The position, the creation of which stems from a recent critical review of the statistics body, is now open for applications from those already holding very senior civil service roles
An internal campaign to fill the newly-created role of permanent secretary of the Office for National Statistics has been launched.
A statement from the Cabinet Office and the ONS said that only civil servants who are permanent secretaries or directors general are eligible to “express interest” in the position.
The campaign – which is open to applications until 21 July – follows Sir Robert Devereux’s damning review into failings at the ONS, which was published at the end of last month. Devereux said the “deep-seated issues” at ONS meant a new leadership structure was required – principally the separation of the roles of national statistician and permanent secretary.
Devereux is a former perm sec at the Department for Transport and the Department for Work and Pensions. He said that most of the ONS’s problems with core statistics in recent months and years were the result of “inadequacies” in the way it “made decisions, planned and budgeted, and managed risks”.
Devereux recommended the new permanent secretary should be “someone with a track record of leading an operational business, indeed of ‘turning round’ such an organisation”. His report suggested that the standalone national statistician role should have similarities to the position of chief medical officer because of its focus on providing advice to government and professional leadership through the Government Statistical Service.
Devereux said it was possible that the separation of ONS perm sec and national statistician could be a “temporary” arrangement, but seemingly not a short-term move.
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He suggested recombining the roles would require “more effort to develop evident talent within the Government Statistical Service” and for the ONS’s core business to have been brought “back on a more stable footing”.
Former ONS perm sec and national statistician Prof Sir Ian Diamond stepped down from the role at the end of May for health reasons. Emma Rourke is currently interim national statistician.
The UK Statistics Authority and the Cabinet Office, which have oversight for the ONS, immediately accepted Devereux’s recommendation for leadership change.
The Cabinet Office said last week that an additional permanent secretary would be appointed “temporarily” to lead the day-to-day operations of the ONS, with responsibility for “restoring much needed trust and confidence” in the organisation.
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said: “The Devereux Review findings require immediate action to address the challenges identified and rapidly restore confidence in the core statistics produced by ONS that underpin decision-making. New leadership is critical to delivering this outcome and I welcome the launch of that process.”
The Cabinet Office added that work is also under way to recruit the new standalone national statistician, with a “search partner” expected to be appointed shortly.
UKSA chair Sir Robert Chote, meanwhile, is due to leave his post in the coming weeks to become president of Trinity College, Oxford. A campaign to appoint his successor is due to start shortly.
