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
by Tevye Markson
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?
'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
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
Read the February 2022 issue of Civil Service World
28 Feb 2022 Commercial
Read the February 2022 issue of Civil Service World
CCS's chief executive Simon Tse on procurement during crisis response, and a deep-dive into the levelling up white paper
EXCL: Government urged to tackle 'public health risk' of poor-performing private Covid tests Exclusive
23 Feb 2022 Coronavirus
EXCL: Government urged to tackle 'public health risk' of poor-performing private Covid tests
As the government prepares to end most free Covid testing on 1 April, experts tell CSW the validation process for commercial tests is failing to ensure they are sufficiently reliable, or to enable people to make informed choices about which tests to buy
Wall of secrecy surrounds DCMS's Counter-Disinformation Unit
22 Feb 2022 Communications
Wall of secrecy surrounds DCMS's Counter-Disinformation Unit
Department remains tight-lipped on its fake-news-battling operations, in the face of intervention from the Information Commissioner's Office
'The most challenging summit anybody’s ever held': Cop26 COO Wasim Mir on last year's climate conference
15 Feb 2022 Energy & Environment
'The most challenging summit anybody’s ever held': Cop26 COO Wasim Mir on last year's climate conference
Organising a climate summit amid a pandemic was a massive logistical and diplomatic undertaking. Wasim Mir takes us behind the scenes of Cop26
Civil service churn is a ‘core part’ of government’s long term problems, says IfG
11 Feb 2022 HR
Civil service churn is a ‘core part’ of government’s long term problems, says IfG
Think tank director Bronwen Maddox warns lack of institutional memory could jeopardise levelling up agenda
Levelling up: all the civil service relocations out of London announced so far
03 Feb 2022 Civil Service Reform
Levelling up: all the civil service relocations out of London announced so far
Close to 10,000 new relocations were announced in yesterday's levelling up white paper, bringing the running total to more than 15,000
A matter of tax: HMRC's Angela MacDonald on hubs, fraud and why she'd never leave Yorkshire Exclusive
03 Feb 2022 Civil Service Reform
A matter of tax: HMRC's Angela MacDonald on hubs, fraud and why she'd never leave Yorkshire
Second perm sec Angela MacDonald reflects on HMRC's role in the Covid response and EU transition, and what its massive office rationalisation programme means for levelling up
Broken norms, reforms and ‘doing the right thing’ – examining a scandal-hit government
31 Jan 2022 HR
Broken norms, reforms and ‘doing the right thing’ – examining a scandal-hit government
After a year of almost constant scandals, the government is facing calls for resignations and reform. How could the standards system and culture of government change?
Can government destroy its legacy?
30 Jan 2022 Digital, Data & Technology
Can government destroy its legacy?
As much as half of government’s near-£5bn annual spend on IT is dedicated to the maintenance of ageing or unsupported tech. A range of digital leaders tell Sam Trendall about the issues they face with legacy, and how they can be addressed
WATCH: Steve Glass on the work of the Vaccine Taskforce and maintaining 'tenacity under pressure'
28 Jan 2022 Coronavirus
WATCH: Steve Glass on the work of the Vaccine Taskforce and maintaining 'tenacity under pressure'
The winner of the Cabinet Secretary's Outstanding Leader Award shares how the task force delivered Covid-19 vaccines under extraordinary circumstances and on a massive scale, and lessons for the future
WFH FAQs: Is working from home banned for civil servants, and where are we now on hybrid working?
28 Jan 2022 Coronavirus
WFH FAQs: Is working from home banned for civil servants, and where are we now on hybrid working?
Officials have been told to “lead the way” in a return to office working, but what does the announcement actually mean?
