The Department for Environment and Rural Affairs has set out its plan to improve core Defra and all its network bodies – agencies, NDPBs and others – to ensure they are all working together as ‘one business’.

The Department has prioritised the Environment Agency to build leadership capacity for major projects as flood defence is an area where future Government Major Projects Portfolio projects may arise.

Defra delivers its wide-ranging remit through the core Department plus five Executive Agencies (the RPA, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Centre for Environmental, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Food and Environment Research Agency); a number of non-departmental public bodies including the Environment Agency, together with non-ministerial departments and a public corporation.

Introducing the plan, Bronwyn Hill, Permanent Secretaryat the Department said that both Defra and the “wider Defra family’s” aim was to operate increasingly as ‘one business’, whilst still maintaining appropriate independence for statutory bodies and functions.

In addition to listing highlights and achievements during 2013-14, Defra has also reduced its overall workforce from 26,636 (excluding the Forestry Commission) in March 2010 to 23,714 by 31 March 2013 – a reduction of 11%. In reducing headcount, Defra said it had “preserved front line capability whilst reducing fixed costs and consultancy. “

Defra’s 2012 Capability Review highlighted the need for Defra to strengthen leadership capability, build staff engagement and set a clear direction for the Department. The report says that developing capabilities is a priority at all levels and that the functional groups within Defra ( including commercial, project delivery, digital, finance and HR)are looking at how to improve professional skills and wider understanding across the Department.

Defra has flagged up increasing engagement and maintaining motivation as it seeks to do more with fewer resources as key to its future success. The Department’s largest capability gap, leadership and managing change, will continue to be its top priority going forward.

Defra said it wants to improve its performance in the following key areas:

• By focusing on outcomes
• By putting customers and stakeholders at the heart of what it does
• By having more flexible systems and processes
• By doing more to inspire and motivate people to do a good job

Department will seek to implement ‘system-wide’ approach

The report says that Defra is not yet one business, describing it as a traditional core civil service department, with complex governance and accountabilities from a network of 42 organisations.

• In order to move to ‘one business’ Defra’s Board has decided that the Department needs:
• A clear overall picture of what is happening
• Clear strategic control function and simpler accountability structure
• Clear responsibilities across Core Defra and the network, reducing gaps, eliminating duplication and providing appropriate independence for statutory bodies and functions.
• System-wide prioritisation to avoid ‘gold plating’ of some customer services, policy and evidence
• Well managed change and continuous improvement – and systems which help rather than hinder
• Clear understanding, on a consistent basis, of cost-drivers and opportunities for further efficiency
• Inter-operability of systems and processes between core Defra and the network
• The right skills and capability for the future, focused on the right priorities

The report sets out an action plan for the top 10 actions the Department will take in 2014-15 to make Defra “better at what it does, easier to do business with, a better place to work, and more flexible and resilient. “

This includes the development of  a new HQ commissioning approach, replacing “bottom up” or incremental approaches to policy design and resource allocation with stronger direction and strategic reprioritisation. Defra plans to test the approach in 2015/16 with its two largest NDPBs, the Environment Agency and Natural England.

The Department also plans to reform its corporate services by consolidating estates, procurement and ICT services across ‘one business’ into a single organisation to drive further efficiencies and more integrated support functions.

Click here to read the Report in full