Recommendation 7

The Cabinet Office recognised that rules introduced in 2010 on civil service pay make it difficult to attract and retain skilled specialists in some areas.15 Some skills, such as the ability to lead large projects, are particularly scarce. The Cabinet Office told us the areas which experience the highest levels of turnover are those with a strong external market, such as Commercial and Digital. These functions can often find themselves bidding against external competitors who can offer more money.16