Dear colleagues,

On my first day in the Civil Service 25 years ago, my father said it was the proudest day of his life. He was not a civil servant himself (he was a university professor), but he understood what the institution represented: hugely talented people, in service of the public, a cornerstone of democracy, and admired around the world.

I think about that every day when I come into the office. Every day, every single person in the country depends on our work. Being educated, finding a job, being kept safe, travelling to work, paying taxes, getting a passport. That purpose, that impact, is what personally motivates me to do this job. I take very seriously that responsibility and I recognise the privilege of leading the people who are doing the work.

One hundred days ago, I wrote to you for the first time as Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service. I said I wanted this remarkable institution to be known for excellence in delivery, and to serve the Government with purpose and with the pride that comes from high performance.

My focus, and that of the Permanent Secretaries, is to build a Civil Service that is a world class organisation to deliver for Ministers and the public. Famous for excellence in that delivery, for use of tech and AI, and trusted by the people we serve. This is our Future Civil Service programme.

We are at an inflection point for the Civil Service. The country faces a time of global uncertainty and huge technological change. I passionately believe that we must maintain and renew the best traditions and the Code of the impartial Civil Service. But alongside that, I, like you, am very ambitious to improve public services for the citizens we serve, and I don’t want to settle for the status quo. 

Part of that ambition must be changing how we do things. We need to rise to the challenges facing us. We should demonstrate a positive mindset in how we work and what we can achieve. We must: Make it happen. Make it better. Make it count.

Make it happen means a relentless focus on excellence in delivery, being accountable, and serving the public and Government with purpose.

Delivery starts with clarity, accountability, and prioritisation. The Prime Minister has set out his priorities for the Government, and these are now explicitly reflected in each Permanent Secretary’s objectives. Wherever you work I want you to be able to see how your work and objectives are delivering those of your Ministers, the Prime Minister, and the public. The new Delivery Unit’s data-led approach is identifying barriers to delivery of the Prime Minister’s priorities, and working with departments to remove them. I have been working to ensure you have all the support you need to deliver, and to remove bureaucratic processes that slow us down. This is a task which may never be complete, but I want you to know that we will work continuously to help you do your job well.

The Civil Service must be a magnet for the best and brightest, and be an employer that delivers rigorous and world-class training. The new National School for Government will play a vital role in broadening our collective capability, and equipping colleagues with cutting-edge digital, analytical, and operational skills required for the Future Civil Service. 

Make it better means being curious, embracing new ideas, and adapting to the use of technology and AI.

We must learn constantly - from the service frontline, local communities, other countries, the private sector, and from history. AI is the defining opportunity of our generation, as well as the defining challenge. It will fundamentally transform our work, how we operate, and the services we deliver over the coming years. I have seen extraordinary work across the Civil Service already - teams using AI to process casework faster, improve outcomes, and free up time for the complex judgements that only people can make. This is happening now. We need to scale it up, talk about it, and share it. 
 
Each department is putting in place a plan to ramp up technology and AI adoption safely, and working to build in-house AI engineering teams. We are introducing new training on AI so we can all better understand and adapt policy responses to emerging AI trends. We are working to give you access to a range of AI models so you can more effectively automate and augment your work, leaving you to focus on areas where you are adding the most value.

I am also launching a new Cabinet Secretary's AI Innovation Award - a new quarterly recognition programme for individuals and teams across the Civil Service using AI and technology in genuinely innovative and responsible ways. If you or your team are doing brilliant things with technology, I want to hear about it. More detail on this can be found at the end of this message.

Make it count means maintaining and building trust in our institution, taking pride in public service. 

Pride comes from working for an organisation that is genuinely excelling - from doing excellent work yourself, and from knowing that what you do changes lives. To build a world class organisation, I am focused on understanding the skills and capabilities we are going to need in the Civil Service in 3-5 years’ time to deliver for the Government and the country. This will mean modernising development schemes, pay frameworks, talent management systems, and recruitment processes, working with the Unions. Building a culture of pride that comes from high performance means we need to recognise and reward that performance, and also tackle poor performance where it exists.

This is the mindset I’d like you to demonstrate everyday: Make it happen. Make it better. Make it count.

I joined the Civil Service because we are charged with delivery of the most purposeful work in the country and on society’s most important problems. I know that this is also true for many of you. Whatever role you do in the UK, Scottish or Welsh Government, as a civil servant, you are working on one of the most important priorities for our citizens. I want our delivery and services to be world class, and that means we need to be world class. Everyone who works here should feel proud to say they work in the Civil Service. The Civil Service is brilliant. We can, and will, be even better. 

Thank you for your service.

Antonia

Dame Antonia Romeo
Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service

Cabinet Secretary’s AI Innovation Award:

Nominations are open now, and close on Wednesday, 22 July. 

Winners will receive a financial award in vouchers, a signed certificate, and the opportunity to present their work to Ministers. 

Shortlisted nominees will be automatically entered into the Civil Service Awards.

You can nominate here.