Thread by @ifgevents

This event kicks off in 5 minutes! Do tune in, or follow along on this thread for the highlights.

https://twitter.com/instituteforgov/status/1668592804606656514

And we're off, with @timd_IFG welcoming everyone, introducing our excellent panel, and setting out how important but difficult the role of special adviser is. Today we're going to focus on how to be a good spad.

#IfGspads

Baroness Sally Morgan starts by emphasising the importance of spads' relationships - with ministers and with civil servants, and ability to work as a team and make decisions. Also important to understand direction of travel of govt as a whole.

#IfGspads

SM also highlights importance of being able to tell the PM/minister that something won't be possible. TD asks how you go about having that conversation. SM says it comes down to trust, and having a reputation as someone who delivers.

#IfGspads

Sonia Khan echoes importance of trust in her experience too, and also highlights that some spads have become more well-known in their own right in recent years.

#IfGspads

Jennifer Lees-Marshment now on skills spads need. Political judgement of course important, but also people skills - the ability to have good working r'ships with wide range of people - and advisory aptitude.

#IfGspads

JLM: very important to be open to where you might find good spads - they don't need to be from inside the party/political machine to excel.

#IfGspads

Turning to @eliz_lloyd's experience: if you are a Yes Minister person, you'll be a terrible special adviser. You need to be able to challenge and provoke your minister.

#IfGspads

SM reflects on how well it can work when dept and No.10 spads have a good relationships with each other and with respective ministers, and when those spads have credibility.

#IfGspads

SK: if the PM doesn't get on with a minister/Chancellor, there's only so much spads can do.

#IfGspads

JLM talks about management, and how important it is to be clear with spads about what you want them to do/what you want their role to be - sounds simple, but lots of times this doesn't happen.

#IfGspads

LL coming back to the question of recruitment, and the usefulness of having a wide range of people and views represented in the spad cohort.

#IfGspads

So what skills/experience do spads need? Everyone agrees on need for political initiative, but also willingness/ability to get across complex, specialist information.

#IfGspads

SK also highlights understanding of how the civil servants/government works. The best spads know how to work effectively with private office staff and other officials.

JLM: you don't have to know everything, but you have to be able to react and absorb quickly

#IfGspads

TD asks how close to reality Malcolm Tucker is/was - SM says that a spad like that wouldn't deliver. LL agrees - spads deliver by soft skills, engagement, not going round and shouting at everyone.

#IfGspads

JLM reminds that these are extremely high-pressure, stressful jobs - so anything the civil service can do, spads need to let them do those things, so they have time to do the things that only political advisers can.

#IfGspads

TD brings up the limit on spad numbers in the ministerial code.

SM: more spads, if they're good, can help, especially in departments.

#IfGspads

SK doesn't feel the traditional policy/comms divide between spads doesn't work terribly well, as there are lots more things beyond that which spads can and do contribute to. She thinks the HMT model where there are a wider range of specialisms among spads works better.

#IfGspads

JLM: agrees that just adding more spads isn't the end of the story - those managing them also need to do that effectively.

LL reflects spads slide into a purely reactive role, while one of the most useful things they should be able to do is proactively chase policy.

#IfGspads

Now we're on to audience questions. First round of qs: what happens to spads when their minister careers end; and is central management of spads the direction of travel for future governments?

#IfGspads

LL: spads' jobs are largely very closely linked to their ministers, and their role will end when their minister does - quite a brutal process.

SK: there's informal support from network of former spads. Career options afterwards can actually be pretty limited.

#IfGspads

SM: recommends former spads take a bit of time to think about what they really want to do afterwards. And she agrees with SK that other spads are often the only people who really understand what it's like.

#IfGspads

JLM: emphasises how this process - the loss of spads with their ministers - is a loss of skills that have been built up over time in government.

#IfGspads

On centralisation: SK thinks that things are increasingly centralised, including implementation, and that means that less gets done. No.10 is very, very small - even very capable central spads can't do everything.

#IfGspads

Q. about cabernet set-ups, similar to how some other countries do it: SM and LL reflect on pros and cons of policy/delivery units, which can be a gesture towards this, and can provide challenge in a collaborative environment.

#IfGspads

Q. about accountability/level of responsibility spads have for the advice they give: LL notes that advisers can't decide anything or spend any money, and SK says that ministers get advice from multiple sources, not just advisers.

#IfGspads

Q. about diversity of spads: JLM has found that in Australia and New Zealand, concerted effort has been made to recruit a more diverse pool of people into these roles.

#IfGspads

SK highlights how influential having an advocate can be as a junior spad.

#IfGspads

SM responds to an audience comment about codifying spads' roles and responsibility. Her view is that it's the minister and/or PM to hold spads to account. And SK highlights that there is a spad code, but the challenge is where it conflicts with your minister/No.10.

#IfGspads

LL responds to audience question about bringing spads in who are later in their career - she has found this incredibly helpful.

#IfGspads

Final audience question about positive/negative working environment for spads: JLM says there are pockets of good practice that need to be spread around. SK emphasises the fantastic opportunities you get as a spad.

#IfGspads

Final tips for spads:

JLM - learn from your peers.
SK - find a good advocate/mentor.
SM - go in with the right motives.
LL - know why you're doing it, and that it's not about you.

#IfGspads

And that's a wrap! If you'd like to watch the event back, it'll be available on our website very soon - and join us for our event on WhatsApp in government on Thursday!

instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/whatsapp…

#IfGspads