Systems leadership for the mission-led government

Five missions set out by the HM Government in 2024 tackle five of the biggest challenges facing the UK. All these targets are complex long-term public issues spanning across a range of policy domains. A strong focus of the mission-led government on the end result provides a degree of freedom to policy makers in choosing the means. This shift to the mission-led government calls for an updated approach to policy making. 

Six principles of systems leadership approach 

In my research study, I interviewed 130 mid-career UK civil servants (grades 6/7/SEO/HEO) from 15 central government departments about applying systems thinking to policy making. This resulted in a systems leadership approach with six principles, which can be easily turned into practical steps. 

1. Adopt a long-term vision 

Mission-led government assumes adopting a long-term vision, as noted by an interviewee: “To achieve a progressive outcome, you would need a long-term focus”. It does not, however, guarantee that there will be no deviation from the long-term vision along the way to delivering on each mission. There is always a need to achieve many short-term objectives on the way to success on a longer-term one. As a policy maker, you need to doublecheck if adopting a long-term vision is still being followed as a principle, when government is on the way towards achieving a mission, and not just at the beginning of the process. 

2. Address the root-causes of the problem 

When root-causes of a problem remain not addressed and only ‘cosmetic repairs’ are made, the public problem may remain or even grow. Within the declared five missions, some missions tackle the root-causes, while others deal with the consequences only. For example, the mission to create safer streets with 13,000 more neighbourhood police does not address the root-causes of the problem crime. Achieving this mission would only tackle the problem in a short run. While another mission to improve the NHS by reforming health and care service and reducing health inequality is addressing the root-causes of the problems by reforming the system itself. 

3. Foster collaboration 

Although the importance of governing in partnership with the civil society is recognised, focusing on the missions does neither imply nor guarantee it. An additional effort is needed to put this principle in practice. There is again a notable difference between the missions in terms of a ‘built-in’ requirement to collaborate. Making Britain a clean energy superpower with zero-carbon electricity, for instance, requires considerable effort from the private sector. So, there is a higher need for fostering collaboration to achieve this mission, as compared to increasing the number of police community support officers, which can be done singlehandedly by the government. 

4. Apply system-wide approach 

Although a Mission Delivery Unit has been set up in the Cabinet Office to track progress on the missions, each mission has a rather clear lead department. This speaks directly against applying a system-wide approach as a principle. As most public problems lie across policy areas, applying a system-wide approach would result in better outcomes, as noted by an interviewee: "Departments are set up in a way that maximises impacts on their specific areas and do not internalise issues across government. These complex problems require more cooperation to consider the system-wide impacts." 

5. Extend organisational boundaries 

Extending organisational boundaries is arguably challenging, especially with the hierarchically set up structures within the public sector. A ministerial imperative to deliver on the declared missions might help extend boundaries. Especially if it is the only way to succeed. There is a need to establish new structures and clear incentives mechanisms. These should work not only on the public sector side, but also on the civil society side. As a policy maker, you should explain opportunities for governing in partnership not only to the stakeholders identified as relevant, but to the public. 

6. Focus on connections 

It means focusing not only on the relationships between the key stakeholders across government and sectors, but also on the connections between different aspects of the public problem. How might this problem and the proposed policy intervention affect other domains of the public life? Policy makers should be encouraged to ask this question and incentivised to address it: “I have been in teams within the Civil Service which have supported and encouraged leadership at all levels where there is no real hierarchy apart from ministerial engagement. I have seen how this approach could first-hand support policy making within a complex system.” During busy times, prioritise building or strengthening one key relationship outside your immediate circle. This single connection can spark collaboration and open doors to future partnerships. 

Get in touch 

Details about the study are available from the author upon request. It will be published in February 2025. If you'd like to know more, you can get in touch by email olga.siemers@kcl.ac.uk or follow Olga on LinkedIn.