Whitehall is too ‘tame, reactive and risk-averse’, says UK’s top civil servant

Speaking at the London School of Economics, Romeo emphasized that fundamental reform of the civil service was essential given the 'tight fiscal context' and the need to deliver higher defence spending while protecting public service budgets. Her statement echoed pledges under Keir Starmer's government to transform the civil service.

Performance Management Overhaul

Romeo announced that recent changes to increase bonuses for high-performing senior civil servants were 'just the start' of her new approach. She said her methods would 'incentivise and reward brilliant delivery, valuable expertise and sticking it out to get the job done'.

She outlined plans to strengthen processes and train managers to reward those making the biggest impact while taking decisive action on poor performance. Romeo also aims to reduce churn, where officials move sideways for pay rises rather than being rewarded for staying in their roles.

Addressing Criticisms

Romeo acknowledged criticisms that the civil service was 'tame and risk-averse', 'reactive, not strategic', and 'siloed, not working across boundaries'. She is overseeing a review of the civil service organization due in spring, alongside an update to its code.

The review will examine current departmental structures and whether they suit an era of cross-cutting delivery, as well as what AI and 'devolution by default' mean for the civil service.

AI as a Tool

Despite concerns that AI might replace officials, Romeo argued the technology could make the civil service 'more human' by cutting bureaucracy, allowing officials to focus on creativity, interaction and decision-making.

From healthcare screening to tackling homelessness, she said AI could help public services become 'more predictive, preventative and personalized'. After her speech, a government spokesperson confirmed Prime Minister Burnham 'backs the cabinet secretary's vision' to 'rewire the state' and embrace AI responsibly.