The prime minister should send cabinet members to government colleges and stop the constant rotation of ministers to improve strategic thinking in Whitehall, a former cabinet secretary has said.

Mark Sedwill, Boris Johnson and Theresa May’s head of the civil service, says effective government requires “longevity of people” rather than a lack of staff The new minister of expertise.

Speaking to a parliamentary committee on the government’s strategic thinking, Sedwill criticized the “tendency to reset the clock and zero years” every time a new minister is appointed.

Speaking about politicians’ habit of issuing media announcements in order to grab headlines and appear active in government, Sedwill highlighted the “huge pressure that comes with the ‘grid phenomenon’”, adding: “Those [announcements] Inevitably not strategic, often rather short-term, and not always consistent with other existing policies. “

Over the past few years, turnover at the top of the department has been unusually high. Johnson appointed a host of new ministers following mass resignations, while Liz Truss also had a short-lived batch of ministers during her seven weeks in Downing Street.

Sedwill said any new prime minister would “be better off putting ministers in place and training them appropriately and keeping them in place for as long as possible”.

He said Britain “seems to rotate ministers faster than other countries”, its cabinet is twice the size of the US president’s and many senior ministers come into office without any expertise in their fields.

The former senior official supported the idea of ​​setting up a government college with its own campus, where “rising stars” among ministers, parliamentarians and officials could network and mingle.

Asked how to develop strategic thinking skills in ministers, he said: “Teach them. We don’t really teach ministers about government – they are expected to sink or swim.

“Political skills are vital for ministers, but they are not the only skills a truly effective minister needs. They also need governance skills. But these things don’t come naturally. You have to teach them.

“We don’t train ministers at all, but frankly if you really want them to be strategic, you need to give them time to be strategic.”

In 2021, Johnson announced that he would “invest in the training of civil servants and ministers, deliver online services to high standards and create new physical campuses”.

There is currently a “Government Campus” training program for civil servants, with online and face-to-face courses for officials since 2020, Government Leadership Institute.

However, there is currently no direct replacement for the National College of Government, which was closed by the Alliance in 2012, and which provides a permanent headquarters for government training.

Sedwill gave evidence on Tuesday as part of an inquiry into the government’s strategic thinking, ordered by the Liaison Committee, which consists of select committee chairs, in the wake of the pandemic and is holding the Prime Minister to account.

In written evidence to the committee, Sir David Ormand, the former head of GCHQ, called on the government to stop handling the WhatsApp crisis, saying the platform may be suitable for gossip and informal communication but not for important decision-making.

Ormand, who ran Britain’s intelligence services before becoming permanent secretary at the Home Office and Cabinet Office, criticized the government’s handling of the pandemic and said future crises should be handled with “proper procedures”.

In his evidence, he said ministers and officials often engaged in “gossip” and “informal exchanges” during cabinet meetings, which helped to let off steam during times of mounting pressure.

“It’s understandable that WhatsApp messages might have served a similar function during a lockdown that restricted face-to-face contact,” he said. “But judging from the evidence now made public by the Covid-19 inquiry, this type of communication (despicable misogyny aside) Gynecomastia aside) has become an important means of forcing results, rather than just sharing background music.

“The rationale for COVID-19, if it once applied, no longer applies. If we are to get through the crisis in an orderly manner, there must be a proper decision-making process in place.”

He added: “There is little point in working to identify strategic opportunities, strategic threats and risks if, when the time for action arrives, there are no processes in place to weigh decisions against strategic objectives and adjust direction accordingly.”