The Centre for Government Reform recently uncovered that the new Head of Strategy and Engagement…
The Centre for Government Reform recently uncovered that the new Head of Strategy and Engagement in the School of Government’s digital & AI team requires no experience in digital, data, innovation, AI, learning design, or delivery.
Our CEO Ameer Kotecha is quoted in the article:
“In all its wisdom, Whitehall has decided that it is not “essential” for the person tasked with equipping civil servants in AI skills to have any experience in AI (or even digital) themselves. This is absurd. And while relevant experience is deemed a second-order priority, being silver-tongued enough to craft “easily understood narratives to persuade and influence” ministers is deemed a non-negotiable. This is not only classic Sir Humphrey stuff, it also points once again to the civil service’s deeply flawed approach to recruitment and its disdain for expertise. AI is transforming the way people work.
It has the potential to unleash huge productivity and efficiency gains in the public sector. But if the civil service is not even interested in hiring competent people with AI experience to upskill others, there is little reason for optimism that these potential benefits will be seized.
You can read the full article on Guido Fawkes here.