British Civil Service

Janice Morphet is a Visiting Professor at University College London. She has over fifty years of experience in local and central government as well as academia and has written and researched about Brexit, Covid, outsourcing, devolution and public services.

• 1 Introduction: What is the Civil Service For? Introduction The role of the civil service: an international context The civil service in the UK Conclusions 2 What Kind of Civil Service Do We Have? The Structure of the Home Civil Service in EnglandIntroduction How many civil servants? Tripartite structure of the civil service Issues for the civil service as an employer 3 How Does the Civil Service Develop Policy? Introduction What is policy? What stimulates policy development? Who makes policy – ministers or civil servants?How are policies constructed? Conclusions 4 How Does the Civil Service Administer Policy? Introduction The context for the administration of policy Administration vs implementation and delivery Issues to be considered when designing the administration of policyDetermining the mechanism for delivery Agents of delivery5 Relationships with Ministers Introduction The view of civil servants by ministers The view of ministers by civil servants Has the civil service become more politicised? Unwelcome intermediaries Events 6 Devolution and the Role of Civil Service in the UnionIntroduction What is the case for devolution of decision making? Relationships between Whitehall, Scotland and Wales before 1999Policy differentiation after the Devolution Settlement 1999– 2010Recentralising the state and muscular unionism after 2010 Civil servants in the DAs Devolution in England The future role of the civil service in drawing together the UnionConclusions 7 Policy Formation after Brexit Introduction The role of the EU in shaping UK domestic policy 1972– 2020International sources of UK government policy post- BrexitWhat was the role of the civil service in developing policy and administration when the UK was in the EU?The challenges after Brexit What are the policy implementation challenges post- Brexit?Conclusions 8 Civil Service: Weaknesses and Failures Introduction The context for decision making What is the role of civil service in the failure to successfully administer government policy?Corruption Conclusions 9 How Does the Civil Service Survive Change? The Persistence of PowerIntroduction The Westminster Model Multiple Government reforms but no change? The UK civil service as a persistent political elite Methods of maintaining power: operating the Core Executive Methods of maintaining power: recruitment and promotion Maintaining power: creating a lattice of leverage Managing ministers Managing outside Whitehall 10 The Civil Service – Forwards or Back? What is the need for change? Can the WM accommodate devolution? Can the WM accommodate SpADs? What will be the long- term consequences for the civil service of Brexit?How can the civil service be focused on administration within the contractual state?What are the possible tools for change? Civil servants accepting the need for change in the civil service