MPs urge better use of people data to create ‘transparency and efficiency improvements within government’


A report from parliament’s Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee finds that information from the annual Civil Service People Survey could be utilised to create action plans and tackle problems


MPs have called on government to make better use of the data collected as part of the annual Civil Service People Survey, with departments being tasked with developing and publishing action plans to tackle reported problems.

Members of parliament’s Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee also criticised the Cabinet Office for “indefensible” delays in publishing the results of recent People Surveys and questioned the purpose of the survey’s flagship Employee Engagement Index. The committee’s report follows PACAC’s inquiry into the People Survey  – which has been an annual fixture since 2009 – that ran from last autumn to spring this year. 

It commends the Cabinet Office for establishing the survey, which garnered well over 300,000 responses last year, with this year’s iteration taking responses from 19 September to 13 October.

But the report complains that despite being a 14-year-old institution, People Survey results are “not yet being used to drive improvements across the civil service”.

MPs said the situation was widely acknowledged among departmental officials and that “few civil servants believe effective action is taken in response to People Survey results”. They said they were “surprised” by the lack of robust evidence that survey results were being used to drive change when the Cabinet Office describes the findings as a “management tool”.

The report acknowledged that issues such as pay and benefits required a cross-government approach. But it said departments and individual teams would be best placed to respond to more localised problems being flagged by staff and that they should officially document their efforts.

“Departments themselves should develop action plans in response to future People Survey results, which define measurable and timely interventions,” MPs said. “These action plans should be included in departmental annual reports and accounts each year. Departments should also evaluate their success in delivering action plans in future, summarising these evaluations in their annual reports and accounts.”

Each year so far, staff responses to the People Survey have been used to produce the flagship Employee Engagement Index, which fell last year across the whole civil service.


Related content


MPs said the index, which reflects answers to abstract questions on civil servants’ pride in the organisation they work for and their role in serving the public, appeared to be of “limited value”, other than in comparing current year’s results with previous years.

The report noted that the Employee Engagement Index did not reflect areas that employers had more control over – such as pay and benefits –  and where staff have “consistently expressed dissatisfaction”.

MPs said the Cabinet Office should instigate a review of the future of the index, in partnership with users of the People Survey, to look at “whether there may be other, more helpful measures available”.

‘Indefensible’
Elsewhere, the report also criticised delays to the external publication of People Survey results, which in recent years have lagged internal publication by several months. The Cabinet Office has also stopped publishing commentary alongside the spreadsheet data for the survey, which MPs said made external analysis of the data “challenging”.

“Given that data and extensive analyses are readily available across government months ahead of their public release, current delays in the publication of data are indefensible,” MPs said.

They called for initial results from the People Survey, which is traditionally conducted in the autumn, to be published at the point that they are distributed to participants – which can be less than a month after the survey closes – and before the end of the calendar year.

MPs also said the Cabinet Office should classify and publish People Survey results as an official statistic, in line with the best practice defined in the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics.

PACAC chair William Wragg said the People Survey was an “important tool” in that could offer “rich insights” on the experience, performance and morale of  hundreds of thousands of civil servants across the UK.

“Our recommendations seek to ensure that these important results are put to good use by officials in driving transparency and efficiency improvements within government,” he said.

Wragg said everyone with an interest in the data needed to have equal access to it in a “timely fashion”, while civil servants needed to “feel their voices are being heard and action is being taken in response by their leadership”.

Engagement Index ‘should be scrapped’
Garry Graham, deputy general secretary of the Prospect union, called on the Cabinet Office to scrap the Employee Engagement Index and replace it with metrics that reflected real issues affecting civil servants.

“The committee’s report makes clear that the Civil Service People Survey is asking the wrong questions – or perhaps just the questions ministers are happy to get an answer to,” he said. “Years of pay degradation and attacks on civil servants by ministers have led to a morale crisis. Rather than burying their heads in the sand, ministers and civil service leaders must take action to restore the civil service to meet the generational crises our country is facing.”

Graham added that there was “little point” in conducting the survey unless its findings were acted upon.

Jim Dunton

Learn More →

44 thoughts on “MPs urge better use of people data to create ‘transparency and efficiency improvements within government’

  1. Beauty Fashion December 2, 2024 at 9:14 am

    I just could not depart your website before suggesting that I actually enjoyed the standard information an individual supply in your guests? Is gonna be again frequently to investigate cross-check new posts

  2. Hairstyles December 3, 2024 at 12:47 am

    I have noticed that of all varieties of insurance, medical health insurance is the most marked by controversy because of the issue between the insurance plan company’s duty to remain afloat and the customer’s need to have insurance coverage. Insurance companies’ earnings on health and fitness plans are low, thus some corporations struggle to gain profits. Thanks for the concepts you talk about through this blog.

  3. Interior December 7, 2024 at 9:35 am

    Wow! Thank you! I always wanted to write on my website something like that. Can I include a portion of your post to my website?

  4. Beauty Fashion December 9, 2024 at 12:44 am

    I was just seeking this information for a while. After six hours of continuous Googleing, at last I got it in your site. I wonder what’s the lack of Google strategy that do not rank this type of informative sites in top of the list. Normally the top web sites are full of garbage.

  5. Beauty Fashion December 13, 2024 at 8:13 am

    I believe that avoiding prepared foods could be the first step in order to lose weight. They may taste beneficial, but refined foods currently have very little vitamins and minerals, making you take more just to have enough energy to get through the day. When you are constantly feeding on these foods, moving over to whole grain products and other complex carbohydrates will help you have more electricity while having less. Great blog post.

