DfT Review Support 2024

The Department has a requirement to appoint an external partner to work within a team of civil servants to support the delivery of a review to examine DfT(c)'s delivery model and opportunities for efficiency and effectiveness. The Chancellor's Financial Audit lifted the headcount cap for the civil service but placed a 2% admin challenge on departments to fund this year's pay award. In combination with existing pressures, which include an assumed 7% reduction for FTE, the pay bill (and therefore headcount) continues to represent a pressure for DfT. In March 2024 the department underwent restructuring across DG groups in support of changing Ministerial priorities and an increasing requirement for integrated transport systems. Next steps of this restructuring (OD2) and business planning processes have so far led to some judgments on relative balances between teams and created an effective framework to reduce headcount, but largely within DG groups. This requirement is to undertake a strategic review of resourcing across DfT(c) taking a department wide perspective. The review will need to build on the thinking so far across our DG groups and sit alongside other HR initiatives currently being progressed, i including the outcomes of VES. The review will also need to align to and support ongoing thinking on the department's strategic direction and future delivery plans, including the Spending Review process, Capital Review process, Integrated Transport Strategy, and others. Understanding of best practice for organisational efficiency/design and benchmarking across industry and Whitehall will need to be considered as part of the review's recommendations.