A few tips : If you don't acknowledged that you are as only as good as the advice you get , you needn't read any further . Machevellain princes should not be allowed to read this because they are sure to remember the contents, but forget the context - technicolour yawns all around when the thing doesn't work because its not implemented properly. Best to leave if she/ he ever gets this close to the truth .
No Minister should assume the methods below will actually work- You enter this game at your own risk
Pick one of the options:
A The Public servants have been cultivated to speak as independent professionals
1. As this is now rare in many controversial portfolios like environment , we will move to B. See me if you think you are lucky enough to be looking after A . Any such leader will at least have some professional credibility with people at the workface ( that is , the real workface, should you have any). Have a party and celebrate . You are a lucky man.
B The public servants have been cultivated and promoted in a culture of control by your party.
This is most likely if your party has been in power for more than one term
C The public servants have been cultivated and promoted in a culture of control control by a change everything often philosophy.
D You know something is seriously wrong with the attitude of the PS to problem solving in the field , but you are not sure what you can do about it .
This tragic cul de sac is increasingly the reality .At least You know where you are - cf above . The numbers of ways which the service can duckshove and weave is staggering .You need to know where they are and what they are hiding.
Reducing Snowing .If your advisors and there advisors can't answer your questions on one page dismiss them . Leave the rest on the computer . Any guideline documents will be subject to wide public scrutiny before publication.
