Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Acknowledged
ODP must broaden capability building and career opportunities to local government.
Recommendation
The ODP also told us how it had invited two senior leaders from mayoral authorities to join the latest cohort of ODP Excel, a learning programme to improve participants readiness for senior operational delivery role, and attend its training events.25 However, the ODP recognised that there was scope for it to go further in building capability more broadly across central government into local government.26 For example, the skills framework and job families it has created for central government would also have relevance to local authority staff.27 Also, while the ODP highlights opportunities for career progression to its members, this does not extend to opportunities that may exist within local government.28 Witnesses recognised the benefits of existing efforts to build networks with local government, and we observed that more routine placing of ODP members into more local and particularly mayoral authorities would strengthen this, for example by providing forums to discuss issues.29
Government Response Summary
The Profession agrees with the Committee’s recommendation and is actively working with the wider public sector by sharing relevant elements of the profession offer, and has explored and identified opportunities to increase public and private sector engagement, by working with the Whitehall and Industry Group (WIG) and departments will be encouraged to engage in programmes such as GovXchange.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
3. PAC conclusion: The ODP is not doing enough to join up with the wider public sector, including local government, which plays a large part in the delivery of public services, or with the private sector. 3. PAC recommendation: The ODP should set out how it will encourage innovation and join up delivery between: • central government and local government, by more routinely placing members in local government roles, using its capability development and learning offers to facilitate better connections, providing career paths, and sharing learning; and • central government and the private sector through facilitating two-way secondment opportunities and knowledge sharing. 3.1 The Profession agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 The Profession is now actively working with the wider public sector, including local government, by sharing relevant elements of the profession offer, including the Professional Skills Framework and access to the Centre of Excellence. 3.3 The Profession will continue to promote development and collaboration opportunities through events such as ODP roadshows and the Senior Community of Practice (SCoP), where learning is drawn from across government, the wider public sector, and private sector organisations. 3.4 The Profession will continue to invite wider public sector colleagues, including those from local government, to participate in the OpDel Excel programme for Director and Deputy Director-level colleagues. It will also continue to collaborate with the wider public sector on aspects of the profession offer, such as the recent collaboration with local government to co- design the new operational delivery apprenticeship. 3.5 The Profession has explored and identified opportunities to increase public and private sector engagement, by working with the Whitehall and Industry Group (WIG) and departments will be encouraged to engage in programmes such as GovXchange, which encourages secondments between ODP colleagues and their counterparts in local government. 3.6 The Profession is also linking into departmental secondment activity and has launched an awareness and promotional campaign to highlight the benefits of loans, secondments, and 26 managed moves, particularly for Senior Civil Servants, between the civil service and the private sector.