants responsible for actually implementing government policy.  

But what should new ministers expect from the civil service? What are the common misconceptions? And how can ministers get the best out of their departments? We hear advice and recommendations from ministers in several recent governments – and hear why the civil service being compared to a Rolls-Royce isn’t necessarily a compliment…  

For more information on how the IfG can support new ministers, check out the IfG Academy or get in touch with us via ifgacademy@instituteforgovernment.org.uk.