One Big Thing in the Analysis Function
During Analysis in Government Month (AiG Month) this May we held 26 live virtual events on the theme of “innovation”. Thousands of you tuned in to hear from colleagues across government, including National Audit Office, Cabinet Office, and GCHQ, to learn from each other and develop your innovative skills.
Owing to the announcement of the General Election however, the final week of events was postponed. That’s why we’re delighted to announce that they will now be taking place in September in support of this year’s “One Big Thing”.
One Big Thing is an annual initiative for all civil servants to take action around a cross-government change priority. Launching on 14 October, this year’s focus is (as AiG Month was) innovation – part of the government’s reform focus in creating A Modern Civil Service which is skilled, innovative and ambitious.
From October 2024 to February 2025, each of us in the Analysis Function should spend at least one day of our time learning, testing, and implementing small changes to improve the way we work. There will be training available for you to learn about the innovation process, as well as resources to guide you through testing and experimenting ideas with your teams, and this would be a great time to remind yourself of all the learning outcomes from AiG Month.
Not only will we get to enjoy those events that weren’t able to take place in May, we’ll have a special event with Head of the Analysis Function and National Statistician Sir Ian Diamond and other senior analysts, including Adrian Richards (Co-Director of Knowledge and Information, HM Revenue and Customs) and Matt Gurden (Deputy Government Actuary). Find out more about the events on offer and sign up on the Analysis Function Eventbrite page: Government Analysis Function Events – Upcoming Activities and Tickets
“If I had five minutes to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first three sharpening my axe”
Quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln
Sometimes even a small pause for reflection and the chance to think strategically can save untold time and effort. One Big Thing gives us all the chance to pause and reflect on how we can innovate to make our work better and easier. What one small change can you make in your team to improve the way you work? Because there are 17,000 government analyst and 17,000 small changes will all add up and have a huge impact – for each of us individually, for government analysis and our departments, and for the citizens of the UK.
You can find out more by reading the “Guide to One Big Thing” on the Modern Civil Service Hub and remember to book your tickets for our innovative government analysis events in September on Eventbrite.