One of the masterminds of local government's ‘easyCouncil' initiative has been appointed to lead a major Whitehall reform agenda just days after ministers published plans to open up public services to a wide variety of providers.

Zina Etheridge, assistant chief executive at Barnet LBC, which has pioneered the controversial easyCouncil approach to low-cost service delivery, has joined the Cabinet Office as executive director of civil service reform.