Penman: High Court ruling on Patel case sets an important precedent to protect civil servants
07 Dec HR

Penman: High Court ruling on Patel case sets an important precedent to protect civil servants

FDA's judicial review has made it clear the ministerial code is more than just a political document, but the case shows how much change is needed
by Dave Penman
‘Instability is a future staple’: thinking through the policy challenges of the 21st century
06 Dec Policy
‘Instability is a future staple’: thinking through the policy challenges of the 21st century
'Miles away from conveying the necessary radicalism': Priority outcomes one year on
22 Nov Finance
'Miles away from conveying the necessary radicalism': Priority outcomes one year on
With the healthcare system on its knees, 'The Saj' talks about making plans
19 Nov Finance
With the healthcare system on its knees, 'The Saj' talks about making plans
Procurement and the pandemic: How CCS rose to the challenge of Covid-19
16 Aug 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 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 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 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 Finance
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
Colin Talbot: Why we weren't ready for Covid-19
14 Jun
Colin Talbot: Why we weren't ready for Covid-19
Dominic Cummings has claimed there was no plan for a pandemic when coronavirus struck. Was he right?
Games, simulations, and digital twins: the technology transforming the citizen experience Sponsored
09 Jun Coronavirus
Games, simulations, and digital twins: the technology transforming the citizen experience
Data is playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of public services. But what if a shock like the COVID-19 pandemic renders data out of date? Deloitte has been working out not only how to unlock insight from the most recent information, but also how to use this information with cutting-edge technology to fundamentally improve the citizen experience
Andy Cowper: The Treasury’s back – and so is Dom
08 Jun Coronavirus
Andy Cowper: The Treasury’s back – and so is Dom
The Department of Health and Social Care – and its secretary of state – has had another month in the headlines. But did it just see its future in the school funding row?
Peter Schofield on DWP at 20: A department two decades in the making that rose to the challenge of a lifetime
08 Jun
Peter Schofield on DWP at 20: A department two decades in the making that rose to the challenge of a lifetime
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Department for Work and Pensions. Permanent secretary Peter Schofield reflects on the momentous occasion
‘Hard work doesn’t let Whitehall off the hook on transparency’: Meg Hillier on the civil service’s Covid response
03 Jun Coronavirus
‘Hard work doesn’t let Whitehall off the hook on transparency’: Meg Hillier on the civil service’s Covid response
Public Accounts Committee chair warns that perm sec churn ‘requires younger civil servants to have the courage to call out ministers’
'The inflection point is here': how Covid is driving digital transformation in health Sponsored
01 Jun Digital, Data & Technology
"The inflection point is here": how Covid is driving digital transformation in health
It’s been one of the most challenging years for healthcare providers, but Salesforce sees lasting change from accelerated digital transformation
Opinion: The government must change its approach if the new subsidy control system is to be a success
01 Jun Brexit
Opinion: The government must change its approach if the new subsidy control system is to be a success
The government has an opportunity to design a better system than the EU state aid regime it will replace, but its current approach risks missing the opportunity
Opinion: Covid proves the need for a civil service shake-up
27 May Civil Service Reform
Opinion: Covid proves the need for a civil service shake-up
The government’s pandemic response shows that the Whitehall can move at speed. But those lessons must now be learned and fully embedded in government
‘As we re-evaluate statues and debate connections between venerable institutions and the slave trade, racism persists’: has the civil service made progress in addressing inequality?
25 May
‘As we re-evaluate statues and debate connections between venerable institutions and the slave trade, racism persists’: has the civil service made progress in addressing inequality?
The murder of George Floyd led to renewed focus on action to tackle racism. One year on, Ayo Awoyungbo shares his personal reflections on the civil service’s efforts
Dave Penman: Standards in public strife
24 May Leadership
Dave Penman: Standards in public strife
The various inquiries dogging the government do not seem to have affected it electorally. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only thing that matters to the PM, Dave Penman writes
Andy Cowper: An Act for NHS reform, but an argument over the bill for social care
19 May Health & Social Care
Andy Cowper: An Act for NHS reform, but an argument over the bill for social care
In his first column for CSW, health policy expert Andy Cowper reviews Simon Stevens’s Whitehall legacy, and considers the changes being wrought by the new round of health reforms the NHS boss authored