From the editor: Has the government become mission-oriented?
31 Jul Civil Service Reform

From the editor: Has the government become mission-oriented?

In the end, the Spending Review did not put mission-based working front and centre, but look closely and it's clear that the five missions did still exert some influence on the chancellor's allocations
by Jess Bowie and Suzannah Brecknell
From missions to milestones: what the Mission Delivery Unit’s move to No.10 tells us about delivery from the centre
08 Sep Civil Service Reform
From missions to milestones: what the Mission Delivery Unit’s move to No.10 tells us about delivery from the centre
In praise of the process: Laurie Magnus’s report on Angela Rayner
08 Sep Politics & Constitution
In praise of the process: Laurie Magnus’s report on Angela Rayner
The Fast Stream needs to rediscover its sense of purpose
04 Sep HR
The Fast Stream needs to rediscover its sense of purpose
Dave Penman: Why the FDA launched a judicial review over PM’s support for Patel
22 Feb 2021 HR
Dave Penman: Why the FDA launched a judicial review over PM’s support for Patel
Boris Johnson’s backing for the home secretary despite evidence of bullying means ministers now have to meet a lower standard of conduct than civil servants. This can’t go unchallenged
Dave Penman: Lessons from HMRC’s groundbreaking pay deal
12 Feb 2021 HR
Dave Penman: Lessons from HMRC’s groundbreaking pay deal
The new pay package from HMRC shows a department that is setting the pace in pay and reward for civil servants. Other departments should hurry to catch up
Levelling up: the public perspective, region by region Sponsored
05 Feb 2021 Culture
Levelling up: the public perspective, region by region
The annual State of the State report has revealed regional differences in attitudes towards the Levelling Up agenda. Government must work with local areas to get the best results, writes Ed Roddis, director of Public Sector Research at Deloitte.
Opinion: What government cuts to the overseas aid budget mean for Global Britain
27 Jan 2021 Brexit
Opinion: What government cuts to the overseas aid budget mean for Global Britain
Dr Philip A. Berry and Dr Joe Devanny argue that Boris Johnson has overturned 15 years of Conservative Party policy on development aid and, in the process, has moved towards a narrower, meaner vision of ‘Global Britain’.
Opinion: What Covid revealed about government’s legacy IT, and what to do next
26 Jan 2021 Coronavirus
Opinion: What Covid revealed about government’s legacy IT, and what to do next
The coronavirus pandemic pressed unprecedented stress on government’s technology systems. Many parts of the system coped well, but it also revealed problems that must be addressed to avoid future crisis, says Reform's director of research, Eleonora Harwich
Dave Penman: There’s huge demand from civil servants for greater flexible working. Departments should help make it happen
12 Jan 2021 HR
Dave Penman: There’s huge demand from civil servants for greater flexible working. Departments should help make it happen
FDA research reveals many civil servants want to hold on to home working even after the coronavirus emergency. Ministers must catch up to where their workforce is
Less ‘just in time’, more ‘just in case’: How government can be a better customer when the next crisis hits
16 Dec 2020 Commercial
Less ‘just in time’, more ‘just in case’: How government can be a better customer when the next crisis hits
There have been some government procurement successes during Covid-19, but there are also many lessons to be learned, says Aidan Shilson-Thomas, a senior researcher at the think-tank Reform
Opinion: There is evidence of workplace bias in the civil service – we need some way of addressing that
16 Dec 2020 HR
Opinion: There is evidence of workplace bias in the civil service – we need some way of addressing that
If the government is determined to eliminate discrimination in the workplace, then it’s time we saw the evidence, says Prospect’s Garry Graham
Opinion: Civil service relocations should not be driven by “levelling up”
30 Nov 2020 Civil Service Reform
Opinion: Civil service relocations should not be driven by “levelling up”
As possible moves for government departments hit the headlines again, Sarah Nickson from the Institute for Government says decisions should be made based on the skills a location can offer, not based on things like whether it voted to leave the EU.
Populists in power: the impact on public administration
30 Nov 2020 Leadership
Populists in power: the impact on public administration
Academics are studying the impact of populists in power. Colin Talbot looks at the research and whether it can provide a perspective of Whitehall’s churn of top jobs
Spending Review 2020: Do outcomes for departments point to a new way of measuring performance?
