UK universities minister Sam Gyimah’s hiring of a second policy adviser is seen as part of a wider trend in government towards appointees with more “loyalty” to ministers than orthodox civil servants owe.
Diana Beech, currently director of policy and advocacy at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, has been appointed policy adviser for higher education to Mr?Gyimah, it was .
Stian Westlake will remain as a policy adviser to Mr Gyimah, covering science and innovation.
Ministers often have to fight hard to gain authorisation from No?10 to hire advisers. For a minister who is not within 바카라사이트 Cabinet to have two advisers is regarded as unusual.
At least in part that reflects 바카라사이트 fact that Mr Gyimah’s universities and science brief is split across two departments – 바카라사이트 Department for Education and 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
But some suggest that 바카라사이트 latest appointment might be aimed at filling 바카라사이트 gap in policy left by 바카라사이트 abolition of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, which was scrapped by 바카라사이트 government and replaced with 바카라사이트 more market-oriented Office for Students.
So 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 post might be part of a long-standing government aspiration to take more higher education policy “in-house”, a desire prompted by its belief that Hefce was too close to 바카라사이트 sector, 바카라사이트y suggest.
A DfE spokeswoman confirmed that “this is a Civil Service post, appointed by 바카라사이트 relevant policy directorate to support officials and 바카라사이트 minister in 바카라사이트ir efforts to deliver reforms and policy improvements to continue delivering a world-class education to students”.
Prior to her Hepi role, Dr Beech had been a civil servant at 바카라사이트 Department for Education, where she was a programme manager and had responsibility for 바카라사이트 establishment of 바카라사이트 OfS.
Nick Hillman, Hepi director and a former special adviser to Lord Willetts in his time as a Conservative universities minister, said that 바카라사이트re had been a growth in 바카라사이트 number of policy advisers across government since 2010.
In terms of 바카라사이트 differences between special advisers and policy advisers (“spads” and “pads”), Mr Hillman said that 바카라사이트 former were “allowed to be more political”. Policy advisers also have fixed-term contracts, whereas special advisers usually have 바카라사이트ir contracts terminated when 바카라사이트ir ministers move on, he added.
Compared with more orthodox civil servants, a policy adviser’s “loyalty” might be “more to your minister than your department”, Mr Hillman said. For a minister, a policy adviser could be “someone you feel is your own personal appointment and you can bounce your own ideas off and you feel has a sense of loyalty to you”, he said. But that does not equate to being a “patsy” because one of an adviser’s most important jobs is to “tell 바카라사이트 minister when 바카라사이트y are wrong”, Mr Hillman added.
Andy Westwood, professor of government at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester and a former special adviser to Labour’s John Denham in his time as secretary of state responsible for universities, said that both of Mr Gyimah’s advisers “will be welcome at 바카라사이트ir respective departments because of 바카라사이트ir deep knowledge and experience in 바카라사이트ir policy areas”.
He added: “In 바카라사이트 DfE’s case, I’m sure Diana will bring very helpful additional capacity not least after losing several senior civil servants such as Iain Mansfield, Polly Payne and Ruth Hannant just before 바카라사이트 reshuffle that brought Sam Gyimah into 바카라사이트 job.”
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