Environment secretary Liz Truss has hailed Defra’s new Open Data Initiative as the biggest ever "data give-away" by government. But what will it mean in practice? Mark Rowe reports

As director general of the powerful Economic and Domestic Affairs Secretariat, it’s the job of Antonia Romeo to make sure Cabinet decisions don’t get lost in the Whitehall machine. Matt Foster meets her

The countryside and climate change were strangely absent from the election campaign and the Queen’s Speech. Why – and what does this mean for DECC, Defra and the governance of the environment? Mark Rowe reports

 Key traits to look out for in the interview process that can help predict whether someone is going to eventuate as a toxic employee

As first Civil Service Commissioner, Sir David Normington regularly interviews officials and outside candidates hoping to make the leap to the Senior Civil Service. At an "Unlocking the Senior Civil Service" event in Westminster – co-hosted by CSW's parent company Dods and the FDA union – he offered some words of advice for those looking to make the leap

Fretting about tomorrow’s front pages, dealing with Downing Street, and letting the policy team down gently – former press officer Dunstan Hadley reveals what it’s really like working in government comms

Between advising the foreign secretary on crucial policy matters and overseeing a network of 13,600 staff – 9,000 of whom are overseas – arch-diplomat Sir Simon Fraser has been busy championing the diversity agenda across Whitehall. As he prepares to retire from the civil service, he sat down with Jess Bowie for a final interview

Civil Service World's regular guide to the very best in Whitehallese

Does the government’s National Cyber Security Programme have what it takes to face up to a threat that keeps on evolving? Tim Gibson examines this ambitious major project

Stereotyped as masters of the dark arts, what role do special advisers really play? As a new crop arrives in Whitehall, Sarah Aston asked some veteran spads to share their war stories

As the debate about the benefits – or not – of HS2 rages on, Colin Marrs asks if there’s enough firm evidence to make an informed judgement on this controversial major project

Ahead of his retirement, Michael Fuller sat down with CSW to discuss his time as chief inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service. 

How can government tackle increasing complexity? Joshua Chambers examines international approaches to solving such knotty problems as climate change, immigration and terrorism

Civil Service World's regular guide to the very best in Whitehallese

As Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude has overseen the biggest shake-up of the civil service in living memory – and earned a reputation as ‘a man trying to fight everyone in the pub at the same time’. It’s a description he’s proud to embrace, he tells Jess Bowie.

Caretaker government is meant to reassure the public and the markets that there’s someone in charge in the event of an indecisive election. But what if the rules aren’t clear? Matt Foster takes a look

It’s two years since the launch of the Major Projects Leadership Academy, a training school designed to improve the leadership of big public sector schemes. With 100 graduates now under its belt, is the programme achieving its aims? Colin Marrs reports

Lord Falconer is the man entrusted by Ed Miliband with preparing Labour for government. Here he speaks to Matt Foster about the party’s plans for Whitehall, and why he thinks the coalition has got its relationship with the civil service "dramatically wrong". Photos by Louise Haywood-Schiefer

Five years ago, Gus O’Donnell was a key player in the delicate transition to a coalition government. Peter Hennessy asks the former cabinet secretary what we might expect after next month’s vote

Across the world, central and local governments are doing more to share common IT systems. Joshua Chambers looks at global examples of “government as a platform”

Civil Service World's regular guide to the very best in Whitehallese

Before Margaret Hodge returned to being simply the Labour candidate for Barking, she spoke to Matt Foster about HMRC, claims of grandstanding and her high-profile time as chair of the Public Accounts Committee. Photos by Paul Heartfield

Alastair Campbell helped change the relationship between government and Whitehall forever. But it wasn’t all bad, he tells JP O’Malley – in fact civil servants still phone him up for advice today

Cutting-edge communications and training campaigns are using the theories and technologies behind the best video games, says Joshua Chambers