The enthusiastic reaction of the public to the NHS during the coronavirus crisis has illustrated how it is possible for government departments to be respected and admired by our citizens. This is because it was clear how well the NHS was responding to crisis and how dedicated its employees were. These performance traits can be replicated throughout the civil service to boost government performance, to gain the respect and trust of citizens and to develop a culture of continual improvement.
The four elements required to bring this about are:-
o An understanding of what government is for ‚’ how to define its purpose and how to judge its performance in meeting that purpose.
o A wholesale overhaul of the government organisation structure, to ensure that its various departments are clearly focused on achieving an element of government‚’s purpose and motivated to achieve it.
o Reliable and clear reporting on performance, both to government and widely to the electorate.
o Redefining the roles of ministers and of senior civil servants to give the civil servants more room to manage, to plan, to take initiatives.
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