The civil service is at its lowest level of staff since 1939. What impact has this had on morale and performance and what potential is there for local authority managers to fill some of the gaps? Michael Burton reports on a debate hosted last week by Penna which he chaired.

The civil service has had a rough ride in the past couple of years. Coalition ministers have accused it of being unfit for purpose, of lacking the necessary skills, of being obsessed with process and protocol, of being unable to innovate, of being silo-based, out of touch with the real world, unable to adapt…the list of criticisms marches onwards.