Giving the civil service a formal role in the national policy conversation would play to its unique strengths

Civil servants want to see a light at the end of the tunnel, not five more years of the same, argues the FDA union's general secretary Dave Penman

Jane Dudman​ reads the runes as the civil service adjusts to a changing of the ministerial guard

As the dust settles on David Cameron's first post-election reshuffle, Dunstan Hadley – a former private office official in the Department for Education – reflects on the chaos and excitement of change at the top

"Newco" partnerships between the public and private sectors may be complex, but lawyer Louise Fullwood argues that good preparation can help cut the risks

"Big data" promises big rewards for government, says Douglas Beal of the Centre for Public Impact. But it must be driven by policy objectives and analysed by staff with the right skills

Successful leaders mix ambition, resilience, and the ability to ditch ideas that aren’t working, argues Brunel University’s Professor Zahir Irani

Another inconclusive election will mean uncertainty for the country – and complex challenges for Whitehall, says the Institute for Government's Peter Riddell

With the general election looming, Geoff Mulgan and Stian Westlake of the innovation think tank Nesta​ say any prime minister who wants to get things done needs to seriously consider changes to the centre of government

Liberal Democrat candidate Nick Harvey served as defence minister for two years. Here he shares his thoughts on how the junior partner in a future coalition can avoid having its voice drowned out

Journalist Jane Dudman assesses the state of Whitehall as it prepares for a new government

A learning support assistant tells Sarah Aston about the unintended effects Labour’s inclusion policy is having on mainstream schools over a decade after it was introduced. Illustration by John Levers

Changes to civil service media rules dreamt up in Whitehall look very different to officials on the frontline, argues FDA union general secretary Dave Penman

The civil service’s greatest strength is its people. But are they also its biggest risk?

If the next government wants to shake up Whitehall, it must do it in the right way, for the right reasons, says the Institute for Government's Peter Riddell

There’s a long way to go, but civil servants are finally starting to get the IT they need, says the government’s chief technology officer Liam Maxwell

If we are serious about creating a sustainable future, we must make Whitehall fit for the challenge, says environmental policy analyst and former government adviser Duncan Brack

The civil service has taken a battering – but could Sir Humphrey’s time be about to come again?

A former police call centre worker tells Freya Pascall about the pressures – exacerbated by central government – that led to their resignation. Illustration by John Levers

Amid the furore around HSBC's Swiss operations, FDA general secretary Dave Penman says we should remember that HMRC has had to prioritise in the face of budget cuts

How fiscal devolution will lead to greater asymmetry across the Celtic nations and confuse the Barnett Formula

The quality of legislative scrutiny in the House of Commons is woefully inadequate, argues Reform's Camilla Hagelund

There's an end-of-term feeling in Whitehall, writes Jane Dudman, as the civil service gears up for the election

Philip Smith, deputy head of the UK's aid programme in Malawi, explains how the Department for International Development is helping the country respond to devastating floods