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| Next Steps Initiative (United Kingdom) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Next Steps Initiative (United Kingdom) |
| Formation | 2018 |
| Type | Initiative |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Leader title | Director |
Next Steps Initiative (United Kingdom) The Next Steps Initiative (United Kingdom) was a national reform program launched in 2018 to modernize public sector delivery and workforce practices across the United Kingdom, drawing on international models and stakeholder coalitions. It engaged policy networks, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, private sector partners and academic institutions to pilot service redesigns, workforce development and digital transformation across multiple departments and devolved administrations.
The Initiative emerged amid debates involving key actors such as Theresa May, Boris Johnson, David Cameron, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and institutions like the Cabinet Office, 10 Downing Street, HM Treasury, Parliament of the United Kingdom and devolved bodies including the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive. Influences included international models from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Singapore Civil Service, New Zealand Treasury, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank. Think tanks and research institutes—Institute for Government, Policy Exchange, Institute of Fiscal Studies, Resolution Foundation, Centre for Policy Studies and Royal Society—contributed evidence alongside universities such as University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, Imperial College London and University College London. High-profile reports from the National Audit Office, Public Accounts Committee, Kings Fund and Equality and Human Rights Commission framed criticisms of prior models like Next Steps Agencies and prompted reform. The Initiative drew on private sector practices from firms like McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG and Accenture and collaborative pilots with charities such as Big Society Capital, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Nesta.
Official objectives stressed modernization of public services, workforce reskilling, fiscal efficiency and citizen-centred design. Targets referenced by ministers included reducing administrative duplication noted by committees such as the Public Accounts Committee, improving procurement practices highlighted by the National Audit Office, and accelerating digital adoption akin to efforts by GDS and agencies modelled on Gov.uk. Scope encompassed cross-cutting portfolios including health interfaces with NHS England and Health and Social Care Select Committee, welfare touchpoints with Department for Work and Pensions and Universal Credit, criminal justice interfaces with Ministry of Justice and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, and local delivery involving Local Government Association, Greater London Authority and combined authorities like Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Governance combined central coordination through offices with stakeholder steering groups. Lead actors included ministers from Cabinet Office, permanent secretaries from HM Treasury, chief executives from agencies such as GCHQ and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, and non-executive directors from organizations like National Health Service (England). Advisory boards featured academics from University of Edinburgh and King's College London, private sector executives from BT Group and Barclays, and representatives from unions like Unison, GMB (trade union) and Unite the Union. Oversight mechanisms relied on parliamentary scrutiny via select committees including the Public Accounts Committee, Select Committee on Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs, and audit reporting by the National Audit Office and Comptroller and Auditor General.
Major strands included a Digital Transformation Programme inspired by GDS and projects with Microsoft and Amazon Web Services; a Workforce Futures Programme partnering with Skills Development Scotland, University of Manchester, Open University and employers; a Procurement Reform initiative referencing precedents from Crown Commercial Service and Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note; and regional pilots with combined authorities such as West Midlands Combined Authority and Tees Valley Combined Authority. Cross-sector collaborations involved NHS Digital, Ofcom, Ofsted, Environment Agency, Department for Education and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Research partnerships included centres like The Policy Institute at King's College London, Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford Internet Institute and Data Science Campus (ONS).
Implementation used demonstration projects in cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Glasgow. Evaluations cited by parliamentary committees reported mixed results: efficiency gains in some administrative processes comparable to reforms promoted by Cabinet Office Efficiency and Reform Group but limited transformational change in legacy estates as highlighted by National Audit Office reports. Workforce outcomes referenced reskilling metrics developed with Department for Education and outcomes compared with programmes such as Apprenticeships and initiatives by Skills Funding Agency. Public service delivery metrics intersected with performance frameworks used by NHS Improvement, Police and Crime Commissioners, Crown Prosecution Service and local authorities tracked through Office for National Statistics datasets.
Critiques were voiced by opposition figures in Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and commentators from media outlets tied to institutions like BBC, The Guardian, The Times, Financial Times and The Telegraph. Trade unions (Unison, GMB (trade union), Unite the Union) raised concerns about workforce casualisation and rights compared against protections under laws such as the Employment Rights Act 1996 and scrutiny by Equality and Human Rights Commission. Transparency and procurement criticisms referenced prior controversies involving consultants such as McKinsey & Company and contracts criticised by the National Audit Office. Devolved leaders in Scotland and Wales contested centralised timelines, citing comparative policy approaches seen in Devolution in the United Kingdom debates and intergovernmental forums like the Joint Ministerial Committee.
The Initiative informed subsequent policy vehicles and successor programmes within central offices and devolved administrations, influencing strategies in Cabinet Office, HM Treasury spend controls, and digital agendas aligned with Government Digital Service. Outcomes were incorporated into institutional learning at Local Government Association, NHS England reform plans, and academic analyses published via Institute for Government, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and university presses. Elements continued in later policy packages influenced by cross-national examples such as New Zealand Public Service Act 2020 and OECD recommendations, and were referenced in parliamentary inquiries and think tank briefings on public sector reform.