The debate over whether Britain should leave or remain in Europe shows that we are more emotional than rational – but political communicators must not get bogged down in a campaign of fear

Civil servants know that condemnation from MPs can be just as damning, if not more so, when it is done courteously

CIPFA's Gillian Fawcett argues that it's no use having a brilliant dataset if the figures aren't put to use

The success of innovative schemes from different parts of the world proves that diversity in government isn’t optional, it’s essential, argues Joshua Chambers

From the CSW editor: A commitment to improving workplace adjustments for officials with disabilities is welcome. But possible discrimination is a real cause for concern

CSW readers react to Labour's perm sec quotas plan – and the Cabinet Office's proposal to find out more about the backgrounds of Fast Stream applicants

Select committees do valuable work, but the relentless grandstanding by some of their members damages public services and does nothing to hold government to account

The latest Strategic Suppliers Index reveals that officials are increasingly focused on value for money – and frustrated with the rigidity of contracts

The former Energy and Climate Change chief scientist, who died earlier this year, taught his department how to do policymaking without the hot air – by making the process data-led, iterative and open

Our review finds that the Department for International Development has focused global minds on combating violence against women and girls – but this is just the beginning

Writing exclusively for CSW, Neil Couling – director general of the Department for Work and Pensions' Universal Credit programme – says strong political backing, a "test and learn" approach to delivery, and giving staff the space to develop has helped get the welfare reform scheme back on track

The dearth of top female leaders shows that Whitehall must not get complacent on gender equality

Experienced rehabilitation charities say they have been left disadvantaged by the bidding process for the Ministry of Justice's probation overhaul

The government's vision of autonomous prisons held to account for delivering against defined outcomes is welcome – but it will require a step change in the way performance is measured

What values should guide officials at a time of deep scepticism with democratic institutions? David Faulkner was a civil servant at the Home Office for over 30 years before joining Oxford University's Centre for Criminology – here he shares his thoughts on how public officials can secure the confidence of the citizens they serve

For many in politics, purdah is an excuse to close down any public facing or vaguely innovative government activity, writes former home secretary Jacqui Smith

George Osborne’s third budget in 12 months will force departments to find the lion’s share of “easy” savings through barely-mentioned pensions changes hidden in the small print

Behind some of the dubious and downright dishonest claims in the debate over Britain's place in the EU is a belief that government is easy. This is nonsense

From the editor: Iain Duncan Smith's resignation highlights the sheer power of the Treasury under George Osborne

The Institute for Goverment's Emily Andrews responds to our columnist's call for the Government Digital Service to once again bare its teeth and shake up departmental thinking...

GDS has been a game-changer for the UK. But Joshua Chambers asks whether the big fish will survive without finding fresh feeding grounds

The civil service has always had great people, argues former senior Cabinet Office official Andrew Greenway – but it must get better at valuing trust over hierarchy

If the House of Commons moves too far away from Whitehall departments, it will make life much harder for both ministers and civil servants

Looking back on past government blunders, it’s hard not to think senior officials could have done more to persuade politicians to take better decisions, argues former senior civil servant Martin Stanley