Civil Service Group (closed)

The former functions of the Civil Service Group are now being taken forward by different parts of the Cabinet Office and the Department for Education. The Civil Service Group was responsible for implementing the Civil Service Reform Plan to build an exceptional Civil Service - more skilled, less bureaucratic and more unified.

What we do

In June 2012, we published the Civil Service Reform Plan which set out the specific actions we’ll take, including:

  • making the government’s digital services simpler, clearer and faster, taking a ‘digital by default’ approach by 2015
  • improving and opening up policy making, by setting up cross-departmental teams and involving more people in the design of policies
  • improving the way we carry out major projects, and ensuring clear accountability with, for example, a strong cross-government management information system
  • improving the skills, abilities and performance of civil servants, by producing a 5-year capabilities plan, introducing a new competency framework and encouraging dialogue with the private sector
  • creating a modern employment offer for staff, with a clearer performance management system, improved IT and flexible working across departments

Our progress

In July 2013 we published the Civil Service Reform Plan: one year on, a report that provides an account of progress to date.

You can find out more about our work by visiting the Civil Service blog

You can read more about the government’s civil service reform policy. .