Ministers’ ways of working: A guide for private office

New ministers often come in with little idea of how they can set up effective ways of working with their private office – and they may like to consider how they can improve systems when they move role or department.

This resource for private office teams is a guide for a conversation with your minister about how they want things to work in the office. It sets out key questions to ask the minister, and includes examples of how previous ministers have chosen to operate – drawing on the IfG’s conversations with ministers and private office teams – that private office can offer as possible options.

This guide offers a wide-ranging overview of ministers’ ways of working, which could be used as part of several early discussions with the minister. It also highlights the key questions to ask in the first week, to lay an initial foundation.