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First civil service chief executive appointed | First civil service chief executive appointed |
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A government troubleshooter and former businessman has been appointed as the first chief executive of the civil service. | A government troubleshooter and former businessman has been appointed as the first chief executive of the civil service. |
John Manzoni, currently head of the Major Projects Authority (MPA), will take on the £190,000-a-year post next month. | John Manzoni, currently head of the Major Projects Authority (MPA), will take on the £190,000-a-year post next month. |
The move is the latest shakeup at the top of Whitehall after the cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, reclaimed the title of head of the civil service. | |
The roles had been split when Lord O’Donnell retired two years ago, with Sir Bob Kerslake given responsibility for the day-to-day running of the civil service alongside his duties as permanent secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government. Kerslake stepped down this month after widespread criticism of the new arrangements. | |
David Cameron, who had indicated he wanted to see a figure with business experience in the permanent secretary-level post, said he was delighted with Manzoni’s appointment. “John’s experience of business and the private sector puts him in the perfect position to accelerate the pace of these reforms in the years ahead,” the prime minister said. | |
Manzoni was chief executive of the Canadian oil and gas company Talisman before being recruited this year to head the MPA, which monitors projects such as universal credit and HS2. He was criticised for allowing the troubled flagship benefits project to be given the never-before-used tag of “reset” rather than a red traffic-light rating. | |
“I am excited to take up this post at the heart of government at this crucial time.” Manzoni said. “My priority is building on the existing momentum to strengthen the execution muscle of Whitehall and embed a sustainable productivity agenda across government. | |
“I look forward to playing my part in leading the civil service along with Francis Maude [the Cabinet Office minister] and Jeremy Heywood.” | |
Heywood said: “I am very pleased that John will be the first chief executive of the civil service. John brings with him a strong private sector performance culture and long experience of running complex businesses that require the full range of commercial, specialist, digital and delivery skills. We have all been impressed by John’s leadership of the Major Projects Authority since he joined the Cabinet Office earlier this year.” | Heywood said: “I am very pleased that John will be the first chief executive of the civil service. John brings with him a strong private sector performance culture and long experience of running complex businesses that require the full range of commercial, specialist, digital and delivery skills. We have all been impressed by John’s leadership of the Major Projects Authority since he joined the Cabinet Office earlier this year.” |
A new civil service reform progress report states that from April next year there will be a presumption that senior civil service jobs will be open to external candidates. It confirmed, however, that the rule would not apply to permanent secretary-level jobs because of resistance from mandarins. |
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