Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, delivers a thought provoking speech at the launch of ICiPS.

On Tuesday 27th November a group of esteemed guests attended the launch of ICiPS at the Cabinet Office in London.

On Tuesday 27th November a group of esteemed guests attended the launch of ICiPS (The Institute of Continuous Improvement in the Public Sector) at the Cabinet Office in London. Peter Lewis, Chief Executive of the Crown Prosecution Service, opening the event reflected on his experiences of continuous improvement (CI) and the dramatic improvement that the application of CI has made to the speed of taking cases to court. He went on to discuss the benefits that CI can deliver in bringing people together and the power of introducing CI disciplines to deliver better results whilst avoiding the risk and disruption associated with grand projects. The Crown Prosecution Service are looking to adopt CI as a core value and Peter welcomed the launch of ICiPS, recognising the valuable support role it would play.
Speakers from the Cabinet Office, ICiPS, Hull and Cranfield Universities and the Welsh Government explored the challenges faced when implementing CI in the public sector, how these challenges can be overcome and how ICiPS will work to support delivery of CI through the provision of resources, services and support.
Nick Hurd, Minister for Civil Society, delivered a thought provoking key note speech in which he stressed that CI really matters and, in a society where the public demands more and the money available to provide public services is less, every pound saved is a pound less that has to be found from elsewhere. He emphasised that CI was not just about financial gains but also the benefit CI delivers through its ability to enhance employee engagement, increase productivity and fundamentally change how the public engages with the state. He ended his speech by acknowledging the key role that ICiPS could play in supporting the delivery of continuous improvement and encouraging a more joined up approach across the public sector.