Our governance
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-24)

Our leaders need to set a clear overall direction for the Civil Service so that all our different organisations work as a coherent and effective whole. The Head of the Civil Service is supported in this by all his permanent secretaries through the Civil Service Governance Boards.

Civil Service Governance

Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service

Sir Chris Wormald KCB (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/chris-wormald) is the Prime Minister’s most senior policy advisor. He acts as Secretary to the Cabinet and is responsible for:
- supporting all ministers in the running of government
- providing professional leadership for the Civil Service
The Civil Service is made up of all government organisations (except for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office)). It also includes the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Government.

Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service

Catherine Little CB (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/cat-little) leads the reform and end efficiency programme for the Civil Service, working closely with permanent secretaries across government to develop plans and coordinate delivery. Cat oversees the coordination of the core Civil Service functions and also oversees a number of operational delivery services which are provided on a cross government basis. She also chairs the Transformation Board, supporting the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service in performance-managing the other Permanent Secretaries. She is the Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office.

Permanent Secretaries

A permanent secretary is the most senior civil servant in a department. Each Supports the government minister at the head of the department, who is accountable to Parliament for the department’s actions and performance.

The permanent secretary is the accounting officer for their department. They are responsible for the day-to-day running of the department, including the budget.

Scottish and Welsh Permanent Secretaries

The Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government is accountable to Scottish Ministers and is the Principal Accountable Officer for the Scottish Government.

The Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Government is accountable to the First Minister of Wales and is the Principal Accounting Officer for the Welsh Government.

Heads of Department

Heads of Department (HoDs) responsible for the strategic leadership of the Civil Service, to make sure it works as a coherent and effective whole and has the capability both now, and in the future, to respond to any challenges. Chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Chris Wormald KCB, it is comprised of the permanent secretaries from all Ministerial departments.

HoDs is supported by two sub-boards: a Transformation Board focused on reforming and transforming the Civil Service and a People Board which oversees strategic people-related issues across the Civil Service.

Members

Transformation Board

Catherine Little (https://www.gov.uk/government/people/cat-little) CB chairs the Transformation Board, which is focused on transforming the Civil Service and delivery of reform.

The Transformation Board is responsible for:
- setting the performance framework and monitoring performance and risk, ensuring alignment with any Civil Service targets and strategic priorities;
- transformation in digital, data, and technology (including AI) in the Civil Service;
- overseeing functional development and delivery, ensuring high standards of efficiency, effectiveness, and systemic coherence; and
- providing strategic leadership over property and estates strategies to boost delivery across the Government’s portfolio.
Members

People Board

Jeremy Pocklington CB chairs the People Board, which oversees strategic people-related issues across the Civil Service.

The People Board is responsible for:
- overseeing implementation of the Civil Service Workforce Plan;
- the development of Civil Service-wide policies relating to terms and conditions and pay and pensions for all civil servants, including the strategy for specialist pay;
- the assessment of short, medium and long-term capabilities gaps and the development and implementation of plans to fill them, including a strategy for learning and development;
- implementing the Civil Service Diversity Strategy; and
- Civil Service-wide employee relation issues.
Members

Senior Leadership Committee

The role of the Senior Leadership Committee (SLC) is to increase the capability of the Civil Service to deliver current and future priorities of Government by the effective development and continued management of talent, together with the continuous improvement of leadership in the Senior Civil Service. As part of this role, it provides advice to the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service specifically on people matters relating to the Senior Leadership Group (with priority focus on the DG workforce). Further details regarding SLC, including membership and terms of reference can be found on the Senior Leadership Committee page.

Staff Boards

Staff Boards supporting the Transformation Board and the People Board are composed of Civil Servants from the departments of the members. Staff Board members are drawn from grades below the Senior Civil Service to provide employee perspectives and views on the issues discussed. Representatives of the Staff Boards attend Board meetings to contribute and provide their views and comments as part of discussions.