Interview: Ex-perm sec Moira Wallace on tackling youth disadvantage under New Labour – and lessons for driving change today
28 Oct Education

Interview: Ex-perm sec Moira Wallace on tackling youth disadvantage under New Labour – and lessons for driving change today

With the government aiming to break the link between a young person’s start in life and the opportunities they have, Wallace tells CSW about the work she led to tackle entrenched social problems
by Suzannah Brecknell
Director's Cut: Defra's Edward Barker on risk-taking, shirt-shuttling and why a civil service career is hard to beat
03 Nov Energy & Environment
Director's Cut: Defra's Edward Barker on risk-taking, shirt-shuttling and why a civil service career is hard to beat
Director's Cut: Office of Government Property's Saurabh Bhandari on tenacity, AirPods and celebrating civil servants
31 Oct HR
Director's Cut: Office of Government Property's Saurabh Bhandari on tenacity, AirPods and celebrating civil servants
Director's Cut: Defra's Tessa Jones on job-sharing, cheese and 'problem solving over posturing'
30 Oct
Director's Cut: Defra's Tessa Jones on job-sharing, cheese and 'problem solving over posturing'
From the archives: Heaven knows he was miserable then – Morrissey's reflections on life as a civil servant
29 Aug
From the archives: Heaven knows he was miserable then – Morrissey's reflections on life as a civil servant
With silly season about to come to an end, CSW revisits a piece we first published in 2019 exploring Morrissey’s oft-overlooked stint on the government paybill
Better wellbeing, higher productivity and lower stress: Findings from Scottish Government's four-day week pilot
28 Aug HR
Better wellbeing, higher productivity and lower stress: Findings from Scottish Government's four-day week pilot
Report also shares lessons for other organisations considering a move to a shorter working week
Human-centred service: MoJ's Kamal Bal on the department's trauma-informed approach
19 Aug Digital, Data & Technology
Human-centred service: MoJ's Kamal Bal on the department's trauma-informed approach
Giving the morning keynote at this year’s PublicTechnology Live conference, Kamal Bal told attendees how the Ministry of Justice is working to improve services by better supporting both users and colleagues
'Successful transformation requires cultural change': What's in HMRC's Transformation Roadmap?
15 Aug Civil Service Reform
'Successful transformation requires cultural change': What's in HMRC's Transformation Roadmap?
The tax agency’s ambitious vision for the coming years includes "automating tax where possible", investing in new analytics technology to help combat fraud, and upgrading ageing IT infrastructure
Revolving-doors shakeup: How will Acoba’s abolition affect civil servants?
11 Aug HR
Revolving-doors shakeup: How will Acoba’s abolition affect civil servants?
With post-government jobs regulator Acoba set for abolition later this year, and the Civil Service Commission taking on part of its function, what do the changes mean for officials?
Director's Cut: Scottish Government's Christine McLaughlin on pandemics, pandas and finding the job she loves
08 Aug Coronavirus
Director's Cut: Scottish Government's Christine McLaughlin on pandemics, pandas and finding the job she loves
Scotland's co-director of population health tells CSW about her most bizarre experience at work, and the unexpected phone call that transformed her career
'Worth a go': Civil service internship scheme rule change prompts mixed reaction
06 Aug Civil Service Reform
'Worth a go': Civil service internship scheme rule change prompts mixed reaction
From praise for the plans to warnings of lost meritocracy, here's what's been said about the decision to limit summer internships to students from working-class backgrounds
Spending Review 2025 recap: Here's everything you need to know
04 Aug Economics
Spending Review 2025 recap: Here's everything you need to know
A deep dive into the Spending Review 2025 documents to fish out the details that matter to civil servants. Words by Tevye Markson, Jim Dunton, Suzannah Brecknell and Beckie Smith
'Think about skills, not grades': DSIT's Claire Donaldson on shaking things up and working in the open
01 Aug Civil Service Reform
'Think about skills, not grades': DSIT's Claire Donaldson on shaking things up and working in the open
The co-founder of the Innovation Hub at DSIT tells the CSW podcast what she's learned in the first year of her drive for change
In conversation with… former Treasury perm sec Lord Terry Burns
30 Jul Civil Service Reform
In conversation with… former Treasury perm sec Lord Terry Burns
Welsh Government senior civil servant Peter McDonald talks to the former permanent secretary to the Treasury about responding to crises, working with ministers and solving problems. This article first appeared in the Heywood Quarterly
How can cutting-edge technology help bring the safer streets mission to life?
29 Jul Security & Defence
How can cutting-edge technology help bring the safer streets mission to life?
