Home/Office: Great Britain and Northern Ireland
11 Sep

Home/Office: Great Britain and Northern Ireland

This new series explores how civil services in other countries have approached the hybrid working conundrum. To kick things off, we look at how the UK government’s approach compares to the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, and the Northern Ireland Civil Service
by Tevye Markson
Five reasons to include Policy Festival in your learning calendar this year
10 Sep HR
Five reasons to include Policy Festival in your learning calendar this year
'Step forward anyway': Kiren Kaur on celebrating women's leadership in all its forms
04 Sep HR
'Step forward anyway': Kiren Kaur on celebrating women's leadership in all its forms
Departing Land Registry chief Simon Hayes talks lockdown, hybrid working and fighting the perfect storm of staff shortages and record demand
03 Sep Digital, Data & Technology
Departing Land Registry chief Simon Hayes talks lockdown, hybrid working and fighting the perfect storm of staff shortages and record demand
‘We’ve had to update guidance daily’: Acas chief executive Susan Clews on the impact of Covid
14 Dec 2020 Leadership
‘We’ve had to update guidance daily’: Acas chief executive Susan Clews on the impact of Covid
2020 was a year unlike any other, with the coronavirus pandemic upending the work of government and changing how we live our daily lives. Senior figures from across the civil service tell us how the unprecedented 12 months affected them, and look ahead to 2021
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman on a challenging year for education, and how the department will get back to business as usual in 2021
14 Dec 2020 Leadership
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman on a challenging year for education, and how the department will get back to business as usual in 2021
2020 was a year unlike any other, with the coronavirus pandemic upending the work of government and changing how we live our daily lives. Senior figures from across the civil service tell us how the unprecedented 12 months affected them, and look ahead to 2021
‘We were not set up for this’: How financial regulators are adapting to Covid
07 Dec 2020 Coronavirus
‘We were not set up for this’: How financial regulators are adapting to Covid
As part of a series of virtual roundtable discussions, Civil Service World and Hitachi Solutions examined the impact of the pandemic on financial regulators. Geoffrey Lyons reports
How the government’s Covid-19 response revealed the real barriers to transformation
02 Dec 2020 Coronavirus
How the government’s Covid-19 response revealed the real barriers to transformation
The government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic saw projects rolled out at unprecedented speed. A panel of officials came together to share how they did it – and what the lessons are. By Charlotte Newbury and Richard Johnstone
Opinion: Civil service relocations should not be driven by “levelling up”
30 Nov 2020 Civil Service Reform
Opinion: Civil service relocations should not be driven by “levelling up”
As possible moves for government departments hit the headlines again, Sarah Nickson from the Institute for Government says decisions should be made based on the skills a location can offer, not based on things like whether it voted to leave the EU.
Populists in power: the impact on public administration
30 Nov 2020 Leadership
Populists in power: the impact on public administration
Academics are studying the impact of populists in power. Colin Talbot looks at the research and whether it can provide a perspective of Whitehall’s churn of top jobs
Spending Review 2020: Do outcomes for departments point to a new way of measuring performance?
27 Nov 2020 Finance
Spending Review 2020: Do outcomes for departments point to a new way of measuring performance?
New frameworks and metrics to judge how well departments work could form the building blocks of a reformed approach to managing public spending, but more detail is needed, says Martin Wheatley
Priorities for every department and new FCDO and Treasury hubs: what the Spending Review means for the civil service
25 Nov 2020 Civil Service Reform
Priorities for every department and new FCDO and Treasury hubs: what the Spending Review means for the civil service
What are your department’s new priorities?
Probation inspector Justin Russell on coronavirus, Transforming Rehabilitation and the Spending Review
20 Nov 2020 Finance
Probation inspector Justin Russell on coronavirus, Transforming Rehabilitation and the Spending Review
After years of funding cuts and the looming renationalisation of outsourced probation services, Russell calls for extra funding to be “baked into the baseline” for the Spending Review
Opinion: rethinking public services in a time of Covid-19
20 Nov 2020 Coronavirus
Opinion: rethinking public services in a time of Covid-19
Public services are facing a unforeseen and mammoth challenge in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, changing demands for users also create a challenge to create more user-centred services, say Dr Edwina Yida Zhu, Prof Stephen P. Osborne, and Dr Kirsty Strokosch, of the University of Edinburgh.
