For some top execs there is the misconception that Human Resources (HR) is ‘just’ another administrative function – reviews need to be carried out and training needs to be completed just to tick the box. 

The head of Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government is a fan of the British civil service – but it’s being battered by some heavyweight global forces, she says, and must learn a new fighting style. Matt Ross meets her

Why insuring with SW Prestige not only gives you a unique insurance solution but also gives proceeds to charity

Once small and cohesive, today’s cities, including those in the UK, have become large and complex entities. In fact, London, despite being the smallest region in terms of area, occupying 1,600 square kilometres (sq km), less than 1% of the total area of the UK, has a population of over 8 million. This is a larger population today than all but the top four countries at the turn of the last century. So, with this being the case, how can governments maintain meaningful engagement with citizens, businesses, employees and other agencies?

Once, civil servants hacked away at unfashionable railways in favour of cars and aeroplanes – but now trains are once again seen as transports of the future. Joshua Chambers meets High Speed 2 chief executive Alison Munro

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is a full-blown and unapologetic regulator in an era of deregulation. Winnie Agbonlahor hears its chief executive, Dr Ian Hudson, explain the value of its work

Garden cities have long been a fertile idea in public policy. First planned over a century ago, they flowered in Hertfordshire in the ‘20s – and now this perennial concept is set to bear fruit once again. Colin Marrs reports

In today’s chaotic business world, organisations are continually trying to determine what they need to measure in order to effectively manage their business. There can be a misconception that Human Resources (HR) is ‘just’ another administrative function of a business that needs to be done and doesn’t warrant its own metrics  – training needs to be completed and reviews carried out to tick a box.

A teacher whose school has become an academy enjoys new freedoms – but not from central reforms

There is no doubt that the innovative use of technology within the UK’s public sector is fast becoming paramount to civil servants’ ability to deliver positive outcomes. 

The Department for Work & Pensions has created the post of director general for digital transformation, and hired business IT expert Kevin Cunnington. Winnie Agbonlahor asks how he’s finding life after the leap into Whitehall 

Project management may be as much art as science, but it’s not magic – yet government often fails to replicate the alchemy behind its biggest PPM successes. Winnie Agbonlahor reports back from a round table on the topic 

Highways Agency chief executive Graham Dalton is leading his organisation out of the civil service for a new life as a government-owned company. He tells Joshua Chambers why he can’t wait to escape Whitehall’s stifling rules

The government wants to drastically reduce the number of people who can’t use online services. Suzannah Brecknell digs into its new digital inclusion strategy, which is set to affect civil servants across Whitehall 

New web capabilities are set to transform how the public sector interacts with citizens. Suzannah Brecknell reports from a round table debate on the opportunities and challenges of ‘real time communications’ technology

Operational Delivery is the biggest of the professions, but also one of those with the lowest status. Its chief Ruth Owen tells Joshua Chambers how she’s giving it new skills, kudos and coherence – and ditching the ‘delivery’ bit

Traditionally communications infrastructures have been developed with the sole purpose of serving the corporate user. Individuals have had to adapt and adjust to technology in order to do their jobs. However, a sea-change in the way businesses communicate is on the horizon and decision makers will be well advised not to go against the tide.

The Ministry of Justice’s track record on outsourcing is a shaky one – but in its probation reforms, it’s running one of Whitehall’s most ambitious greenfield contracting-out schemes. Matt Ross meets project chief Antonia Romeo

The government’s One Government Overseas initiative is designed to save money and improve services by fostering collaboration between civil servants working outside the UK. Winnie Agbonlahor examines its impact

Gordon Brown launched a set of Whitehall efficiency initiatives; the coalition ramped things up a gear. And as this Parliament begins to wind down, civil service reform is back on the agenda again. Suzannah Brecknell reports

The consumerisation of IT has resulted in a dramatic cultural shift in the modern workplace, writes Cornerstone.

Is there anything more boredom inducing (and ineffectual) than PowerPoint training programs filled with endless bullet points? They're dull, impersonal and, chances are, don't make much of an impact on employees. Sound like your company's training programs? That's too bad because training is the foundation of any successful business, and a company's best shot to teach employees, at all levels, the skills they need to succeed. Avoid the missed opportunity and get creative with your training — tell a story.

Employers often gauge how employees feel about the company — its culture, benefits and employee programmes — by sending out surveys. Too often these surveys don't let employees express how they truly feel in their own words...their own voice. More companies are encouraging employees to communicate with coworkers about the employer brand through social collaboration tools and by harnessing new feedback technologies to give employers fresh communication channels.

Where is your next top talent coming from? Chances are they already work for you, or know someone who does. Cornerstone Recruiting Cloud helps you find the star hires your organisation needs