UPDATED: Cabinet Office: Accepting win-win good for all?

At the end of July 2014, TechMarketView’s PublicSectorViews team met with UK Government COO, Stephen Kelly, to talk to him about the Cabinet Office’s progress in developing a “responsible, intelligent and experienced client function”. As the situation evolves, in this latest PublicSectorViews research note, we consider how the client/supplier relationship is changing.

The message from Kelly is that UK Government is now open to suppliers, of all shapes and sizes, becoming “strategic partners” as it transitions to “Government-as-a-Platform” model. But what does that mean? And how should suppliers behave if they are to establish, or indeed re-establish, a strong relationship with UK Government?

TechMarketView PublicSectorViews subscribers can download ‘Cabinet Office: Accepting win-win good for all?’ now. In the next few days, this view will also form part of our latest update to the UK public sector SITS supplier landscape report. If you are not yet a PublicSectorViews subscriber, please contact Deb Seth so you can access this must-read research.

FOOTNOTE (added 6th August): Sometimes it's only a little later that you understand the true relevance of a remark. When we met with Kelly a couple of weeks ago, he highlighted the benefits that had been realised from having a consistent Cabinet Office team in place. He also insisted that the existing team was committed - to be fair he couldn't really say anything else at the time!

More telling, though, was his view that the appointment of a new UK Government CEO would mean "individual characters on the early phase of the journey become less critical, as the Civil Service from the top owns and embraces reform". Of course this morning we hear of news of Kelly's departure to Sage (Sage announces Stephen Kelly as CEO). And his responsibilities, from November onwards, will be taken on by the aforementioned CEO (recruitment in progress).

But what of the other "characters"? Though most appear committed, it is impossible to say they won't get a better offer. And it would be hard to envisage the likes of Liam Maxwell remaining in place should we see a change in Government. We agree with Kelly that much of the characteristics of reform are now hard wired into the Civil Service. And a CEO will help to cement that further. But despite Kelly playing down the importance of Maude, Crothers, Maxwell, and Bracken, we can't help feel that the departure of one or more might result in a softening of approach.

Posted by Georgina O'Toole at '23:20' - Tagged: publicsector   strategy   government