Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Accepted
Ofcom confident in talent attraction and retention with competitive public sector salaries.
Conclusion
Ofcom told us that some recruits have returned to industry, but that retention generally is not an issue at the moment.56 It told us that it is confident in its ability to attract the necessary talent, with people attracted by Ofcom’s mission and the opportunity to achieve change to online safety. We asked Ofcom about the salaries it is offering. As an independent regulator, Ofcom is able to set its own salaries. Ofcom told us that the salaries it offers are what is required to attract the necessary skills, but that they are not that much higher than elsewhere in the public sector.57
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees, stating that both the department and Ofcom already have effective workforce planning processes, including half-yearly reviews, horizon scanning, and yearly business planning, to ensure they have the necessary skills and people.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 5.2 The department and Ofcom agree with the Committee that they must have the right skills and people in place, to regulate effectively. Both organisations already have effective workforce planning processes, which ensure that the required skills are in place, fulfilling the intent of this recommendation. 5.3 Ofcom’s workforce planning runs half yearly. The online safety-specific detail of this workforce plan feeds into its online safety learning and development provision, as well as recruitment pipeline considerations, ensuring capability and capacity is proactively built as required. Ofcom reports to Parliament annually through its Annual Report and Accounts on its overall strategy for people, skills and capabilities to meet its remit. 5.4 Ofcom’s Strategy and Research, Online Technology, and Online Safety leadership teams together with the input of wider academic external partners work to ensure Ofcom keeps abreast of technology developments and understands the implications of these in regard to knowledge, skills and approaches to ways of working. More widely, Ofcom has launched a systematic horizon scanning function to understand the impact of technology developments over the next decade. 5.5 The department runs a yearly business planning process through which directorates specify and agree the headcount, roles and specialisms required to deliver their functions effectively. 5.6 Directorates including the Online Harms directorate hold delegated learning budgets and regularly assess particular skills needs. Departmental non-executives are appointed through a regulated public appointments process. The department will shortly announce a new cohort of non-executives who will support the board for a term of 3 years.