Select Committee · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Civil Service People Survey

Status: Closed Opened: 1 Jul 2022 Closed: 29 Apr 2024 12 recommendations 5 conclusions 1 report

Every year, Civil Servants across more than 100 Government Departments, bodies, agencies etc. are surveyed in the annual ‘People Survey’ on a range of topics, including employee engagement, wellbeing, remuneration and career prospects, bullying and harassment, and more. This inquiry will examine how the data is used by the Cabinet Office and by individual Departments, …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Ninth Report - Civil Service People Survey HC 575 24 Oct 2023 17 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

6 items
8 Conclusion Ninth Report - Civil Service People Sur… Rejected

Current delays in People Survey data publication are indefensible and lack transparency.

It is not clear to us that withholding People Survey data, so as to time its release with countless publications about Ministerial gifts, hospitality and expenses, is truly a transparent, or helpful, approach to the publication of the important data collected by the People Survey. We similarly find it difficult …

Government response. The Cabinet Office does not accept the implied recommendation to change its publication timing, despite the committee's strong criticism of current delays. It commits to reducing the timing between internal and external distribution and will explore including release dates in …
9 Recommendation Ninth Report - Civil Service People Sur… Rejected

Publish initial People Survey results when distributed, before end of calendar year.

We recommend that in future, initial results from the People Survey (including median scores for each question for both the civil service, and individual participating organisations) be published at the point they are distributed to participants, and before the end of the calendar year to which results refer.

Government response. The Cabinet Office does not accept the recommendation to publish initial People Survey results at the point of distribution and before year-end. However, it commits to reducing the timing between internal and external distribution and will explore including release dates …
10 Conclusion Ninth Report - Civil Service People Sur… Rejected

People Survey is an invaluable and unique barometer for Civil Service sentiment and scrutiny.

When first established, the People Survey was envisioned as a management tool to support public bodies in gauging and promoting employee engagement. But the high-quality data it has generated - a result of excellent work by government statisticians, particularly in the early years of the survey - has proven itself …

Government response. The Cabinet Office does not accept the committee's conclusion regarding the People Survey's broader value for scrutiny, reiterating that it is primarily a management tool. It commits to publishing a commentary and reducing timing between internal and external distribution of …
11 Recommendation Ninth Report - Civil Service People Sur… Rejected

Classify People Survey results as official statistics, complying with Code of Practice.

The People Survey is a dataset of significant public interest. In future, the People Survey results should be treated and classified as official statistics and be published in full compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The Cabinet Office should formally request the assessment of the People Survey against …

Government response. The Cabinet Office does not accept the recommendation to classify People Survey results as official statistics, arguing it is primarily a management tool. It commits to publishing high-level findings commentary and reducing timing between internal and external distribution, which is …
12 Conclusion Ninth Report - Civil Service People Sur… Rejected

Lack of robust evidence on People Survey's impact in driving Civil Service change.

For over a decade, a majority of civil servants have been telling their leaders that they do not believe effective action is taken on the back of People Surveys. External users of the data share these concerns. Given that the Cabinet Office describes the People Survey as a management tool, …

Government response. The government disagrees with the overall statement that effective action is not taken from the People Survey, highlighting existing support for departments in analysing results and providing tools for action plans.
14 Recommendation Ninth Report - Civil Service People Sur… Rejected

Require departments to develop, report, and evaluate People Survey action plans in Annual Reports.

Departments themselves should develop action plans in response to future People Survey results, which define measurable and timely interventions. These action plans should be included in departmental Annual Reports and Accounts each year. Departments should also evaluate their success in delivering action plans in future, summarising these evaluations in their …

Government response. The government disagrees with the premise that effective action is not taken, stating that departmental communication and action vary. While the Cabinet Office supports departments with tools for action plans, the government does not commit to mandating their inclusion, along …

Oral evidence sessions

4 sessions
Date Witnesses
18 May 2023 Alex Chisholm · Cabinet Office, Dr Claudia Roscini · Cabinet Office, Fiona Ryland · Cabinet Office View ↗
7 Mar 2023 Alex Thomas · Institute for Government, Amy Leversidge · The FDA Trade Union, John Moloney · Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Rhys Clyne · Institute for Government View ↗
20 Oct 2022 Peter Lynn · Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Sarah Henry · Office for National Statistics View ↗
13 Sep 2022 Peter Lynn · Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Sarah Henry · Office for National Statistics View ↗

Correspondence

3 letters
DateDirectionTitle
4 Jul 2023 To cttee Letter from Alex Chisholm, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Of…
14 Jun 2023 To cttee Letter from Alex Chisholm, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Of…
18 Apr 2023 To cttee Letter from Alex Chisholm, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Cabinet Of…