Civil Service Code Applies for Bloggers
The values embodied in the civil service code should run through civil servants like “a stick of rock”, claimed Sir Gus O’Donnell at a discussion at Civil Service Live.
In a vibrant discussion hosted by first civil service commissioner Janet Paraskeva, the cabinet secretary was joined by Spectator editor Matthew d’Ancona, retired joint intelligence chair Sir Richard Mottram and former civil service commissioner Maggie Semple.
Listing the values of honesty, impartiality and objectivity, Paraskeva asked her panellists what the values said about the civil service’s purpose as an institution.
Sir Richard, who, until his retirement last November, was one of Whitehall’s longest serving permanent secretaries, said the need to serve “everyone in society” was what lay behind the values.
“That is what drives things like objectivity, things like impartiality – serving everyone in the country and giving everyone confidence that government will be underpinned by people working with objectivity and impartiality,” Mottram said.
O’Donnell said the four key values contained in the civil service code were “non-negotiable”, but said he had added his own so-called ‘four Ps’- pride, passion, professionalism and pace – to enable the service to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Civil Service should be 'Bolder'
There were differing views over whether the principles of the civil service code should be extended to those in the private and third sectors offering public services.
But Maggie Semple, whose career path has taken her through all three sectors, said the civil service should be “bolder” in demanding the highest standards from private and third sector partners.
“I think every supplier should not only know the values, but in order to get contracts they should be living by them and endorse them,”
Semple declared.
Blogs
One question touched on the recent controversy over the ‘Civil Serf’ website, with panel members asked whether civil servants should be permitted to write blogs about their professional lives.
Smiling wryly, O’Donnell said blogs were permissible but only if the content did not conflict with the key values in the civil service code and the author was open about their identity.
“If it complies with this code and you’re open about who you are, I have absolutely no objection to civil servants blogging,” the cabinet secretary told delegates.
Drawing on his experience as a newspaper journalist, magazine editor and blogger, d’Ancona said most of the millions of blogs being set up were “absolute rubbish” but predicted that a process of “distillation” was beginning to occur.
Taken from an artcle on www.civilservicenetwork.com. For the full article click Civil Service Live