Centre for Public Policy

The essay – written by Sarah Davidson, Carnegie UK chief executive, former director general at the Scottish Government, and Honorary Professor at the Centre for Public Policy – has been published the day before the UK Government will reveal further detail about its mission-led approach.

According to the paper, “...a proclaimed shift to mission-led government is simply magical thinking” without a range of administrative, cultural and financial changes at Whitehall. It says that political leadership for this agenda is critical but not sufficient and must be accompanied by a range of additional reforms.

The essay, titled Mission-led government: a radical re-wiring of Whitehall, or another failure to (re)launch?, also argues that the UK Government could learn from the adoption of so-called “wellbeing frameworks” in countries such Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Sarah Davidson, Carnegie UK Chief Executive and Centre for Public Policy Honorary Professor, said: “The UK Government’s mission-led approach could help the country systematically address the biggest challenges of our time. This is important because traditional models of government delivery have proven under-powered in the face of problems such as entrenched regional inequality and poorly performing public services.

“But these missions can’t be accomplished through force of will alone. They must be accompanied with big changes to how Whitehall works and how the central government machine works with partners.

“Officials and politicians looking to close the implementation gap should examine the successes and failures of their counterparts elsewhere in the UK.”

Professor Kezia Dugdale, Associate Director at the Centre for Public Policy, said: “This new paper is required reading for anyone with an interest in the UK Government’s missions agenda. It draws on Sarah’s two decades of experience at the heart of the civil service and combines it with Carnegie UK’s expertise in wellbeing public policy.”

Listen: Delivering Mission-Led Government on the Spotlight podcast

In a new episode of the Centre for Public Policy’s Spotlight podcast, released today, Sarah Davidson and podcast host Kezia Dugdale discuss the paper and what ‘mission-led government’ means in practice.

They get into the detail of the practicalities of delivering these missions, the role of the Treasury, and lessons from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

The episode also features insights from Dr Ian C Elliott, Senior Lecturer in Public Administration at the Centre for Public Policy, about his own research on this topic.

As the Missions become a key strategic approach for the UK Government, the Centre for Public Policy will be publishing analysis and expertise on their development and implementation, alongside partners such as Carnegie UK.

Carnegie UK is a public policy foundation focussed on improving people’s wellbeing. The foundation argues that improving people’s lives should be the overarching aim of government. 

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Read the paper: Mission-led government: a radical re-wiring of Whitehall, or another failure to (re)launch?

Listen and subscribe to the Spotlight podcast.

Visit Sarah Davidson’s profile on the Centre for Public Policy website.

First published: 4 December 2024