27 Nov 2020 Finance
Spending Review 2020: Do outcomes for departments point to a new way of measuring performance?
New frameworks and metrics to judge how well departments work could form the building blocks of a reformed approach to managing public spending, but more detail is needed, says Martin Wheatley
Opinion: Sunak’s pay freeze adds insult to injury
26 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Opinion: Sunak’s pay freeze adds insult to injury
Government claims on the generosity of public sector earnings mean it really is time for an independent pay-review body, says Prospect’s Garry Graham
‘We have a moral vacuum at the heart of government’: Dave Penman on the PM’s Patel decision
23 Nov 2020 HR
‘We have a moral vacuum at the heart of government’: Dave Penman on the PM’s Patel decision
Pledges by Boris Johnson about tackling bullying in the future are not only hollow but insulting following last week’s events, says the FDA general secretary
Opinion: rethinking public services in a time of Covid-19
20 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Opinion: rethinking public services in a time of Covid-19
Public services are facing a unforeseen and mammoth challenge in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, changing demands for users also create a challenge to create more user-centred services, say Dr Edwina Yida Zhu, Prof Stephen P. Osborne, and Dr Kirsty Strokosch, of the University of Edinburgh.
Calling Champions: right now, kindness matters most Sponsored
18 Nov 2020 Health & Social Care
Calling Champions: right now, kindness matters most
To help us help more civil servants, we’re recruiting The Champions. There are no hoops to jump through, writes Marie McNeil from The Charity for Civil Servants
Can’t make all your payments? Make the right ones Sponsored
10 Nov 2020 Finance
Can’t make all your payments? Make the right ones
Some repayments are more critical than others. If you have some hard choices to make, Elaine Jefferys from The Charity for Civil Servants helps you to decide how to prioritise payments.
‘What is it that can only be done by us?’: preparing your team for a difficult winter
09 Nov 2020 Leadership
‘What is it that can only be done by us?’: preparing your team for a difficult winter
The months ahead are going to be challenging. Now is the time for civil service leaders and their teams to discuss how they keep their resilience, say Hilary Douglas and Peter Shaw
Opinion: Don’t lock prisoners out of the digital revolution
30 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Opinion: Don’t lock prisoners out of the digital revolution
The impact of coronavirus has shown how important digital skills and tools are. The Ministry of Justice must do more to ensure they form part of offenders rehabilitation to prepare them for life outside, says Aidan Shilson-Thomas
‘Personal still’: what Black History Month 2020 means to me
28 Oct 2020 HR
‘Personal still’: what Black History Month 2020 means to me
Brian Stanislas MBE reflects on his civil service career and working to engage more people from BAME backgrounds in the opportunities available
Dave Penman: The new big beast enters the alpacas' den
27 Oct 2020 Civil Service Reform
Dave Penman: The new big beast enters the alpacas' den
Simon Case’s first appearance before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs select committee meant that Dave Penman heard his voice for the first time. And he had a lot to say.
Opinion: Dominic Cummings is keen to make the UK a technology superpower. He should change procurement rules to make it happen
13 Oct 2020 Commercial
Opinion: Dominic Cummings is keen to make the UK a technology superpower. He should change procurement rules to make it happen
Innovation is stifled by public sector procurement rules. Brexit, and the Integrated Review, offer a chance to change that, says Simon Harwood, the head of defence and security at Cranfield University
'The best thing was being treated like an adult from day one': what it's like to join the care leavers internship programme
08 Oct 2020
'The best thing was being treated like an adult from day one': what it's like to join the care leavers internship programme
Danielle June shares her reflections on the Care Leavers Internship as applications open for 2020.
Feel better – by tending to your mental health Sponsored
07 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Feel better – by tending to your mental health
The pandemic has called for extra precautions – physically as well as mentally. There are simple ways to find help, writes Jill White from The Charity for Civil Servants.
Opinion: The UK’s post-Brexit role in the world should be digital
06 Oct 2020 Brexit
Opinion: The UK’s post-Brexit role in the world should be digital
Championing and developing progress in digital government across the globe could place the UK at the heart of global networks, say Tanya Filer and Antonio Weiss