Green light: IPA chief Nick Smallwood on the Covid response, building back better, and his Get To Green mantra
17 Nov 2020 Leadership
Green light: IPA chief Nick Smallwood on the Covid response, building back better, and his Get To Green mantra
Nick Smallwood joined the Infrastructure and Projects Authority with a plan to improve project delivery across government. Despite the impact of coronavirus, it remains on track, he tells Richard Johnstone
‘I didn’t make it to cabinet secretary but I got close’: Jonathan Slater on leading – and leaving – DfE
10 Nov 2020 Education
‘I didn’t make it to cabinet secretary but I got close’: Jonathan Slater on leading – and leaving – DfE
Jonathan Slater was one of the nation’s top civil servants until he was asked to leave by Boris Johnson in August after the A-Levels grades row. In an exclusive interview with Beckie Smith, he reflects on his time in government.
‘What is it that can only be done by us?’: preparing your team for a difficult winter
09 Nov 2020 Leadership
‘What is it that can only be done by us?’: preparing your team for a difficult winter
The months ahead are going to be challenging. Now is the time for civil service leaders and their teams to discuss how they keep their resilience, say Hilary Douglas and Peter Shaw
November 2020 CSW digital issue
02 Nov 2020
November 2020 CSW digital issue
Exclusive interviews with Jonathan Slater, Nick Smallwood and HMRC's two perm secs
Opinion: Don’t lock prisoners out of the digital revolution
30 Oct 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Opinion: Don’t lock prisoners out of the digital revolution
The impact of coronavirus has shown how important digital skills and tools are. The Ministry of Justice must do more to ensure they form part of offenders rehabilitation to prepare them for life outside, says Aidan Shilson-Thomas
‘Personal still’: what Black History Month 2020 means to me
28 Oct 2020 HR
‘Personal still’: what Black History Month 2020 means to me
Brian Stanislas MBE reflects on his civil service career and working to engage more people from BAME backgrounds in the opportunities available
Dave Penman: The new big beast enters the alpacas' den
27 Oct 2020 Civil Service Reform
Dave Penman: The new big beast enters the alpacas' den
Simon Case’s first appearance before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs select committee meant that Dave Penman heard his voice for the first time. And he had a lot to say.
‘The opportunity to have organisations of all types publishing data to common standards is really exciting’: why stats regulators' new award matters
21 Oct 2020 Analysis
‘The opportunity to have organisations of all types publishing data to common standards is really exciting’: why stats regulators' new award matters
The first ever award to recognise the voluntary application of the Office for Statistics Regulation code has been awarded jointly to MHCLG and the Scottish Fiscal Commission, with UCAS named highly commended.
Interview: UK national statistician on how data has helped government – and the public – in coronavirus response
20 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
Interview: UK national statistician on how data has helped government – and the public – in coronavirus response
To mark World Statistics Day, Professor Sir Ian Diamond reveals how the work of statisticians has been crucial in supporting government’s pandemic response, as well as his thoughts on the media and politicians’ use of numbers
LISTEN: Government commercial chief Gareth Rhys Williams on the procurement challenges of Covid Exclusive
14 Oct 2020 Commercial
LISTEN: Government commercial chief Gareth Rhys Williams on the procurement challenges of Covid
The government’s top commercial official speaks to CSW about the pressures, and lessons, from the government’s response to coronavirus
Opinion: Dominic Cummings is keen to make the UK a technology superpower. He should change procurement rules to make it happen
13 Oct 2020 Commercial
Opinion: Dominic Cummings is keen to make the UK a technology superpower. He should change procurement rules to make it happen
Innovation is stifled by public sector procurement rules. Brexit, and the Integrated Review, offer a chance to change that, says Simon Harwood, the head of defence and security at Cranfield University
‘There’s burnout we need to watch for’: civil servants reflect on the impact of coronavirus and home working
09 Oct 2020 Coronavirus
‘There’s burnout we need to watch for’: civil servants reflect on the impact of coronavirus and home working
Top civil service officials have spoken to Civil Service World about what working from home and uncertainty during Covid-19 has meant for their people
'The best thing was being treated like an adult from day one': what it's like to join the care leavers internship programme
08 Oct 2020
'The best thing was being treated like an adult from day one': what it's like to join the care leavers internship programme
Danielle June shares her reflections on the Care Leavers Internship as applications open for 2020.
Opinion: The UK’s post-Brexit role in the world should be digital
06 Oct 2020 Brexit
Opinion: The UK’s post-Brexit role in the world should be digital
Championing and developing progress in digital government across the globe could place the UK at the heart of global networks, say Tanya Filer and Antonio Weiss