Right here, right now: Fiona Mettam and Craig Ogilvie on being head of place for Scotland
10 Aug HR

Right here, right now: Fiona Mettam and Craig Ogilvie on being head of place for Scotland

The government has appointed director-level heads of place across the nations and regions to help create thriving civil service communities and develop strong local partnerships. In this series, we meet some of them to find out what it takes to do the role and how it complements their day job
by CSW staff
Dame Lesley Strathie: The HMRC boss who understood the operational side of the civil service
11 Aug
Dame Lesley Strathie: The HMRC boss who understood the operational side of the civil service
'There's no such thing as too much creativity': Ex-chief medical officer Sally Davies on the fight against antimicrobial resistance
05 Aug Health & Social Care
'There's no such thing as too much creativity': Ex-chief medical officer Sally Davies on the fight against antimicrobial resistance
Select few: Q&As with committee chairs Simon Hoare, Layla Moran and Ruth Cadbury
04 Aug Civil Service Reform
Select few: Q&As with committee chairs Simon Hoare, Layla Moran and Ruth Cadbury
As Boris Johnson prepares to step down, what do the next few months hold for civil servants?
12 Jul 2022 HR
As Boris Johnson prepares to step down, what do the next few months hold for civil servants?
How will officials support the caretaker government as Conservative Party leadership elections to decide the next PM get underway? Experts weigh in
Matt Bazeley OBE: 'Our colleagues in the civil service and public sector have never been in greater need of support' Partner Content
07 Jul 2022 HR
Matt Bazeley OBE: "Our colleagues in the civil service and public sector have never been in greater need of support"
CSSC’s new CEO took on the role in March, leaving a senior position with the Ministry of Defence. He reflects on his first months in the job, and what the organisation is doing to support its members, employees, and volunteers
'Fed up' officials: What a leaked Cabinet Office survey tells us about staff wellbeing and satisfaction
06 Jul 2022 HR
'Fed up' officials: What a leaked Cabinet Office survey tells us about staff wellbeing and satisfaction
Less than a quarter of the survey respondents say they think the Cabinet Office’s senior leaders have a clear vision for the future
On purpose: MoJ perm sec Antonia Romeo's lessons on leadership
05 Jul 2022 HR
On purpose: MoJ perm sec Antonia Romeo's lessons on leadership
In the 2022 CSW Leadership Lecture, Antonia Romeo described the importance of leading with purpose, and creating the conditions for people to thrive
Read the summer 2022 issue of CSW: A Portrait of the Civil Service
04 Jul 2022 Digital, Data & Technology
Read the summer 2022 issue of CSW: A Portrait of the Civil Service
Officials working in some of the many organisations and functions that make up government give us a glimpse inside their world
‘The way ministers talked to officials would have got them punched in the mouth in the army’ – ex-minister Johnny Mercer
01 Jul 2022 HR
‘The way ministers talked to officials would have got them punched in the mouth in the army’ – ex-minister Johnny Mercer
Mercer says he had an “awful” time in government
‘Horrifying behaviour’: What we learnt at Simon Case’s PACAC appearance
30 Jun 2022 Civil Service Reform
‘Horrifying behaviour’: What we learnt at Simon Case’s PACAC appearance
The cabinet secretary is grilled over the Partygate scandal, sets out the process for disciplining those involved and discusses how much of his time he spends on standards
‘You can’t be in crisis mode all the time’ – how to maintain momentum on departmental data-sharing
29 Jun 2022 Digital, Data & Technology
‘You can’t be in crisis mode all the time’ – how to maintain momentum on departmental data-sharing
Civil Service World, SAS, Intel and Capgemini recently brought together a group of leading data practitioners from government and industry to discuss priorities, pain points – and pandemics
A zero-tolerance position on inappropriate behaviours, sexual harassment and bullying alone is not enough
28 Jun 2022 HR
A zero-tolerance position on inappropriate behaviours, sexual harassment and bullying alone is not enough
Shocks and revelations might look like they galvanise action. But culture change takes time
‘Civil servants want you to do well, irrespective of your politics’, says ex-minister
27 Jun 2022 Justice & Home Affairs
‘Civil servants want you to do well, irrespective of your politics’, says ex-minister
Hazel Blears says officials hid Maltesers under her red-box papers to give the boss an energy boost
Why can't BEIS and the Treasury get on?
24 Jun 2022 Economics
Why can't BEIS and the Treasury get on?
