Sue Owen

Permanent Secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Mark Sedwill

Permanent Secretary of the Home Office

Sir Jeremy Heywood

Cabinet Secretary

Lin Homer

Chief Executive of HM Revenue and Customs

Robert Devereux

Permanent Secretary of the Department for Work and Pensions

John Hirst

Chief Executive of the Met Office

Paul Leinster faces growing threats, a declining budget, and objectives that don’t always line up – but the Environment Agency chief seems thoroughly at home. Matt Ross meets a man coping with complexity

Paul Leinster faces growing threats, a declining budget, and objectives that don’t always line up – but the Environment Agency chief seems thoroughly at home. Matt Ross meets a man coping with complexity

A recent CSW round table examined the many benefits that would flow from better sharing of data across the many agencies involved in our criminal justice system – and the substantial obstacles to doing so. Colin Marrs reports.

The civil service needs to deploy its skilled staff more flexibly and intelligently – and as our round table found, that’s as much about winning hearts and minds as it is about introducing new systems. Stuart Watson reports.

In a world where service users demand ever-higher standards, the public sector must constantly adapt to feed their needs. Stuart Watson reports on a round table that discussed how service design can move forward.

Penny Ciniewicz joined the civil service after a career in theatre. Winnie Agbonlahor learns how her role as chief of the Valuation Office Agency involves choreographing the many players involved in assessing properties

The UK may be emerging from recession, but disadvantaged groups still struggle to find long-term employment. Tim Gibson reports on a round table that considered the issue in detail.

Like many of our cities, the government’s policies on property and construction contain a mishmash of approaches and styles. Colin Marrs names this policy world’s up-and-coming neighbourhoods – and its troubled estates

The PM used to talk a lot about the Big Society, but it was rarely clear exactly what he meant. Joshua Chambers meets Helen Stephenson, who’s been charged with turning his vague aspirations into tangible work programmes

The PM used to talk a lot about the Big Society, but it was rarely clear exactly what he meant. Joshua Chambers meets Helen Stephenson, who’s been charged with turning his vague aspirations into tangible work programmes

The government wants to give ministers more power in Whitehall; others have called for a major review of our civil service. Asking the views of former secretaries of state, Suzannah Brecknell encountered sympathy for both ideas.

As the head of the Office for Fair Access, Professor Les Ebdon is in charge of ensuring universities open their doors to a broader range of applicants. Joshua Chambers meets a surprisingly controversial public servant

A former special schools headteacher explains how child protection rules swing from pole to pole, creating confusion all round