There is a government department that is head and shoulders above others in the skills and values that @michaelgove calls for in his Ditchley Lecture - such as statistical numeracy, rigorous evaluation, domain-specific expertise, devolution, focus on delivery, ... 1/4

measuring effectiveness against ambition, willingness to experiment, iterate and learn, focus on what works, focus on outcomes not process, rigorous use of evidence, career anchors and expertise.

Which is beacon on the hill? The Department for International Development.
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But no good deed goes unpunished.

These qualities have not been valued by this Government. Honest evaluations impact are used as a stick to beat the department. Professional experts are denounced as lacking Whitehall experience. ... 3/4

The focus on what works is regarded as insufficiently responsive to today's political fads.

The result: the department that does best on the ways of working that Mr Gove admirably advocates is being disbanded, folded into one of the departments that has furthest to go. 4/4