I was a civil servant….

…now I work on public safety in the Middle East

A version of this article appeared in Civil Service World in May 2019. In it I talk about my civil service career, the opportunity it provided me and how I use the skills learnt as a civil servant in my consultancy work.

I was a civil servant for 20 years, starting as an executive officer with the Immigration and Nationality Department ending up as chief executive (director equivalent) of the London Criminal Justice Board. In between, I had stints in youth justice, mental health and policing policy.

Much of my career was around facilitating multi-agency delivery of difficult things intended to make people or communities safer.

This included rolling out fast-tracking arrangements for persistent young offenders, developing high-security prison and hospital services for dangerous offenders, and setting up the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

However, the highlight was the work we did at the London Criminal Justice Board to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and experience of criminal justice across the capital. During my tenure, confidence in the criminal justice service in London went from the worst of any area in England and Wales to the best. That really meant something to me as a Londoner.

For me, the best thing about working for the service was feeling part of something that was bigger than you, and doing work that you could relate back to individuals and communities. There was a real connection between what you did and making a difference, and that inspired me on an almost daily basis.

As important to me was the opportunity the service provided me. Disappointing A Levels and a lack of confidence common amongst many from working-class backgrounds undermined any ambitions I might have had to go to university. However, the service’s tangible commitment to diversity, a succession of supportive bosses and a departmental nomination for the fast stream provided me with a route into the senior civil service. I was a case study in social mobility before the concept attracted the attention it rightly does now. Further down the line, the service provided the route to me becoming what I describe as an “accidental consultant”.

I received an offer to join the United Arab Emirates government as an adviser. Although that subsequently fell through, it led me to my current role with PwC here in Abu Dhabi, where I work on projects related to public safety.

I was not overly sure what to expect when I joined consultancy. I had some preconceptions. That I would be working with some very clever colleagues – I do; that the private sector would be free of bureaucracy – it is not; and probably the most commonly held one, that consultancy is all about making money – it is a consideration, but not as all-consuming as I had expected.

What I had not appreciated, and have since realized, is how much consultancy and the civil service have in common.

Both industries are strongly focused on problem resolution. PwC’s stated purpose is that we exist to solve important problems. Both have to approach this through a filter. The civil service does this in the context of the policies of the government of the day, whilst consultancy has to consider how to help in the context of whether the financials work. The civil service focuses primarily on the macro, while consultancy includes the micro as well. However, both require pragmatism and, as I have discovered, include values as a key part of decision-making.

The skills you learn in government are very transferrable to consultancy roles. Analytical skills to identify and assess issues. Interpersonal skills to build the relationships necessary to implement any solutions. The constant desire to innovate and bring forward genuinely creative solutions. All are these are common across both industries, and working on a consultancy project often feels very familiar to what I would do in the civil service.

As is the relationship with clients. In my part of the business, we focus on providing advice, and the motto “civil servants advise; ministers decide” easily translates to ‘consultants advise; clients decide’.

There are two differences. One industry, the other geography.

The sales part of the business was, for me at least, hard at the beginning. Attaching a cost to doing something that we – us and the client – all considered important was uncomfortable especially as you have to acknowledge a ‘for profit’ element. However, I soon realized that clients cared much less about this recognizing value in what we do and willing to pay for it.

The other which is specific to my situation is around living and operating in a different region. This was something I had never really considered before and is the single thing that has been the source of greatest challenge and satisfaction. Establishing credibility in meetings without the comfort of rank or grade, and primarily conducted in another language that you cannot speak, is an experience… but one that delivers real satisfaction when you pierce through and have an impact.

I hope that my pride at having been a civil servant is clear, and my immense gratitude for what I learnt and experienced in my time in government. No employer will ever replace the civil service, but two things are true.

The skills we learn as civil servants are transferrable to a range of occupations and industries, and operating outside of government deepens skills, broadens experience and allows you to look at issues from a different perspective.

In my case, these are skills I fully intend to bring home and to the public sector, but I do see a benefit for those who wish to contribute through a different industry. Prior to leaving the civil service I intuitively thought of the public sector as being the only route through which you could really deliver public good. I now know that’s not true: impact can be delivered wherever you work if you have the skills, clarity of mission and opportunity.