At the heart of the government’s problems with the cost-of-living crisis is a rupture between the two departments charged with managing the economy. Is it just down to the personalities, or is there something deeper going on?
Windsurfing to Whitehall: How Alex Allan sailed through a 1980s rail strike
23 Jun 2022 HR
Windsurfing to Whitehall: How Alex Allan sailed through a 1980s rail strike
Former independent adviser on ministers’ interests recalls Thames stunt cooked up with photographer pal
'Previous digital and data strategies were long in aspiration and short in delivery': Why this time is different
13 Jun 2022 Digital, Data & Technology
'Previous digital and data strategies were long in aspiration and short in delivery': Why this time is different
The new three-year plan for government’s use of digital and data includes a commitment to improve scores of departments’ biggest services, Alex Chisholm says
Redundancies, recruitment freezes and 'deprioritisation': 10 things the latest guidance tells us about plans to cut civil service jobs
10 Jun 2022 HR
Redundancies, recruitment freezes and 'deprioritisation': 10 things the latest guidance tells us about plans to cut civil service jobs
From the timeline of a cross-civil service headcount reduction plan to outsourcing rules, here's what the latest leak reveals
Wall of silence surrounds plan for nationwide collection of citizens’ internet records
07 Jun 2022 Digital, Data & Technology
Wall of silence surrounds plan for nationwide collection of citizens’ internet records
Online notice reveals controversial trials are to be expanded into a national service – about which government, law enforcement, watchdogs and all the UK’s major ISPs declined to answer questions
Brighter together: What to expect at Civil Service Live 2022
31 May 2022 Civil Service Reform
Brighter together: What to expect at Civil Service Live 2022
Government's annual cross-department learning event is happening in person for the first time since 2019 - with events all around the country. CSW meets the people who are working hard to make sure attendees come away informed and inspired
'We've got to keep putting air in the balloon': Alex Chisholm on driving reforms across the civil service
31 May 2022 Civil Service Reform
'We've got to keep putting air in the balloon': Alex Chisholm on driving reforms across the civil service
Suzannah Brecknell sits down with civil service chief operating officer Alex Chisholm to hear about his drive to create a more skilled, truly UK-wide, delivery-focused and streamlined civil service
Equality warrior: Defence D&I director Sam des Forges on safe spaces, role models and what success will look like
30 May 2022 HR
Equality warrior: Defence D&I director Sam des Forges on safe spaces, role models and what success will look like
The MoD's first ever diversity and inclusion director talks to Tevye Markson about holding departmental chiefs to account and fixing simple problems
Read the May 2022 edition of Civil Service World
19 May 2022 Digital, Data & Technology
Read the May 2022 edition of Civil Service World
Alex Chisholm talks civil service reform, plus a look inside the ONS Data Science Campus
Saving grace: NS&I chief Ian Ackerley on Covid turbulence, select committee grillings and green investment
18 May 2022 Finance
Saving grace: NS&I chief Ian Ackerley on Covid turbulence, select committee grillings and green investment
The chief executive of Britain’s venerable state-owned savings bank talks about its pandemic savings push, reputation management and transforming his organisation
Dark arts for dark times: a brief history of government propaganda
11 May 2022 Communications
Dark arts for dark times: a brief history of government propaganda
Russia is taking every opportunity to misdirect over Ukraine – but British governments have themselves struggled to maintain balance in previous propaganda campaigns
‘We can’t control the tweets’: chief people officer Rupert McNeil on criticism, the Covid response – and why the civil service is like a jellyfish
09 May 2022 HR
‘We can’t control the tweets’: chief people officer Rupert McNeil on criticism, the Covid response – and why the civil service is like a jellyfish
In his final interview as civil service chief people officer, Rupert McNeil talks about his proudest achievements, and the reasons for his departure
People Survey: Who’s bucking the trend on bullying, harassment and discrimination?
06 May 2022 HR
People Survey: Who’s bucking the trend on bullying, harassment and discrimination?
Not all departments are improving their scores when it comes to staff reporting workplace problems
‘Typical hostile environment treatment’ – Home Office leaves thousands of Turkish nationals waiting more than a year for visa decisions
05 May 2022 Digital, Data & Technology
‘Typical hostile environment treatment’ – Home Office leaves thousands of Turkish nationals waiting more than a year for visa decisions
Applicants say they have been provided with little information on the processing delays that mean they cannot leave the UK – even for births or funerals – and struggle to prove their right to live and work in this country