Rapid policy making: How civil servants can make effective policies under pressure

The Institute has previously warned of the risks of rapid policy making – success stories are the exception, not the norm. That warning remains true today. But in an age of the 24-hour news cycle and fast-developing political circumstances at home and abroad, speed is an expected feature of modern governance – and sometimes unavoidable. This matters. As ministers turn to civil servants for fast advice, it is vital to understand how to do it well.

This report focuses on ‘urgent priorities’ that demand a fast response but fall outside the bounds of genuine crises or emergencies. These can be driven by public outcry, media scrutiny or political imperatives, such as a minister’s desire for an ‘announceable’. The report explores the challenges and trade-offs civil servants face when working under compressed timeframes and sets out practical recommendations for how they can be better supported to deliver robust advice at pace.

Alongside these recommendations, the report introduces a major next step: a digital toolkit – a first-of-its-kind playbook for Grade 6 and Grade 7 officials. This will be based on a user journey map that highlights the steps, pain points and potential solutions that could support officials to deliver quick but robust policies.