Governments are increasingly seeking to transform their core systems. Andrew Arcuri of the Boston Consulting Group considers how they can move from achieving good results, to truly great ones

The chief of the FDA union warns that Whitehall will miss out on a significant talent pool if under-represented groups do not believe a leadership role in the civil service is for them

Opinion: Without many of the usual checks and balances, policies – especially those approved by the Treasury – can be pushed through without much collective discussion

The latest Open Budget Survey confirms Britain’s commitment to fiscal transparency, writes the LSE’s Dr Joachim Wehner. But the Treasury must go further to enable detailed public scrutiny of departmental spending

With the new cross-government learning contract currently out to tender, Civil Service Learning director Hilary Spencer explains how the system will work in future – and why it will pave the way for better public services 

Opinion: The Spending Review calls for yet more cuts to departmental spending. But at what price?

The forthcoming Spending Review must focus on outcomes and delivery, and also be the springboard for an honest debate about the very nature of our public sector, argues CIPFA's Rob Whiteman

After over a decade in Whitehall – and 12 different roles – Antony Cousins switched officialdom for the fast-paced world of tech start-ups. Here he explains what he has learnt, and why it might be useful for civil servants

Catherine Arnold, Britain's ambassador in Mongolia, on promoting 'Brand GB' in east-central Asia – and why challenging perceptions is so important

Data sharing allows agencies to see the larger picture of potentially at-risk citizens and helps prevent harm, says CGI UK’s Steve Thorn 

What do ministers really think of their officials? We asked Sir Ian McCartney – a former trade minister – to appraise the civil service

Creating a smarter and better government is a priority shared by policymakers the world over – the OECD's Rolf Alter explains how he is helping

Opinion: The Trade Union Bill ignores the positive role that unions can play

What do ministers really think of their officials? We asked Baroness Northover – a government whip during the coalition’s time in office – to appraise the civil service

Successful organisations are the ones that allow multiple perspectives to flourish

The UK’s deputy ambassador to Spain, Daniel Pruce, tells us what it’s like looking after Brits abroad – and why working across departments is so important

Opinion: George Osborne’s call for more savings will be tough to meet, but it also offers the chance for a fundamental rethink of the way services are run

Opinion: Robust statistical analysis has to go hand-in-hand with clear communication, says Jonathan Athow of the Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Opinion: Civil servants have risen to George Osborne’s austerity challenge so far – but this summer, they are staring into the abyss

Central government departments are still not incentivised to manage their budgets well, says the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA)

In a desperate bid to garner votes and popularity, many politicians pretend that they have simple answers to intractable problems

Sean Worth argues that BIS, Defra, DECC and the Department for Transport should be merged into a single new department to create a streamlined national infrastructure function

When Foreign Office letters on a plan to move the entire population of  Hong Kong to Northern Ireland turned up at the National Archives, many media outlets failed to spot the hoax. Former FCO official David Snoxell shares the story behind the correspondence, and warns against humour-free diplomacy

When it comes to strengthening their health systems, emerging economies are not short of challenges – and "leapfrogging" can help deliver real change rapidly