News

Sir Jonathon Porritt has been an environmental campaigner for 40 years – including nine spent working directly with civil servants. He tells Winnie Agbonlahor why, despite his disappointment with the ‘greenest government ever’, he has reasons to be optimistic

The Department for Communities and Local Government is to carry out more work on a solution after identifying problems converting Excel documents in open source format.

“Choices will be made soon on further devolution,” said Dr Jim McCormick as he took up his appointment as a member of the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) on Monday 3 November. 

Katherine Kerswell has criticised the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) for attacking local authorities over parking fees.

CSW asks former ministers to appraise the UK civil service. This month, Charles Clarke gives his views.

Greater Manchester will gain significant decision-making powers from Whitehall after chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne and leaders of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) signed a devolution agreement today. 

Andrew Lansley’s health reforms, designed to put doctors in the driving seat, have been widely panned – and he’s subsequently been sacked. But what do local GPs think? CSW finds out

Finance professionals across government should “get on the front foot” and make sure they’re involved in the policymaking process, the government’s new director-general of public spending, Julian Kelly, has said.

Improving Europe’s railway systems would lead to substantial economic and environmental benefits, argues Izaskun Bilbao Barandica.

Alex Younger has today taken up his new role as chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), taking over from Sir John Sawers, who retired after five years in the post. 

The Crown Prosecution Service saw its staff survey scores on learning and development rise 11 percentage points in a year, thanks to chief exec Peter Lewis

Civil service CEO John Manzoni will now have to quit his second job next year following pressure from 70 leading medical professionals and charities over the potential conflict the role could cause.

As chairman of the Environment Agency, Chris Smith had even more reason than most Brits to curse the weather last winter.

The UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) has been “instrumental” in making Britain “one of the best places for green investment anywhere in the world”, prime minister David Cameron said today.

Björn Conway, EY Government and Public Sector Leader, gives his outside perspective of the civil service

Public officials should be free to try new approaches without fear of being “hauled in front of ministers, the Public Accounts Committee or being investigated by the National Audit Office”, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) says in a report published today.

The National Audit Office (NAO) today reported that only 62 out of 129 underperforming maintained schools improved their rating following formal intervention.

The Department for Education (DfE) has failed to consistently tackle underperforming maintained schools and academies despite investing at least £382m annually, said a National Audit Office (NAO) report today. 

HM Revenue and Customs will gain greater ability to clamp down on tax evaders following the signing of an international agreement on tax evasion at the Global Forum in Berlin today. 

John Manzoni, the new CEO of the civil service, has waived his £100,000 salary from his second job with a major drinks company, after the Cabinet Office said he could continue in the role “in his own time and on an unpaid basis”.

Peter Lauener has today been announced as the new permanent chief executive of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA).

Poor delivery explains some risk management failures, but there’s a bigger problem: the model has a fatal blind spot

It's easier to sidestep 'wicked problems' than to fix them - but stepping sidewalks brings us no closer to our goals

Lisa Nandy MP today expressed concern that the civil service fast stream programme was not accessible to a diverse talent pool.