Government’s public spending chief on how hybrid working and online tools helped HM Treasury deliver a spending review
Credit: Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
As government moved into its second year of leading the country’s response to the coronavirus crisis – while also managing the UK’s ultimate exit from the European Union, delivering a potentially planet-saving global climate conference, and progressing major reform ambitions – civil servants were likely busier in 2021 than in any other year on record.
In its annual perm secs round-up, PublicTechnology sister publication Civil Service World heard form scores of Whitehall leaders about their experiences of the past 12 months and their plans for 2022.
Cat Little, HM Treasury’s director general of public spending and head of the Government Finance Function, discusses a year in which technology played a key role in delivering a comprehensive spending review.
What was your highlight of 2021?
On a personal level, seeing my parents, who live in Spain, for the first time since 2019 following a series of lockdowns and travel restrictions.
Professionally, it has to be the conclusion of the first multi-year spending review since 2015. Following several one-year events, it has been great to refocus on medium-term planning and to bring some much-needed certainty to public services. The 2021 Spending Review brought together collaboration on major policy issues, including recovering from the pandemic, developing public service resilience, investment in major programmes of delivery, net zero, levelling up and growth.
We are in the midst of the lessons-learnt exercise but this spending review was more collaborative, more open and more focused on outcomes and delivery in practice. I am very proud, especially of the role HM Treasury spending teams and the government finance function played in delivering this event.
How did you tackle the biggest challenges facing your organisation in 2021?
The biggest challenge this year has been the relentless pace of delivery against the backdrop of hybrid working and the ongoing pandemic. In the government finance function, we have focused on a turbo-charged agenda of digital symposiums focused on online learning and development. We have had over 15,000 registrations at 51 digital events. Over 10,000 people are now registered on our online collaboration and knowledge management space One Finance where teams can access the government finance academy, career frameworks, blogs, videos and podcasts through the GFF player and latest technical guidance. Coming together as an online community to focus on resilience, wellbeing, professional training and looking after each other has been key.
What is your number one priority for 2022?
Working with departments to deliver on the commitments made in SR21 – this mobilisation and planning period is absolutely critical. Getting things done quickly and effectively is not easy – mobilising resources and leadership, getting business cases approved, working with partners and suppliers to establish clear outcomes and performance management frameworks – there is a lot of new delivery to do and we need to bring all our expertise and support to bear in setting us all up to succeed without compromising our wellbeing and resilience.
Which historical, mythical or contemporary figure would you most like to join you for a New Year’s Eve celebration?
Probably Adele. Music and great company, can’t go wrong. I love karaoke so would probably hope she would do a piano bar/karaoke event for family and friends.
Visit Civil Service World to read more entries in this year’s perm secs round-up