Exploring the emerging “CityWatch” technology demonstrated at this year's Security & Policing event
'We heard some really traumatic things': Covid-19 Inquiry head of comms shares the highs and lows of the job
25 Jul Coronavirus
'We heard some really traumatic things': Covid-19 Inquiry head of comms shares the highs and lows of the job
The Covid Inquiry's Every Story Matters exercise gathered more than 58,000 individual stories from the public. Comms director Samantha Edwards shares how she got the nation talking
Civil Service Awards: DBT perm sec Gareth Davies on the new Innovation Award and what he looks for in nominations
24 Jul Civil Service Reform
Civil Service Awards: DBT perm sec Gareth Davies on the new Innovation Award and what he looks for in nominations
Ahead of the nominations for the 20th Civil Service Awards closing tomorrow, CSW speaks to Gareth Davies, the champion for the awards and permanent secretary at the Department for Business and Trade
'It takes active leadership to get culture right': An interview with standards watchdog Doug Chalmers
21 Jul Civil Service Reform
'It takes active leadership to get culture right': An interview with standards watchdog Doug Chalmers
Committee on Standards in Public Life chair speaks to CSW about empathy, rapport and why "zigzagging between departments is a really healthy thing"
'I could tell you 20 things that are wrong with Whitehall. But it has worked': Ex-trade chief Sir Crawford Falconer on Brexit, bureaucracy and why MOG changes are overrated
16 Jul Brexit
'I could tell you 20 things that are wrong with Whitehall. But it has worked': Ex-trade chief Sir Crawford Falconer on Brexit, bureaucracy and why MOG changes are overrated
Falconer spent seven years as the UK's chief trade negotiation adviser and second perm sec before leaving last year. In this Q&A interview, he talks about setting up the trade policy function, the pitfalls of joint departments, and lessons from Brexit
'Doing politics', handling the tough conversations, and how Alastair Campbell helped him out: Lunch with... Gus O'Donnell
15 Jul Civil Service Reform
'Doing politics', handling the tough conversations, and how Alastair Campbell helped him out: Lunch with... Gus O'Donnell
It’s been 14 years since Gus O’Donnell stepped down as cabinet secretary. Over lunch with Suzannah Brecknell he looks back on his career highlights, the series of failures that led him to become the nation’s top civil servant, and the crisis that made him wish he could return
One year on: the perm sec state of play
04 Jul HR
One year on: the perm sec state of play
How has the leadership at the top of the civil service changed since Labour came to power and how does this compare to previous changes following an election?
How to close a quango: As DHSC prepares to absorb NHS England, we ask the experts
03 Jul Civil Service Reform
How to close a quango: As DHSC prepares to absorb NHS England, we ask the experts
In light of the government’s decision to merge NHS England into DHSC, CSW explores the dos and don’ts of closing a quango – and unpacks some potential issues with the health reform plans
How effectively is government coordinating efforts to get more people into work through healthcare reform?
01 Jul Health & Social Care
How effectively is government coordinating efforts to get more people into work through healthcare reform?
Government is banking on the success of its health mission to stem the tide of health-related benefit claims. But is the approach joined up enough to have an impact?
'A truly co-designed, collaborative effort': How the Evaluation Task Force shook up its annual conference
26 Jun
'A truly co-designed, collaborative effort': How the Evaluation Task Force shook up its annual conference
This year, the Evaluation Task Force took a new approach to designing and
delivering its annual conference. CSW finds out more about how the event
was run and asks what others can learn from the experience
Spending Review 2025: Tight times ahead, but no return to austerity
12 Jun Civil Service Reform
Spending Review 2025: Tight times ahead, but no return to austerity
Unions air job-security fears as IFS warns settlements leave little scope for “significant” hikes in public sector pay
Ten top tips: How to use a Civil Service Commission audit to improve recruitment practice
11 Jun HR
Ten top tips: How to use a Civil Service Commission audit to improve recruitment practice
Here's what the Commission looks for during a recruitment audit
Which tasks do public servants spend too long on? And how can AI help?
10 Jun Digital, Data & Technology
Which tasks do public servants spend too long on? And how can AI help?
The government is placing high hopes on the potential for AI to improve productivity in public services. But where can it be most of use?
Derided as the Frankenstein’s monster of Whitehall: Will Labour really abolish DCMS?
05 Jun Civil Service Reform
Derided as the Frankenstein’s monster of Whitehall: Will Labour really abolish DCMS?
As briefings against DCMS and culture secretary Lisa Nandy abound, Sophie Church and Sienna Rodgers explore why the department is so embattled and what its future might look like