The alternate would be independent of the head, and have full access to all information and all persons in the ministry and elsewhere, to which the head has access.
The source of the minister's control is that at any time he may promote the alternate to be head, and demote the head to be alternate.
Sir Humphrey exerts his influence by concealing the nature and even the existence of options that the minister would prefer if he knew of them. But with a well-informed alternate seeking to replace him, this strategy would not be viable, since the alternate has an incentive to inform the minister of any attractive option which is being concealed.
Quite apart from deterring concealment, this competition would encourage adaptiveness and creativity - the alternate would continually seek for better ways in which the department could be run, and the head would do the same to avoid demotion.
The alternate should prove more useful than an outside consultant brought in by the minister, because of his greater permanence and experience, and because he can be called on to put his recommendations into practice. The scheme differs from the USA 'spoils system' in that the alternate has no more party political allegiance than the head, and would be no more likely to be promoted by an incoming government than by any other.
This scheme of alternates could be used in other contexts as well, such as the following:
(1) Alternates could be appointed to heads of large sub-departments, thus giving the overall head more control of his own organisation;
(2) It could be used for government agencies other than ministries;
(3) Or for the head of an organisation such as a charity, to enable a board of governors, who would tend to be part-time and amateur, to exert more effective control;
(4) Or for the head of a cooperative or a trade union. The controlling body could be either an elected council, or the whole membership, voting in a kind of election where the loser stays on as an alternate.
Dr David Chapman, Democracy Design Forum, Coles Centre, Buxhall, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3EB (tel 0449 736 223).