UNITED KINGDOM
The new head of the UK Public Service, Sir Mark Sedwill (pictured) has urged Public Servants across all of Government to prioritise impact and teamwork.
In his first message to PS employees since being permanently appointed to the role, Sir Mark said he had seen in his previous positions what could be achieved when all of the Public Service worked together.
Those positions included a spell as Permanent Secretary to the Home Office and Ambassador to Afghanistan as well as his continuing position as National Security Advisor.
“From the combined civilian and military stabilisation units in Afghanistan, to the multi-Agency safeguarding hubs caring for our most vulnerable citizens across the UK, I’ve seen what can be achieved when we operate across institutional boundaries,” Sir Mark said.
He said PS staff would need team spirit in the years ahead, particularly as the Government worked to implement the UK’s departure from the European Union (Brexit).
“Alongside all of the Government’s other priorities to strengthen our economy and communities, keep our citizens safe and our country secure, our biggest task is to make a success of Brexit,” Sir Mark said.
“This isn’t just a job for the negotiating teams or those working on Brexit programs, but a common national endeavour.”
He said that working across the public, private and non-governmental sectors, the economy must be reformed to make the most of new global trading opportunities as the technological revolution advanced.
There was also a need to protect the economy and society from the fast-evolving threats of terrorism, crime and malign state actors.
Sir Mark said this would require the Public Service to show “all our imagination, skills and experience, and, most of all, our values and our sense of duty”.
London, 1 November 2018
