Developing the Ministerial Mindset: a Global View

The change that new ministers experience upon entering government is immediate, one that is occasionally unexpected or for which they are unprepared, and it requires a radical transformation in their workload, in their responsibilities, and in the nature of their interaction with others. It is, in short, an uncompromising and sudden jolt to their lives. In an age when mankinds impact on the lives of others and on the environment is infinitely extended and enhanced, it is imperative that the preparation of ministers is addressedand this book, for the first time, aims to shine a light on the measures needed to bring the ministerial mind-set in line with the modern global economy and society. At the heart of this book lies the intention to increase ministerial capacity, responsibility, and judgment, through formal processes of training that will enable ministers to claim a greater grasp on the subject of their department and the techniques necessary to implement this knowledge. But more than this, it conveys the range of factors that require careful consideration when addressing the immensely important, but hitherto neglected, concept of the ministerial mind-set. It can be seen that what it encompasses strays onto such a variety of subjects and disciplines, that only through judgment and conscientiousness can ministers achieve the potential to which their position elevates them. In its conclusion, it is argued that the radical assembling of ministers across the world, under the auspices of the international community, is a necessary next step in achieving a step-change in the global approach to ministerial responsibility. By bringing together the ministers of the present, to share in the variety and unity of the work they undertake, it will be possible to create a readily identifiable body to support these and future ministers and to enhance the understanding of their role to which they have been assigned.