New Development: Is this really the “end of the generalist”?

Collins, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7458-3593 2026. New Development: Is this really the “end of the generalist”? Public Money & Management 46 (7) , pp. 867-871. 10.1080/09540962.2025.2549829

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Abstract

The Civil Service generalist has been a persistent feature of the British public administration landscape for a long time. This article examines the generalist’s origins and the recurring reform agendas that have attempted to reverse this trend. It analyses key Civil Service reform programmes to provide insights for those connected to, or with an interest in, contemporary efforts to professionalise policy making and the policy advisory function in the UK Government. This article will show that moving beyond generalism is a significant challenge requiring a fundamental rebalancing of priorities at all levels. The overriding objective is to foreground history in an accessible way, so these lessons need not be relearned.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
ISSN:	0954-0962
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	4 September 2025
Date of Acceptance:	5 August 2025
Last Modified:	01 Sep 2026 08:33
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180890

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