  6. Hairstyles VIP January 8, 2025 at 9:25 am

    Good post but I was wanting to know if you could write a litte more on this subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more. Thanks!

  7. medartix.com January 16, 2025 at 3:37 pm

    Major thanks for the article post. Fantastic.

  8. Jorgedak January 22, 2025 at 9:20 am

    Mexican Easy Pharm: Mexican Easy Pharm – Mexican Easy Pharm

  9. Rodneyicems January 24, 2025 at 4:17 am

    medicine in mexico pharmacies https://mexicaneasypharm.com/# Mexican Easy Pharm
    medication from mexico pharmacy

  10. Albertruith January 25, 2025 at 11:51 am

    https://dappharm.shop/# buy priligy
    prednisone price

  11. Albertruith January 25, 2025 at 8:01 pm

    https://dappharm.shop/# Priligy tablets
    prednisone 40 mg price

  12. Albertruith January 27, 2025 at 8:57 am

    https://semapharm24.com/# semaglutide tablets price
    prednisone 3 tablets daily

  13. Bradleydug January 31, 2025 at 3:23 am

    acquistare farmaci senza ricetta: Cialis generico farmacia – Farmacie online sicure
    farmacie online sicure

  14. LannyRinly January 31, 2025 at 6:42 am

    Gaming regulations are overseen by PAGCOR.: taya777 register login – taya777

  15. LannyRinly January 31, 2025 at 11:29 am

    Poker rooms host exciting tournaments regularly.: taya365.art – taya365.art

  16. Josephbycle January 31, 2025 at 2:03 pm

    winchile casino winchile.pro Los jugadores disfrutan del pГіker en lГ­nea.

  17. LannyRinly January 31, 2025 at 4:21 pm

    Hay casinos en Santiago y ViГ±a del Mar.: jugabet – jugabet chile

  18. LannyRinly January 31, 2025 at 9:12 pm

    Gambling can be a social activity here.: taya777.icu – taya777 register login

  19. Josephbycle January 31, 2025 at 10:24 pm

    taya777 login taya777 login Live dealer games enhance the casino experience.

  20. LannyRinly February 1, 2025 at 1:45 am

    The Philippines has several world-class integrated resorts.: taya365 login – taya365

  21. LannyRinly February 1, 2025 at 6:23 am

    Los torneos de poker generan gran interГ©s.: win chile – winchile.pro

  22. Josephbycle February 1, 2025 at 6:30 am

    phmacao phmacao club A variety of gaming options cater to everyone.

  23. LannyRinly February 1, 2025 at 11:03 am

    Casinos often host special holiday promotions.: taya777.icu – taya777 register login

  24. Josephbycle February 1, 2025 at 2:32 pm

    taya365 login taya365 com login Cashless gaming options are becoming popular.

  25. LannyRinly February 1, 2025 at 3:44 pm

    Game rules can vary between casinos.: taya777 login – taya777

  26. LannyRinly February 1, 2025 at 8:32 pm

    The Philippines has several world-class integrated resorts.: phmacao.life – phmacao club

  27. Josephbycle February 1, 2025 at 10:40 pm

    jugabet casino jugabet Los jugadores deben conocer las reglas.

  28. LannyRinly February 2, 2025 at 1:21 am

    La pasiГіn por el juego une a personas.: jugabet – jugabet chile

  29. LannyRinly February 2, 2025 at 6:36 am

    Live music events often accompany gaming nights.: phtaya login – phtaya casino

  30. Josephbycle February 2, 2025 at 8:12 am

    phmacao com login phmacao.life Manila is home to many large casinos.

  31. LannyRinly February 2, 2025 at 11:34 am

    Los jackpots progresivos atraen a los jugadores.: jugabet chile – jugabet.xyz

  32. LannyRinly February 2, 2025 at 4:24 pm

    Los croupiers son amables y profesionales.: jugabet – jugabet.xyz

  33. Josephbycle February 2, 2025 at 6:18 pm

    phtaya casino phtaya A variety of gaming options cater to everyone.

  34. Daviddof February 2, 2025 at 7:28 pm

    http://taya365.art/# Casino visits are a popular tourist attraction.
    Security measures ensure a safe environment.

  35. LannyRinly February 2, 2025 at 9:27 pm

    Gambling regulations are strictly enforced in casinos.: phmacao com login – phmacao com login

  36. LannyRinly February 3, 2025 at 2:26 am

    Cashless gaming options are becoming popular.: taya777 register login – taya777.icu

  37. Josephbycle February 3, 2025 at 4:13 am

    taya365 com login taya365 login The Philippines offers a rich gaming culture.

  38. LannyRinly February 3, 2025 at 7:41 am

    Many casinos host charity events and fundraisers.: phtaya casino – phtaya.tech

  39. LannyRinly February 3, 2025 at 12:51 pm

    Players often share tips and strategies.: phtaya casino – phtaya.tech

  40. Josephbycle February 3, 2025 at 2:00 pm

    taya365 com login taya365 login Players must be at least 21 years old.

  41. LannyRinly February 3, 2025 at 5:59 pm

    Las reservas en lГ­nea son fГЎciles y rГЎpidas.: win chile – winchile

  42. Josephbycle February 3, 2025 at 11:48 pm

    taya365 taya365.art Most casinos offer convenient transportation options.

  43. LannyRinly February 4, 2025 at 3:55 am

    Slot tournaments create friendly competitions among players.: phtaya login – phtaya casino

  44. Daviddof February 4, 2025 at 4:46 am

    http://phtaya.tech/# Many casinos have beautiful ocean views.
    Game rules can vary between casinos.

Leave a Reply