What does a ‘mission-driven’ approach to government mean and how can it be delivered?

The new government has committed to being ‘mission-driven’, focusing its efforts on five key areas: growth, the NHS, clean energy, safer streets and opportunity. We now know these missions will be overseen by committees and boards chaired by the prime minister, supported by strong central leadership and external expertise.

However, the specific details of how Whitehall will transition to this new way of operating are still to be defined. To aid in this transition, the Institute for Government and Nesta have set out a recommended approach for how government could effectively organise itself to deliver missions. It should act as a guide for public servants at the start of a new administration that has pledged to do things differently.

Missions are designed to set bold visions for change, inspiring collaboration across the system and society to break down silos and work towards a common goal. They represent the ultimate purpose of the government, and the story it aims to tell by the end of the parliament.

To succeed, government will need to adopt three key roles: driving public service innovation, shaping markets and harnessing collective intelligence to improve decision making. Achieving these missions will require strong foundations and well-recognised enablers of good government, pursued in a specific manner to bring about a cultural change in Whitehall.