Andrew Haldenby

Reforming government: the Cabinet Office

Last week Reform published its 2011 scorecard of the Coalition Government’s public service reform programme. Following the articles on the health, welfare  and education reforms, Andrew Haldenby, Reform’s Director, discusses the Cabinet Office.
 
The Prime Minister has put the Cabinet Office in the vanguard of his efforts to reform public services.  The Cabinet Office Structural Reform Plan gives the Cabinet Office responsibilities to reform the Civil Service, create more competitive public sector markets and reduce inefficiency” (through the operation of the Efficiency and Reform Group).  These are major objectives on which the success of the wider programme depends.  For this reason, the lack of progress should be a real worry for the government.
 
In opposition, Francis Maude argued that reform of Whitehall – in particular, making senior civil servants personally accountable for performance – would underpin the government’s wider efforts.  The experience of ministers such as Alan Milburn, David Blunkett, Caroline Flint and indeed Tony Blair strongly supported his argument. 



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