Ian Diamond: Why 2022 will add up to more than just numbers
27 Jan 2022 Digital, Data & Technology
Ian Diamond: Why 2022 will add up to more than just numbers
Expect a continued push towards real-time statistics and analysis this year, says national statistician
How we got here: Winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award look back over their civil service careers
27 Jan 2022 HR
How we got here: Winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award look back over their civil service careers
"Take the time to develop the skills to progress – it’s not a sign of failure if you’re not getting promoted every 18 months": three CSA winners share tips and fond memories from their decades in the civil service
How the Partygate scandal unfolded
26 Jan 2022 Coronavirus
How the Partygate scandal unfolded
With the Met Police launching an investigation into Downing Street parties during lockdown, CSW looks back at the timeline of events and how the revelations unfolded
WATCH: CSW chats to John Peart about a Civil Service Award-winning LGBT+ mentoring scheme
25 Jan 2022 HR
WATCH: CSW chats to John Peart about a Civil Service Award-winning LGBT+ mentoring scheme
The chair of the LGBT+ Network describes the genesis and execution of a programme with inclusion at its heart
London in the rear view mirror: we need to get the basics right when relocating civil servants
25 Jan 2022 Civil Service Reform
London in the rear view mirror: we need to get the basics right when relocating civil servants
Now could be a good time for ministers to be orienting the civil service away from the capital, says former Treasury senior official Andrew Hudson
Read the January 2022 issue of Civil Service World
24 Jan 2022 Civil Service Reform
Read the January 2022 issue of Civil Service World
Featuring exclusive interviews with HMRC's second perm sec and Cop26's chief operating officer
'Data driven decision making has never been more critical': Statistics Authority chief sets out 2022 plans
17 Jan 2022 Statistics
'Data driven decision making has never been more critical': Statistics Authority chief sets out 2022 plans
Professor Sir Ian Diamond, chief executive and permanent secretary of the UK Statistics Authority, expects a continued push towards real-time statistics and analysis this year
All the major Covid backlogs government must 'get a grip' of in 2022
04 Jan 2022 Coronavirus
All the major Covid backlogs government must 'get a grip' of in 2022
The NHS is suffering a huge backlog of elective procedures due to the coronavirus pandemic
‘We are absolutely determined to get it right’: Max Hill on one of the CPS's biggest challenges
03 Jan 2022 Justice & Home Affairs
‘We are absolutely determined to get it right’: Max Hill on one of the CPS's biggest challenges
2020 may have been a year like no other, but 2021 was a chip off the old block and relentless from day one. The director of public prosecutions tells us about 12 more months of dealing with Covid while pushing ahead with new challenges
Breaking records and battling for better water quality – Environment Agency's Emma Howard Boyd reflects on 2021
03 Jan 2022 Energy & Environment
Breaking records and battling for better water quality – Environment Agency's Emma Howard Boyd reflects on 2021
2020 may have been a year like no other, but 2021 was a chip off the old block and relentless from day one. The EA chair tells us about 12 more months of dealing with Covid while pushing ahead with new challenges
'The last couple of years have had a science fiction feel': Gareth Davies on the NAO's Covid scrutiny and trials of remote work
03 Jan 2022 Coronavirus
'The last couple of years have had a science fiction feel': Gareth Davies on the NAO's Covid scrutiny and trials of remote work
2020 may have been a year like no other, but 2021 was a chip off the old block and relentless from day one. The National Audit Office boss tells us about 12 more months of dealing with Covid while pushing ahead with new challenges
Perm secs round-up 2021: top officials say goodbye to a tumultuous year and look ahead to 2022 Exclusive
31 Dec 2021 Leadership
Perm secs round-up 2021: top officials say goodbye to a tumultuous year and look ahead to 2022
Government leaders share the highs and lows of 2021 and set out their priorities for next year in CSW's annual round up
‘Huge honour’: Susanna McGibbon reflects on her first year as GLD chief
31 Dec 2021 Leadership
‘Huge honour’: Susanna McGibbon reflects on her first year as GLD chief
2020 may have been a year like no other, but 2021 was a chip off the old block and relentless from day one. The GLD perm sec tells us about 12 more months of dealing with Covid while pushing ahead with new challenges