Civil service leaders defend Whitehall shakeup

Civil service leaders have denied that reform plans are an attack on civil servants, despite a big cut in jobs, greater ministerial say over permanent secretaries, changes to the existing grading system and a review of flexible working arrangements. Writing in the Telegraph , head of the civil service Sir Bob Kerslake and minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude say the plan will "equip a much smaller civil service to meet current and future challenges". Kerslake and Maude say there is demand within the civil service for better performance management, including wanting poor performers to be managed better and "not just ignored"; for barriers between grades to be broken down; and for policy to be subject to rigorous scrutiny "before it gets too late to change it". The two key proposals in the civil service reform plan, to be announced to MPs by Maude on Tuesday are a more rigorous appraisal system, to identify the best 25% and the poorest 10% of staff, with up to 40,000 civil services facing potential action as a result; and a greater emphasis on operational roles at the top of major delivery departments, with minsters expected to get the final say over who should be the permanent secretary in their department. The plan is expected to confirm a cut in civil service numbers by almost 13% from 440,000 to 380,000 by 2015. The strategy is also to open up policymaking to external organisations, a controversial idea first floated by Heywood earlier this year. Andrew Haldenby, director of the independent thinktank Reform, has described the reform plans as "too little, too late", arguing that more radical reform should have been introduced earlier, to increase civil servants' personal accountability. But influential thinktank the Institute for Government has said the government risks losing its most talented staff unless it begins to support civil servants. This article is published by Guardian Professional . Join the Guardian Public Leaders Network free to receive regular emails on the issues at the top of the professional agenda.