Incentivising and empowering
managers and staff
63. Another of the reforms announced in the Government
Response to the SDC is that sustainability of the Government Estate
will be one of the Cabinet Secretary's four corporate priorities
for the civil service, and that all permanent secretaries will
have SOGE targets and other key sustainability commitments built
into their personal objectives. The SDC were clear that this would
make a material difference—so long as the Cabinet Secretary
was sufficiently demanding:
Permanent secretaries are required by the Cabinet
Secretary […] to produce quarterly assessments on progress
against their own targets. If sustainable operations and sustainable
procurement is one of those, then that will keep a profile at
least every quarter on how that department is doing on progress.
I think that will be important but, at the same time, the Cabinet
Secretary needs to be challenging the permanent secretaries on
the delivery […][74]
64. An important point that remains unclear is
just what strength these targets and priorities have, in terms
of the careers of senior individuals. WWF, for instance, commented:
Although, as one of the supporting mechanism targets
states, [permanent secretaries] should have sustainability targets
incorporated into their performance objectives it is not clear
what penalties are involved for failure to meet these objectives.
An effective risk and/or reward structure must be implemented
if achievement of these targets is to be adequately incentivised.[75]
Another point that remains unclear is the extent
to which the Cabinet Secretary will be accountable for Government
performance—and whether a minister will assume responsibility
for it. We asked officials whom the Cabinet Secretary would report
to on this issue. They were unable to provide an answer.[76]
65. We
welcome the reform to incorporate sustainability goals in the
personal objectives of the Cabinet Secretary and all Permanent
Secretaries. We expect this to have a tangible effect on the forcefulness
and coherence of departments' response to these issues, and look
forward to the increase in accountability for such performance
to Parliament this should bring. We recommend the Government clarifies
which minister has overall responsibility for this agenda—preferably
a senior cabinet minister. We also recommend the Government indicates
how performance against these objectives will be reflected in
terms of career rewards and prospects.
66. We hope that these new personal
responsibilities for sustainability will also provide a mechanism
for encouraging senior civil servants to treat their departments'
sustainable development action plans (SDAPs) seriously, and see
to it that departmental policy is more consistent with sustainability
objectives. In the future we may choose to review, department
by department, the extent to which SDAPs are being integrated
into departmental policies and activities.
67. While the emphasis on making sustainability
a priority of the senior civil service is obviously vital, it
is important to ensure that staff at all levels receive the training
and incentives required to mainstream sustainability into their
work. The SDC told us: "The teams who undertake operational
performance work are usually quite junior. Although the data is
meant to be signed off at a very senior level, it is often a very
mechanistic process, there is not a lot of resource and there
are not a lot of people who are really focusing on this and seeing
it as a priority".[77]
This was a point seconded by the Environmental Industries Commission
(EIC), which suggested that:
Although departments may have experienced environmental
staff at "head office" level, those made responsible
for implementing environmental management systems and initiatives
typically are junior grades, often with little experience of environmental
and sustainability issues. In many cases, they lack adequate resources
and support from senior and operational management staff. Many
consider that their efforts are not integrated into mainstream
departmental management processes. Turnover of environmental management
staff is high as, once they start to gain experience; they can
find better-remunerated posts in the private sector (often in
outsourced functions serving government). As we understand the
situation, many of these people are paid the standard administrative
grade salary, despite being expected to work in a specialist technical
area.[78]
68. This was reinforced by the Public and Commercial
Services Union (PCS), who told us: "At the first green forum
we held for our members and representatives last year many said
that they were not aware of the Sustainable Development Action
Planning (SDAP) process and were certainly not involved in it."[79]
Other comments PCS reported from its green forum meeting included:
- there is a lack of commitment
at board, workplace and staff level to effectively tackle [sustainable
development] issues
- there is a general lack of awareness at all levels
on [sustainable development] issues
- the current structures in government department
allow business streams to perform/operate in isolation around
[sustainable development] issues rather than work together
- there is a lack of knowledge when dealing with
contractors and holding them to account around [sustainable development]
issues
- there is a lack of union involvement around [sustainable
development] issues and it was felt that management in every government
department needs to work with PCS to engender workplace change
on this subject.[80]
PCS said that it would raise awareness and galvanise
the efforts of staff if rights for time off for trade union activities
were extended to environmental duties and training. We asked the
Government for its views; it stated that in 2007 BERR had concluded
it was premature to provide explicit time off rights to environmental
representatives. The Government stated that Acas might choose
to revise its Code of Practice on time off for union duties, but
that "it is a matter for Acas to decide whether explicit
advice or guidance about union environmental representatives should
be added".[81]
69. Beyond the senior civil
service, personal responsibility for sustainability issues must
be increased at all levels. This will require more training and
incentives. The evidence we have received highlights the important
role that operational staff in procurement and facilities teams
have to play. We recommend that OGC works with civil service unions
to ensure that staff are trained, motivated, and empowered to
take a leading role in mainstreaming sustainability in Government
operations.
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