An insider’s view on civil service HR

Someone needs to talk openly about the overstaffed civil service, rather than merely pay lip service. Susan Young’s comments, as reported in PM (News, page 10, 30 September), do not address the real issue. I was due to be part of the civil service’s Next Generation HR change management team but I voluntarily left the civil service before it started. A great pity.The HR function needs to be cut in half and the ratio increased from 1:37 to 1:100 employees. Why is this not being discussed more openly? Who is dictating what must happen, by when? This is so different from the private sector and how it deals with downsizing. Profit is key and actions are taken swiftly to reduce the impact on profit. This is not a language you find in the public sector.