Summer recess spurns all kinds of stories, but the international development secretary’s splash on ‘crazy’ Whitehall salaries was particularly cowardly

The revelation that the number of students overstaying their visa is much lower than expected exposes the impact of bad data in policymaking. More must be done to address poor quality figures to ensure the government is not caught out again

Public sector pay has been in the headlines, but there’s a lack of innovative thinking on changing the reward package across government. It’s time to try more radical solution

If Whitehall pushes ahead with plans to move civil servants around the country, it must conduct proper impact evaluations

Civil servants are increasingly working overtime and face being continually on call for major emergencies. Whitehall staff need uninterrupted breaks to recharge their batteries – even if that means leaving some summer emails unanswered

New research by the Public Chairs’ Forum (PCF), Association of Chief Executives (ACE) and Institute for Government (IfG) highlights the need for greater consistency, strategic collaboration, transparency, and better cross-government working to improve partnerships between arm’s-length bodies (ALBs) and government departments. Here’s what can be done.

A new international league table shows where the civil service is world classed – and where Whitehall is lagging behind. Sharing of practice can help tackle shared problems

Minority governments evoke fear of chaos, but there may be an upside to the uncertainty, says IfG’s constitutional change expert 

Policies without adequate funds for implementation are little more than hot air, says the FDA general secretary

Civil servants fear uncertainty and, these days, a lack of direction is a real challenge for government, says Andrew Greenway

Established as Theresa May came to power, the international trade department has spent the last year supporting business and laying the groundwork for future trade deals, argues its permanent secretary

Robin Butler was at the heart of some of No. 10’s greatest crises. But Sue Cameron says a new biography doesn’t always capture the drama

If Theresa May wants to inspire confidence after a bruising election campaign, she should embrace openness and accountability

The Education permanent secretary sheds light on how his department is trying to tackle the problem of women being paid less than men

Group chat services can make civil servants more efficient by reducing email overload. If government does not embrace them, it will lose out

For people working in government, getting on with the task at hand should not be a morality-free process, says Claire Foster-Gilbert

The former DWP permanent secretary argues for a return to civility in the corridors of power, and offers his tips for preventing the ascendance of overmighty special advisers whose presence crushes open debate and discussion

For a public sector only just beginning to adapt to the demands of digital data, the looming General Data Protection Regulation obligations could be alarming. Jane Roberts of Toplevel asks how the GDPR will differ from existing legislation

Recording the extent of Whitehall's long-hours culture is the first step to a better deal for civil servants

There is an increasing clamour for a constitutional convention in the UK to review devolution and design a post-Brexit blueprint. Alan Renwick and Robert Hazell set out the key features for such a review.

Martin Stanley recalls his own shift into the world of watchdogs and introduces his new ‘Understanding Regulation’ website

Prime minister Theresa May can’t afford to shut herself off from good, impartial advice

Dan Corry, former special adviser and head of the charity think tank NPC, argues that the public and charity sectors must learn from each other as they face joint challenges of capacity, governance and transformation

Over-zealous application of 'purdah' rules are having worrying consequences for environmental discussions, argues Bob Ward of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment