Strategic thinking
She came, she saw ... a need for more strategic thinking.
Dame Gillian Morgan, the Permanent Secretary, took up the job some months ago, has done the talking and the listening and seems now to have sized up the task ahead of her.
If the jobs advertised in a small corner of yesterday's Western Mail are anything to go by, then she's decided at least two things: firstly that the new-look civil service will need to work more strategically, look out of the silos of old and work together to help deliver good government.
She's also making it clear she's aiming for the best - her mantra when she took up the job - hence the adverts in the paper. She's opened the top jobs for external competition. Four jobs are up for grabs: four Director General posts in 'Public services and local government delivery', 'Sustainable future', 'People, places and corporate services' and 'Finance'.
The salary for each job is £130,000 and all will be based in Cardiff. We're told the reorganisation will be 'cost neutral' which must mean a smaller top team than before. There will be some Directors General already in post - covering areas like education and the economy from the looks of the list above - but that still looks like a top tier of top honchos considerably smaller than in the past.
Small, the Permanent Secretary persumably hopes, will mean more nimble and more able to work in tandem with each other.
A step in the right direction is the general consensus and broad support for the decision to advertise externally. But as one AM keen to see a gear change in the quality of the service put it: changing the top dogs is one thing. What really matters is changes to the divisions they lead.
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
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Pure unadulterated public sector empire building.
From what I've seen on this blog virtually any of the contributors on here (of ALL political persuasions) could do those jobs on a part-time basis for a fraction of the money.
Has this Dame no sense of shame?
Here we are just entering what will be a long and painful recession, and she comes out with this expensive jobs for the boys malarky.
I can well imagine the looks on the faces of the ordinary working people under threat of redundancy, when they see the salaries on offer for these unnecessary jobs.
It really is small wonder that voters have such low opinions of the clueless gits,(in both Cardiff and Westminster) who are allegedly running the show.
I refrain from divulging my views on the civil service, as it would immediately result in this post being wiped.
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1. Clear, decisive and strategic thinking outside the ?silo? (your word).
This should give Wales a clearly re-invigorated civil service, one fit for the 21st Century. OK that is the theory.
Reality, it will be the same people hunkered down behind a ?different? ?silo?, because when the interview is on they passionately believe and always have believed in line 1, but were restrained from achieving its full potential, now however......... (roses grow well here)
Once this waste of time interview is done it will be business almost usual, the supporters will be dragged higher up the pole, new ?responsibilities? will merit new reviewed (that means higher in public sector ? never down) salaries.
New name changes to ensure there can be no like for like comparisons.
Usual crew win, reform do not be silly.
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Oh Dear - more costs, more bureaucracy, more governmental complexity.
Looks like more of the same.
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"firstly that the new-look civil service will need to work more strategically, look out of the silos of old and work together to help deliver good government." ~ Betsan chez the Cymru BBC Yaught.
UGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!
Hey Betsan, good to see your are "fully up to speed" in the Llandaff silo with the "intelligent" Bay "weightless" jargon and Birt mangino speak!
Any chance of you being "flexibly out-sourced" in the near future?
New Plaid need a press officer?
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Glad I am in a good mood after the brilliant Scarlets game at Stradey last night, so I will try to be kind.
Betsan you really need to get out a bit more. You have digested whole a load of PR blige from the Assembly and more worrying you actually seem to believe it. I wonder how many of these new strategic thinkers will turn out to be the usual crowd of "current strategic thinkers" giving themselves a large pay rise? You can almost put the names to the jobs.
But i must thank you. Using the word "nimble" in the context of Cathay Parks has added to my sunny mood. How I laughed. Lets hope Dame Gill and co will be nimble enough to run the Assembly when PSCU go on strike on 10th November to get a decent pay rise not an obcsene one like this.
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Isn't Wales full of cynics...your previous bloggers!! No wonder we have no aspirations...it must be in the genes.
I personally welcome any attempt to improve the competency level of the Welsh Civil Service...they really are the 'downside' of devolution...they make Sir Humphrey look good.
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We are told its is cost neutral, so some others must be going to make room
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I have been lucky enough to have a conversation with Gill in a situation where she had no need to mislead or apply any sheen of 'PR'. I am thoroughly under the impression that Mrs Morgan really does want to shake-up the mechanics of the Welsh civil service- something which I think many people would agree is necessary. Not just that but she wants to create an administration which Wales can praise rather than constantly look to find fault.
Obviously she is not naive enough to think that merely changes at the top will make the difference- but it is good place to start. When a football team is not doing its best you don't start by replacing the kit-man or the physio.
Leadership is what is needed from the start and if we want to support our Government then we should at least wait till the new team is in place before passing judgement.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I must agree with Fred here. It's encouraged for bloggers to post their opinions but not to be rude. I remember my grandmother always saying that sore losers of an argument are the ones with the harshest words.
It seems that Noah skipped over the cost neutral aspect of this move and the inevitable reduction in number of Director Generals. I honestly can't see what your issue is here because the total numbers of bureaucrats at the top are being reduced, alebit the replacements are paid more. This equates to cost neutrality. Asa concept, I don't think it is a particularly difficult one, rather more it seems that Noah doesn't engage with sustained argument here but rather lofty rhetoric about abolishing the assembly. Noah should engage with the points directly.
I am not sure where Noah gets the idea that these jobs could be done by anyone on a part time basis. I've not looked at the job descriptions and so on to come to that sort of opinion. Maybe he has and that is where his argument comes from; if it is then I would suggest he better outlines why they should be part time.
Noah, while your points may well have merit, they seem in need of development in showing us all where your assumptions come from, what has led you to your arguments and so on. It would help us all to better understand your argument. Thanks.
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I find it strange indeed that the two self-appointed defenders of the bloated "WELSH CIVIL SERVICE" are amazingly both FIRST TIME POSTERS on here.
If I had a suspicious mind . . . . . .
As this is the BBC and my name isn't Brand or Ross,I doubt if any more comments on this would survive.
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I notice that you aren't replying to the points as Noah... this is cost neutral.
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I see Noah is a potential conspiracy theorist. I don't think this debate has any chance of progressing, given his inability to answer the points mentioned.
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