The briefings against Chris Wormald damage the trust that is essential to good government
23 Oct Civil Service Reform

The briefings against Chris Wormald damage the trust that is essential to good government

For the Cummings admirers in No.10 reading this: Anyone can break a system down, putting it back together is a different skill
by Dave Penman
The UK needs regulation – but we can do it an awful lot better
24 Oct Civil Service Reform
The UK needs regulation – but we can do it an awful lot better
How much money could the government's Covid fraud voluntary repayment scheme recover?
23 Oct Coronavirus
How much money could the government's Covid fraud voluntary repayment scheme recover?
One body, two missions: How Skills England is working with partners to drive opportunity and growth
16 Oct Education
One body, two missions: How Skills England is working with partners to drive opportunity and growth
Opinion: How does Boris Johnson plan to reform government without Dominic Cummings?
04 Oct 2021 Civil Service Reform
Opinion: How does Boris Johnson plan to reform government without Dominic Cummings?
The government has set out some plans to change how the British state works, but has not yet developed a plan for delivering it. Colin Talbot looks at what is missing
‘Dear chief secretary…’: An ex-Treasury DG’s dos and don’ts for the Spending Review
28 Sep 2021 Finance
‘Dear chief secretary…’: An ex-Treasury DG’s dos and don’ts for the Spending Review
Following the government’s reshuffle, the Treasury has a new chief secretary in Simon Clarke. Andrew Hudson, a former Treasury director general, briefed new ministers following the 2010 general election, and he draws on this experience to write his own briefing for Clarke’s desk
Opinion: what makes a reform?
22 Sep 2021 Health & Social Care
Opinion: what makes a reform?
Social care changes announced by government are a big change in the sector. But whether they meet the prime ministers pledge to fix a plethora of problems remains to be seen
Opinion: Improving government communication won’t save muddled policy decisions
17 Sep 2021 Communications
Opinion: Improving government communication won’t save muddled policy decisions
While poor communications can damage public confidence and a government’s reputation, good communications cannot salvage one whose overall approach is inconsistent or dishonest, says IfG’s Alex Thomas
Andy Cowper: So, are social care and the NHS now sorted?
15 Sep 2021 Health & Social Care
Andy Cowper: So, are social care and the NHS now sorted?
The government’s tax hike for health and social care will provide extra funding, but does it go far enough?
Opinion: As the government considers its approach to regulation, here’s how it could improve scrutiny
13 Sep 2021 Policy
Opinion: As the government considers its approach to regulation, here’s how it could improve scrutiny
Regulatory Policy Committee chair Stephen Gibson shares his thoughts as the government consults on reforming the Better Regulation Framework 
Take a few extra steps to prevent fraud and enhance the user experience Sponsored
13 Sep 2021 Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
Take a few extra steps to prevent fraud and enhance the user experience
Barley Laing, the UK managing director at Melissa, explains how the tech behind acronyms like eIDV, MRZ, OCR, and AI can deliver valuable information to keep the public sector fraud-free
Colin Talbot: Remembering 9/11
10 Sep 2021 Foreign Affairs
Colin Talbot: Remembering 9/11
Twenty years on, the reverberations of the terrorist attack still shape the world. The extent of the threat is different from what preceded it that day, and must be analysed as such
Mixed messaging: Lee Cain's proposals to reform government communications need more clarity
07 Sep 2021 Communications
Mixed messaging: Lee Cain's proposals to reform government communications need more clarity
Kay Hender, head of communications at the FDA union, argues that Lee Cain has identified some of the challenges faced by the Government Communications Service, but his proposed solutions are contradictory and could make things worse
The pain of migraines: one civil servant shares their experience
03 Sep 2021 Health & Social Care
The pain of migraines: one civil servant shares their experience
The condition can be crippling, but what can be done to ease the symptoms? To mark Migraine Awareness Week, Paul Scullion shares his own experiences
I had amazing support at work when I miscarried. Civil servants deserve the same
25 Aug 2021 HR
I had amazing support at work when I miscarried. Civil servants deserve the same
Civil service policy on pregnancy loss is "paltry", Victoria Jones writes
