My career story: Jessica Barnaby
Job title and department or organisation
Jessica is Deputy Director of the Public Sector Division in the Economic, Social and Environmental Group (ESEG) at the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Her role matches the role of Analytical Deputy Director on the Analysis Function Career Framework.
Grade
Jessica works at Senior Civil Service 1 (SCS1) level.
Profession and entry route
Jessica is a member of the Government Economic Service (GES).
She entered the Civil Service at Higher Executive Officer (HEO) grade on the GES Fast Stream programme.
Jessica’s career path
I studied Economics and Econometrics at the University of Nottingham. After I graduated, I joined the Government Economic Service (GES) Fast Stream as Assistant Economist at Higher Executive Officer (HEO) grade within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). I worked on Payments for Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity, managing pilot schemes which aimed to improve ecosystems by paying people that owned natural capital to protect it.
My second Fast Stream post was at the Department for Transport (DfT) assessing the wider economic effects and benefits of High Speed 2 (HS2). For my third post I moved to a non-Fast Stream role as an HEO at HM Treasury in a spending team. This was technically a policy role, but which made good use of my economics background. As the Head of Rail Franchise spending, I managed funding and spending proposals for rail franchises. This included options for ending the rail strikes which were occurring at the time and working with the DfT to develop a longer-term funding strategy for rail franchises which were in financial difficulty.
I then moved to Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on promotion to Grade 7 Economics and Strategic Analysis team in the Central Analytical Directorate. As the Head of Strategic Projects, I led on research and analytical projects of strategic importance to the Industrial Strategy. This included examining methods to improve business productivity and living standards. I worked on a range of different projects, such as using real time job advert data to measure technology diffusion by the types of technology mentioned in job adverts.
I then took a six-month career break in 2020 to go travelling. But after two months the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began, so I returned to the Civil Service working as a Grade 7 in BEIS. I led cross-sector analysis, looking at financial vulnerabilities caused by COVID-19.
Due to the high demand for analysts during the pandemic I then moved laterally to the Hospitality and Retail team within BEIS. This was a part policy and part analysis role, looking at the issues in hospitality and retail due to COVID-19 restrictions and our policy responses to those challenges. I worked closely with HM Treasury to look at business rate exemptions, business support grants and loans and other solutions we could put in place at the time to support jobs and business solvency in these sectors during the pandemic. I led the work on a recovery strategy for the hospitality industry post-pandemic, and it was good to see how our analysis moved through to policy and made a real difference. It was very fast paced.
This work led to an opportunity to for temporary promotion to Grade 6 as Head of the joint Bill and Policy team for Commercial Rent Legislation. Hospitality, retail and other businesses had to close during the pandemic, but they still owed rent to landlords for the periods in which they were closed. This would need to be paid once COVID-19 restrictions eased. I worked on the Commercial Rent Bill which formed an arbitration mechanism to encourage negotiations on rent arrears between landlords and tenants in closed sectors, avoiding job losses and insolvencies. I got to see this Bill become legislation, which allowed me to see the whole policy cycle. This role was the furthest away from analytical work I had been. During this role, I also started an apprenticeship to study for a master’s degree in Economics.
After that, I became a substantive Grade 6 at BEIS as Head of Post Office Strategy, which was a full policy role. I was working on the Government’s long-term strategy for Post Offices and the changing ways we interact with them.
In May 2023 I joined the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in my current role as Deputy Director of the Public Sector Division. I manage the Public Sector finance and output statistics, looking at all the Public Sector outputs going to National Accounts, as well as areas of transformation for improving our systems and methods of producing public sector finance and output statistics. This role is a mix of economics and statistics, but I remain badged to the GES and have just completed my master’s degree in Economics.
The flowchart shows Jessica’s career progression from achieving a degree in Economics and Econometrics to her current role as Deputy Director of the Public Sector Division at ONS. It shows the step-by-step journey Jessica has taken to achieve her current grade and experience. Enlarge the flowchart.
Sir Ian Diamond has been tasked with reviewing Public Sector productivity, so I am working with the productivity team to scope out this project. I am also thinking about the implications of this work for the measures my division collects from Departments on Public Sector outputs and inputs before the Productivity Team do the quality adjustments to the data. My role as Deputy Director is to think about the important overarching questions, such as:
- what resource is needed within the Division to support the project?
- how do we manage our external stakeholders to make sure we are aligned on what we want to achieve and by when?
- how do we link with the Productivity team and others to make sure the work we do as a department supports this review?
My career aspirations are always evolving based on the opportunities available. In the long term I want to progress in a way that allows me to have a positive impact on the use of statistics and analysis in government. At the moment, I am very new to my role and department so I would like to embed myself within ONS as a Deputy Director and be effective in my role before I think about the next steps.
I am most proud of the work I did towards the Commercial Rent Bill. I essentially identified the issue, spoke with stakeholders, got to understand the issue and understand its impacts in more detail, and then worked with a team of analysts to produce good data on the size and impact of the issue if it was not addressed. I worked with stakeholders in DLUHC to provide a set of potential policy options to address the issues and presented these to HM Treasury, No.10, and Government Ministers, leading to the agreement to pursue primary legislation. From that work, I then had the opportunity to design the policy and deliver the legislation by leading the joint Policy and Bill Team. It was one of the rare instances where I got to experience the entire policy cycle and see the impact it made.
It was a challenge to balance my master’s alongside working full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when I was working long hours to design and pass legislation for the Commercial Rent Bill. I like to do the best I can in every work project and assignment, but I had to learn quickly how to prioritise both work and study to concentrate on the more important aspects which had to be completed.
On a more personal note, I have found it difficult being a woman of colour in spaces which are often quite male dominated and less diverse. Fortunately, I have been supported by some great managers and champions who have pushed me to occupy those spaces throughout my career. These people have helped me feel like my opinions are just as valid as the opinions of other people around me.
Jessica’s advice
Always push yourself to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you. It is so easy to talk yourself out of applying for a role or temporary promotion because you feel you are not good enough. Take the opportunities as they come. There is always something to learn. Even if you feel you aren’t good enough doesn’t mean you aren’t ready for that role.
Be proactive and speak up. This can create greater career opportunities for you. In my career I have been very proactive and used my expertise to highlight problems and present a considered view to senior leaders and Ministers. Senior leaders value your opinion as a subject matter expert, and it increases your visibility, so don’t be afraid to give your thoughts.
This career story was published on Tuesday 1 August 2023.