Read the winter 2026 issue of Civil Service World
19 Dec Civil Service Reform

Read the winter 2026 issue of Civil Service World

This issue brings a special focus on the clean energy superpower mission, plus interviews with four perm secs and the creator of Yes, Minister
by Civil Service World
‘Government is like a sweetshop – you have to prioritise’: Mark Cheeseman's 2025 highlights
19 Dec Fraud, Error Debt & Grants
‘Government is like a sweetshop – you have to prioritise’: Mark Cheeseman's 2025 highlights
'I can do my job from home': Civil servants reflect on 60% in-office mandate
18 Dec Civil Service Reform
'I can do my job from home': Civil servants reflect on 60% in-office mandate
Right time, right people – NIO perm sec Dr Julie Harrison looks back on 2025 highlights
18 Dec Leadership
Right time, right people – NIO perm sec Dr Julie Harrison looks back on 2025 highlights
Government Equalities Office Hilary Spencer reflects on the introduction of gender pay gap reporting and other milestones in 2018
01 Jan 2019
Government Equalities Office Hilary Spencer reflects on the introduction of gender pay gap reporting and other milestones in 2018

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who they’d choose to turn on their town’s Christmas lights. The links on this list will go live as the articles are published in the run up to 2019.
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman looks ahead to implementing a new education inspection framework in 2019
01 Jan 2019 Government Tax Profession
Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman looks ahead to implementing a new education inspection framework in 2019

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who they’d choose to turn on their town’s Christmas lights. The links on this list will go live as the articles are published in the run up to 2019.
Treasury chief Charles Roxburgh: “Brunel illustrates how great engineering, and infrastructure can deliver prosperity to all regions of the UK.”
01 Jan 2019 Government Tax Profession
Treasury chief Charles Roxburgh: “Brunel illustrates how great engineering, and infrastructure can deliver prosperity to all regions of the UK.”

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who they’d choose to turn on their town’s Christmas lights. The links on this list will go live as the articles are published in the run up to 2019.
ACAS chief Anne Sharp reflects on the increase in the number of disputes in 2018
31 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
ACAS chief Anne Sharp reflects on the increase in the number of disputes in 2018

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Companies House chief Louise Smyth reflects on her first year with the weighty title of The Registrar and asking Tom Jones to lead a Christmas singalong
31 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Companies House chief Louise Smyth reflects on her first year with the weighty title of The Registrar and asking Tom Jones to lead a Christmas singalong

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who they’d choose to turn on their town’s Christmas lights. The links on this list will go live as the articles are published in the run up to 2019.
Jonathan Jones: “2018 has been a challenging year for all of us, not least in GLD”
31 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Jonathan Jones: “2018 has been a challenging year for all of us, not least in GLD”

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who they’d choose to turn on their town’s Christmas lights. 
FCO perm sec Sir Simon McDonald: “Speed is the hardest part of being a leader today: everything moves so fast that there’s too little time for reflection”
30 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
FCO perm sec Sir Simon McDonald: “Speed is the hardest part of being a leader today: everything moves so fast that there’s too little time for reflection”

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Intellectual Property Office chief exec Tim Moss reflects on the inspiration of the heroes of World War 1
30 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Intellectual Property Office chief exec Tim Moss reflects on the inspiration of the heroes of World War 1

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Duncan Selbie on how Public Health England responded to incidents in 2018 – from the Novichok poisonings to the Grenfell Tower fire.
30 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Duncan Selbie on how Public Health England responded to incidents in 2018 – from the Novichok poisonings to the Grenfell Tower fire.

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
DWP perm sec Peter Schofield reflects on his first year in the top job – from visiting HMP Norwich to implementing Universal Credit
29 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
DWP perm sec Peter Schofield reflects on his first year in the top job – from visiting HMP Norwich to implementing Universal Credit

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency chief executive Julie Lennard reaching a one billion transactions milestone in 2018
29 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency chief executive Julie Lennard reaching a one billion transactions milestone in 2018

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Auditor general Sir Amyas Morse on a year of landmark reports, from the BBC to Brexit
29 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Auditor general Sir Amyas Morse on a year of landmark reports, from the BBC to Brexit

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
DIT perm sec Antonia Romeo on getting the department ready to deliver under all Brexit scenarios in 2019
28 Dec 2018 Leadership
DIT perm sec Antonia Romeo on getting the department ready to deliver under all Brexit scenarios in 2019

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
HM Land Registry chief Graham Farrant on the challenge of being a leader in 2018: “I fear that we are entering uncharted territory”
28 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
HM Land Registry chief Graham Farrant on the challenge of being a leader in 2018: “I fear that we are entering uncharted territory”

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Environment Agency chair Emma Howard Boyd on helping keep communities safe from floods and working to adapt to climate change
28 Dec 2018 Energy & Environment
Environment Agency chair Emma Howard Boyd on helping keep communities safe from floods and working to adapt to climate change

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Ofqual chief Sally Collier on preparing to introduce T-Levels and asking a dancing double act to turn on the Christmas lights
27 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Ofqual chief Sally Collier on preparing to introduce T-Levels and asking a dancing double act to turn on the Christmas lights

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Department for Transport perm sec Bernadette Kelly on the landmark airport vote in 2018
27 Dec 2018
Department for Transport perm sec Bernadette Kelly on the landmark airport vote in 2018

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Innovate UK interim executive chair Ian Campbell on how to realise the opportunities of UK Research and Innovation in 2019
27 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Innovate UK interim executive chair Ian Campbell on how to realise the opportunities of UK Research and Innovation in 2019

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
NS&I chief Ian Ackerley: “There have been several changes to NS&I’s executive team and I have devoted a fair amount of time to attracting and recruiting new talent”
26 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
NS&I chief Ian Ackerley: “There have been several changes to NS&I’s executive team and I have devoted a fair amount of time to attracting and recruiting new talent”

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
DfID chief Matthew Rycroft reflects on becoming a perm sec in 2018
26 Dec 2018 Leadership
DfID chief Matthew Rycroft reflects on becoming a perm sec in 2018

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Insolvency Service chief Sarah Albon on how her team responded to the collapse of Carillion in 2018
26 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Insolvency Service chief Sarah Albon on how her team responded to the collapse of Carillion in 2018

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
DfE perm sec Jonathan Slater on how he’s putting teachers, social workers, parents, learners at the heart of its work
25 Dec 2018 Leadership
DfE perm sec Jonathan Slater on how he’s putting teachers, social workers, parents, learners at the heart of its work

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Infrastructure and Projects Authority chief executive Tony Meggs: ‘With a Spending Review on the horizon, it is a crucial time for new projects’
25 Dec 2018 Government Tax Profession
Infrastructure and Projects Authority chief executive Tony Meggs: ‘With a Spending Review on the horizon, it is a crucial time for new projects’

With the end of 2018 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2019 – and tell us who would turn on their town’s Christmas lights.
Knowledge is power: how does government know what it owns – and how does it affect policy?
24 Dec 2018 Digital, Data & Technology
Knowledge is power: how does government know what it owns – and how does it affect policy?

Colin Talbot looks at how the government takes stock of what it owns – and how knowledge assets are changing what counts as capital