Procurement and the pandemic: How CCS rose to the challenge of Covid-19
16 Aug 2021 Commercial
Procurement and the pandemic: How CCS rose to the challenge of Covid-19
The Crown Commercial Service has helped the public sector in its agile response to the coronavirus. Chief executive Simon Tse shares the lessons from the past year
Opinion: Lessons for the government consulting hub
12 Aug 2021 Commercial
Opinion: Lessons for the government consulting hub
The government has confirmed that it plans to go ahead with the creation of a central consultancy hub. How should it work? Iain Greenwood explores the issues
Dave Penman: Riffing Rishi’s Pret project could undermine civil service relocation drive
05 Aug 2021 HR
Dave Penman: Riffing Rishi’s Pret project could undermine civil service relocation drive
Ministers are starting to drop hints about driving civil servants back to the office again as the summer break starts. But this could undermine the government’s own efforts to move officials out of Whitehall
Andy Cowper: A new NHS chief exec, and a personal responsibility lecture from Boris Johnson
30 Jul 2021 Health & Social Care
Andy Cowper: A new NHS chief exec, and a personal responsibility lecture from Boris Johnson
The PM has gone ahead with the Covid unlocking, but the new health secretary had to go nearly straight into isolation after testing positive. Sajid Javid also got to grips with his in-tray, including appointing a new NHS chief
Caroline Slocock: The Greensill review's treatment of Jeremy Heywood is blatantly unfair
29 Jul 2021 Commercial
Caroline Slocock: The Greensill review's treatment of Jeremy Heywood is blatantly unfair
Refusing to hear evidence from the late cab sec's widow is an unfortunate look for a government with a track record of treating civil servants badly
Time for evidence: an ex-Treasury official on why the Spending Review must match money to outcomes
22 Jul 2021 Finance
Time for evidence: an ex-Treasury official on why the Spending Review must match money to outcomes
Ministers regularly talk about the amounts they are spending but, with a difficult Spending Review under way, the public need the tools to determine whether they are getting value for money, says former Treasury official Andrew Hudson
Dave Penman: Bold ideas and recipes for chaos from the Commission for Smart Government
15 Jul 2021 Civil Service Reform
Dave Penman: Bold ideas and recipes for chaos from the Commission for Smart Government
The new review is a serious piece of work, and comes just weeks after the government’s own declaration on reform. But do ministers have a clear strategy for the reform they want?
Opinion: Getting Great British Railways on track
06 Jul 2021 Economy
Opinion: Getting Great British Railways on track
There remains a great deal to do to translate the government’s high-level vision into a concrete plan, says the Institute for Government's Matthew Gill
How ministers can be involved in civil service appointments
02 Jul 2021 Civil Service Reform
How ministers can be involved in civil service appointments
After the government pledged to give ministers ‘visibility’ of senior civil service appointments in their department, a member of the Civil Service Commission sets out how the system works now
Opinion: Why the Declaration on Government Reform shows the time for change has come
23 Jun 2021 Civil Service Reform
Opinion: Why the Declaration on Government Reform shows the time for change has come
Civil service reform is not a zero sum game where ministers win and civil servants lose, says Martin Wheatley, the research director of the Commission for Smart Government. Now is the time to make positive change for all
Opinion: What the Whitehall-focused Declaration On Government Reform gets wrong
21 Jun 2021 Civil Service Reform
Opinion: What the Whitehall-focused Declaration On Government Reform gets wrong
The government’s plan for civil service reform doesn’t engage with the reality of the devolved UK, says Colin Talbot
Dave Penman: Dom should put up or shut up
17 Jun 2021 Coronavirus
Dave Penman: Dom should put up or shut up
The prime minister’s former top adviser fired broadsides across all of Whitehall in his evidence on the government’s coronavirus response. But we got more accusations than facts
Gove’s government reform plan: what it means for the civil service, and what is missing
17 Jun 2021 Civil Service Reform
Gove’s government reform plan: what it means for the civil service, and what is missing
The Declaration on Government Reform sets out plans for civil service reform one year on from Michael Gove’s landmark speech on public service. Bronwen Maddox and Alex Thomas from the Institute for Government take a look at what it means