The legal deadline for forming a new Northern Ireland Executive passed without agreement between the parties. This could have important political and legal consequences – and is uncomfortable for civil servants in the province

After six years at the helm of this tiny Whitehall team, John Whiting is standing down. Here he shares his experiences of trying to simplify Britain’s fiendish tax system – and what he’s learnt in the process

In making bids for more powers, many councils have moved outside their comfort zone to craft plans that improve local services. Can the same be said of central government?

Prospect union's deputy general secretary Garry Graham warns the UK will enter negotiations with "one hand tied behind its back" unless it addresses concerns over civil service capacity and workloads 

The Crown Marketplace will allow departments to buy a host of goods and services online, streamlining the way that purchases are made

The political parties in Northern Ireland have failed to reach an agreement to form a new power-sharing Executive following the elections this month. The consequences could include the re-introduction of direct rule from Westminster

Expanding a government policy that allows people to use the value of their home to pay for social care without having to sell the property could unlock money at a time of growing demand

Industrial tribunals are set to become more high profile this year, which could represent a reputational risk to departments, but there are a number of steps managers can take

Research by the Public Chairs’ Forum (PCF), Association of Chief Executives (ACE) and Institute for Government (IfG) is to review the impact of the Code of Good Practice for partnerships between departments and arm’s-length bodies (ALBs).

The latest round of efficiency savings demanded by the Treasury will set civil servants off on a merry dance. Given the official hours devoted to such reviews, is it time for rethink?

We shouldn't have to wait until the wheels fall off to find that cuts to services have gone way beyond any sustainable level, argues the former DWP permanent secretary

Departmental chiefs must work to create an environment that’s good for body and mind

The Treasury announced this week that Sir Michael Barber – former head of the Blair-era Prime Minister's Delivery Unit – will be heading up the latest in a long line of reviews of civil service efficiency. Adrian Brown, who has worked closely with Barber, spells out what Whitehall can expect.

With the appointment of Mark Sedwill, Britain is now on its fourth national security adviser since 2010. Dr Joe Devanny asks whether such churn at the top really makes for effective government

FDA general secretary Dave Penman takes the former Cabinet Office minister to task after he said civil servants in line departments rely too heavily on jargon and management skills to get by

Without publishing the rationale for its spending decisions, the government risks being bounced from crisis to crisis, unable to restore the public finances or ensure quality

Lesley Ann Nash, the Cabinet Office's director for public bodies reform, explains how the government's new code is aiming to shift relationships between departments and arm’s-length bodies away from compliance and control towards a proportionate, risk-based partnership model

As the civil service Fast Track apprenticeship programme opens for a new round of applications, the Cabinet Office's deputy director of early talent Greg Hobbs explains how the scheme can offer a springboard into a variety of government careers – and introduces two apprentices who've benefited from it

Most of the challenges the Workforce Plan purports to tackle are ones that Whitehall has bumped up against for decades. Perhaps it's time to start interrogating the civil service's Victorian structures – rather than simply adding layers of reform on top, argues Andrew Greenway

The US is giving us an ongoing education in the importance of an impartial civil service, argues the FDA union's general secretary 

From pensions to student loans, actuaries play a vital role in analysis risk right across government. Here, the government actuary explains his work

Proper management of outsourced services is the only way to avoid the contracting fiascos of recent years, argues the IfG's Tom Gash

Automation will need to be handled with sensitivity by managers – but any upgrade in public services must start with the workforce, argues Alexander Hitchcock of the Reform think tank

As Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States, Kings College London research fellow Joe Devanny looks at the tensions that arise between administrations and considers parallels with Whitehall