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Sir Keir Starmer is looking to reduce the high frequency “churn” among senior civil servants, which he believes risks reducing the ability of an incoming Labour government to deliver on its priorities.
The Labour leader believes it is wrong that senior officials move jobs so often, rather than staying longer and using their expertise to drive through reforms, according to his allies.
One said: “If we are going to have a ‘mission driven’ government, that requires civil service stability. You don’t have that if you have directors-general moving jobs every 18 months.
“The system currently incentivises moving — it is seen as a sign that you are versatile and can take on any challenge — but it is ultimately not helpful for delivery.”
Starmer is being advised by Sue Gray, his chief of staff and a former Whitehall mandarin, on policy to improve the efficiency of the civil service ahead of the general election expected next year.
A former head of the Crown Prosecution Service, Starmer takes a keen interest in organisational structures, according to his colleagues. “He’s as interested in the ‘how’ as he is in the ‘what’,” said one.
Labour said last year that a “mission-driven government” would require “a rethink of how we govern”, with a sustained focus on long-term priorities such as boosting growth, developing clean energy and reforming the NHS.
The rapid turnover of officials was identified by the Institute for Government think-tank last year as being one of the biggest impediments to the ability of ministers to deliver policy and plan for the future.
Bronwen Maddox, the outgoing IFG director, said at the time that civil service churn had a “pernicious” impact on the ability of departments to function well.
It also recognised that the churn rate of senior officials had reduced slightly during the pandemic, with about 8.4 per cent either moving jobs or leaving the civil service between March 2020 and March 2021, down from 10.3 per cent the previous year.
“The motives, generally, are pay, promotion and wanting to get on,” she said of the frequent moves made by senior officials. But she said that often meant they remained for “only a year or two in post”.
Last year the Cabinet Office unveiled plans to keep top officials in their roles for longer, in an acknowledgment of the problem, with “set assignment durations” and bonuses for project delivery.
But Hannah White, the current IFG director, said: “It was completely toothless. The question is how do you stop people moving?” She added: “You have to change the presumption so it’s a negative rather than a positive if you move quickly.”
White said one could introduce minimum term contracts and prevent people from applying for other civil service jobs before those had expired; completion bonuses might be offered to those who stayed a certain number of years.
The government said: “Directors-general are usually expected to stay in their roles for a minimum of four years, to ensure that their knowledge and capability are retained for a significant period of time.
“We also have introduced a number of measures to manage churn in senior grades, including through setting expected assignment durations and introducing the pivotal role allowance, which incentivises retaining experienced staff in key posts.”
