In Conversation With

NI CHAMBER IN CONVERSATION WITH Jayne Brady MBE

Head of The Northern Ireland Civil Service

Jayne Brady is head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. In episode seven of the ‘In Conversation’ podcast, delivered in association with Narratology, Jayne speaks to Mark Devenport about Northern Ireland’s strong investment proposition, embracing innovation to deliver transformation, the opportunities technology presents and developing a framework for new ways of working.

Reflecting on her early career path, Jayne tells listeners, “I was lucky enough to get a scholarship to go to university and that was fortuitous for me. I saw the variety of opportunities technology and innovation could offer and how they could deliver better business outcomes and address different pathways for people who haven’t had those pathways before, in a societal aspect.”

During the episode, Jayne discusses her career progression and experience in the private sector.

“My background has been predominantly in the private sector. Out of the last 27 years, I have spent 26 years in technology and innovation businesses. One third of that time was spent in large multinationals which have invested in Northern Ireland. Then a third within start-up ecosystems, growing teams and delivering new, innovative products and solutions. I spent seven years in a venture capital fund, developing investment strategy for Northern Ireland and investing in technology-based companies across the island of Ireland. I was a partner in the fund, sourcing those deals, securing investment and supporting companies as they grew.

“The last 18 months were with Belfast City Council. My role was as Belfast digital innovation commissioner. I was chair of the Digital Pillar of the City Deal and led the investment strategy for the digital pillar as well.

“I think all those areas in my background, from business, innovation and delivery are really valuable skillsets for me to bring into Northern Ireland Civil Service.”

Jayne explains the strong investment proposition Northern Ireland has and how her role fits into an ambitious strategy.

“Northern Ireland has a very strong investment proposition to make in terms of skills, the resilience of our people, core technologies and areas of further development. But that requires a joint approach and those big issues that we have to address in terms of economic inactivity, green growth and tackling health inequalities, requires a wholegovernment approach.

“That’s what I saw in my role, not just to come with an administrative focus, but how can we build an ambitious strategy for Northern Ireland for the next 10 years. What I am here to do is deliver on the ambitious programme for what we can be in the next 10 years.”

Jayne shares how the pandemic has been a period of adversity but also opportunity, as well as the changes it has brought to how the Civil Service does its job.

“There are a number of different areas where the Civil Service has adapted. One of the key aspects is how we embrace innovation and technology, as well as data and digital. Technology and data sectors have flourished and shown us there is a strong opportunity to double down on those areas.

“An area within that is how we find a measured way to embrace risk. With some of the issues that the Civil Service has been through, we could adopt a riskadverse culture. But that would stifle the opportunity to deliver better outcomes. We want the service to have the ability to innovate while ensuring that the structures and governance frameworks that we have in place allow and celebrate a risk-based culture.”

Jayne addresses the targets set in terms of the regional economy, including moving almost 20,000 people away from economic inactivity and into jobs.

“Over the last number of years we had a level of 27.2% economic inactivity, the highest of all the regions, but also significantly high globally.

“If we look at it in a totality, for us to get to a position of a balanced economy we need to deliver about a £12billion GVA over the next 10 years. That can’t be solely done by investing in high-

IN ASSOCIATION WITH NARRATOLOGY

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productivity sectors. It needs to also look at the 27.2% which is economically inactive and ensure we are providing pathways to fulfilling career paths.

“We cannot solve the issues of our economy and productivity just by looking within the Department for the Economy. Those things need to be addressed in a whole-systems view and looked at in the education setting and also in communities which are dealing with people who are receiving benefits or are economically inactive.

“They are very difficult problems to solve but I think that is our obligation to double down and focus on the areas where we can make that sustainable change and transformative impact because the prize, both for the people of Northern Ireland and also for our economy, is significant.”

Jayne concludes the episode by sharing her involvement in the transformation agenda.

“I am very much involved in the transformation agenda. A key part of that is looking towards going forward and also understanding our place internationally.

“I am mindful that if I do a strategy that talks about a 10-year vision, but we don’t build momentum into that and make some short-term deliverables, we will never get to the 10-year strategy. A crucial part is making sure as we go through the pandemic that we are managing that in terms of responding to evolving situations but also building a recovery framework as we go forward.”

Episode seven of the ‘In Conversation’ podcast is available to listen to now on the NI Chamber website, as well as on Spotify, iTunes and Google Podcasts.