Strategic Advisor, Civil Service College
In this edition of our Expert Insights series, we’re delighted to speak with Jonathan Slater, Strategic Advisor to Civil Service College. With a distinguished career in public service—including his tenure as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education (2016–2020)—Jonathan brings a wealth of leadership experience and insight.
We asked Jonathan to reflect on his leadership journey and his vision for public service reform and learning. Here’s what he had to say.
Q1: Reflecting on your tenure as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Education (2016–2020), what were the most significant challenges you faced, and how did you address them?
Balancing leadership roles was a key personal challenge—between advising my Secretary of State, leading the department, and contributing across the Civil Service. Early on, I underestimated the value of being by the Secretary of State’s side, which I quickly learned was vital.
Another leadership lesson was about building a collaborative change agenda. Initially, I moved too quickly in setting the department’s direction. I learned the power of co-creation—emphasising customer understanding, empowering staff, and promoting diversity.
On the policy front, we faced complex manifesto commitments like free childcare, an apprenticeship levy, technical education reform, and a new schools funding formula. Tackling these required clear outcomes, collaborative leadership, high-quality analysis, and a strong Minister-civil servant partnership.
And then there were seismic events like Brexit and Covid. During Brexit, I led a staff transfer programme to support other departments. Covid reshaped everything overnight. What guided me then was integrity, team spirit, and a relentless focus on public need.
Q2: How have your diverse experiences across the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence, and the Cabinet Office shaped your approach to public service leadership?
Each department had unique demands. The Cabinet Office had no frontline delivery; the Ministry of Justice combined policy with tough delivery and legal independence; and the Ministry of Defence required civil-military collaboration.
But they shared one major challenge: breaking down silos. In each case, success depended on achieving cohesion across systems—whether coordinating courts and prisons in justice, or uniting military branches in defence.
Leadership meant making sure the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
Q3: You’ve spoken about the need to bridge the gap between policymaking and delivery—what practical steps do you believe can help achieve this?
Policy is pointless if it isn’t delivered well. When delivery fails, the blame lies with policymakers for not grounding their plans in reality.
We need to get policymakers out of the office—listening to the public and learning from frontline staff. They must be able to articulate how their ideas will work in practice, and how risks will be managed.
It’s about engagement, realism, and ownership.
Q4: As the Civil Service LGBTI Champion, what initiatives did you lead to promote inclusivity within the civil service?
I spent time listening to the lived experiences of lesbian, gay, bi, trans, intersex, and other civil servants. I wanted to show that I genuinely cared about the discrimination they faced.
We took action by raising awareness, challenging prejudice, and introducing inclusive practices—like gender-neutral toilets. It was about driving both cultural and practical change.
Q5: How did your early experiences in local government influence your perspective and effectiveness in national policymaking?
After a decade in local government, I saw how detached and patronising central government could be.
That experience shaped my mission: to make central government more respectful, more collaborative, and more empowering in its approach to local authorities.
Q6: With your recent advisory and academic roles, how do you see yourself contributing to public service reform and education?
As a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, I researched Whitehall’s disconnect with the frontline, and published practical recommendations. I also explored how universities do—or don’t—engage with their local areas in a project with Queen Mary University of London.
Currently, I’m reviewing school accountability systems with UCL and QMUL, aiming to boost outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
I see these roles as ways to drive evidence-based reform.
Q7: As you step into your role at CSC, what are your key objectives, and how do you envision making an impact?
I love teaching—and learning from—civil servants, both in the UK and internationally.
Already, I’ve engaged with officials from Malaysia, Japan, and Thailand, exploring topics from digital government to defence transformation. My goal is to help expand CSC’s global and local reach, and continue contributing through lecturing and programme design.
CSC gives me a platform to help grow a vibrant, curious, and capable public service community.
