Permanent secretary, Welsh Assembly Government

What are you most proud of achieving in 2009?

Introducing a new focused management team with cross-cutting portfolios. This is  transforming our working arrangements and enabling us to do better in delivering the Welsh Assembly Government’s commitment to transform Wales into a self-confident, prosperous, healthy and sustainable nation and society.

What was your most difficult decision in 2009?

The most difficult decisions for me are always about people. In appointing a new team, I had to make decisions about the right balance of people as well as their competence. Six months in, I am delighted and privileged to be working with such a sparky, clever and fun group of people. As trust grows, the internal challenge is brilliant!

What challenges do you expect to face in 2010?

The financial challenge: ‘It’s the economy, stupid’. In Wales, this means better focus of jobs and skills. We are focusing on supporting businesses in Wales through the recession, and we need to make sure that businesses in Wales are fully prepared to take advantage of the economic recovery – and to seize the opportunities that it will bring.

We also have to work within tighter financial settlements than has been previously been the case, so we have to protect public services by working smarter.

What concrete plans do you have for cutting expenditure in 2010?

As 2010 is the third year of our settlement, we had planned increases in devolved services. The net impact is that every ministerial expenditure group bar one is seeing increased investment.

There is, however, a real terms decline in central administration budgets, and we are looking at increasing efficiency through lean processing at the premises we manage, in vacancy control and by reducing outside contractors.

Ministers are discussing priority areas for 2011 onwards so that these can be protected. We need to ensure we spend taxpayers’ money efficiently, ensuring better value for the Welsh pound. Every pound spent ineffectively is a pound withheld from other public services.

What is your favourite national, local or family Christmas tradition?

Dressing my son as a Christmas tree. It started when he was 18 months old, and he is now 22. I have the photos!

He regards it as evidence that his mother is not quite normal, but tolerates it – although he draws the line at electric lights. It causes complete hilarity in the family!