Ministerial directions and a 'powerful' board: Think tank's 'draft bill' sets out vision for statutory civil service
13 May Civil Service Reform

Ministerial directions and a 'powerful' board: Think tank's 'draft bill' sets out vision for statutory civil service

Cab sec would have responsibility for appointment and performance management of perm secs under IfG proposals
by Tevye Markson
Departments ‘struggling to keep pace’ with reducing violence against women and girls
16 May Justice & Home Affairs
Departments ‘struggling to keep pace’ with reducing violence against women and girls
DWP reverses ban on ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
16 May Digital, Data & Technology
DWP reverses ban on ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
CMA told to prioritise economic growth in priority 'reset'
16 May Economy
CMA told to prioritise economic growth in priority 'reset'
HMRC opens new voluntary redundancy round linked to hubs programme
24 Jun 2020 HR
HMRC opens new voluntary redundancy round linked to hubs programme
Staff who can't travel to new regional hubs may be allowed to work remotely – but they won't know until November
Pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers to re-open as PM sets out lockdown easing
23 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers to re-open as PM sets out lockdown easing

Boris Johnson says country’s “long hibernation is coming to an end”
Explained: All the key changes to England's coronavirus lockdown announced by Boris Johnson
23 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Explained: All the key changes to England's coronavirus lockdown announced by Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has announced a major relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown restrictions in England. But what are the details of the new plans and how will it impact on our day-to-day lives?
NAO scrutiny 'generated £1.1bn in savings and better public services' in 2019
23 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
NAO scrutiny 'generated £1.1bn in savings and better public services' in 2019

Watchdog says every £1 it spends creates £16 of positive financial impact
Home Office seeks next chief scientific adviser
23 Jun 2020 HR
Home Office seeks next chief scientific adviser

Chief scientist will also be director general for science, technology, analysis, research and strategy
Implement my recommendations or risk another Windrush, review author warns Home Office
22 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Implement my recommendations or risk another Windrush, review author warns Home Office

Warning comes as department forms a cross-government working group to "address the challenges faced by the Windrush generation and their descendants"
Coronavirus: DWP ‘must not ignore’ people claiming legacy benefits after Universal Credit boost
22 Jun 2020 Civil Service Reform
Coronavirus: DWP ‘must not ignore’ people claiming legacy benefits after Universal Credit boost

Recipients of benefits including jobseekers’ allowance and employment support allowance have “slipped down the list of priorities”, says committee chair
Home Office faces court challenge over 'discriminatory' visa algorithm
22 Jun 2020 Foreign Affairs
Home Office faces court challenge over 'discriminatory' visa algorithm

JCWI says the algirith discriminates on the basis of nationality – by design"
Latest civil service & public affairs moves — June 19
22 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Latest civil service & public affairs moves — June 19

New appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via our colleagues at Dods People
'Our country is stronger for your service': Sedwill confirms McDonald to retire as FCO perm sec
19 Jun 2020 Foreign Affairs
'Our country is stronger for your service': Sedwill confirms McDonald to retire as FCO perm sec

Departure comes as PM seeks new leadership for merged  Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
NHS Covid-19 app to be scrapped after only detecting 4% of contacts on iPhones
19 Jun 2020
NHS Covid-19 app to be scrapped after only detecting 4% of contacts on iPhones

Decision comes after "specific technical challenges" idenitifed with the app
Coronavirus alert level should finally move down from Level 4 to Level 3, say UK’s chief medical officers
19 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Coronavirus alert level should finally move down from Level 4 to Level 3, say UK’s chief medical officers

Health secretary Matt Hancock says update shows "the government's plan is working"
Coronavirus has slowed removal of deadly Grenfell-style cladding even further, watchdog warns
19 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
Coronavirus has slowed removal of deadly Grenfell-style cladding even further, watchdog warns

MHCLG “had not assessed how its timeframe for completing remediation would be affected” by Covid-19
Case study: How academic ‘policy entrepreneurs’ can help the civil service
19 Jun 2020 Economy
Case study: How academic ‘policy entrepreneurs’ can help the civil service

From the impact of Covid-19 to dealing with the impact of climate change, government has never faced greater policy challenges. But, as recent work on developing policy strategies for carbon capture and storage shows, civil servants can get help from academics to find the right solutions. Professor Karen Turner, the director from the Centre for Energy Policy at the University of Strathclyde, explains

Coronavirus: NHS contact tracing app ‘not a priority’ and may not be ready until winter, minister says
18 Jun 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Coronavirus: NHS contact tracing app ‘not a priority’ and may not be ready until winter, minister says

Health minister says there is a of "alienating or freaking out people" using test, track and trace system
Foreign Office head Simon McDonald to step down early next year – reports
18 Jun 2020 Foreign Affairs
Foreign Office head Simon McDonald to step down early next year – reports

Diplomat will oversee merger with DfID but will not lead FCDO long term, sources say
Nearly two-thirds of families on Universal Credit forced to borrow money during pandemic
17 Jun 2020
Nearly two-thirds of families on Universal Credit forced to borrow money during pandemic

Charities call for "urgent uplift of £20 per week" to families with children claiming benefit
Home Office unable to demonstrate immigration enforcement efforts are working, NAO finds
17 Jun 2020 Digital, Data & Technology
Home Office unable to demonstrate immigration enforcement efforts are working, NAO finds

Department needs a better understanding of the impact of its immigration enforcement activity on meeting its policy aims, report says
'Wrong and regressive': three former prime ministers condemn DfID-FCO merger
17 Jun 2020 Foreign Affairs
'Wrong and regressive': three former prime ministers condemn DfID-FCO merger

Union warns of "huge uncertainty and unease for DfID staff" as David Cameron calls the move a "mistake"
DfID and Foreign Office to merge, PM announces
16 Jun 2020 Foreign Affairs
DfID and Foreign Office to merge, PM announces

Scrapping of aid department follows appointment of joint ministers in February, widely seen as a soft merger
More than 600,000 workers have lost jobs amid coronavirus lockdown, new figures suggest
16 Jun 2020 Economy
More than 600,000 workers have lost jobs amid coronavirus lockdown, new figures suggest

Experimental ONS and HMRC data reveals indicative employment impact of Covid-19
PAC chair 'dumbstruck' as perm secs admit lack of economic planning for a pandemic
16 Jun 2020 Economics
PAC chair 'dumbstruck' as perm secs admit lack of economic planning for a pandemic

Economic support packages designed "as we have gone along", Sir Tom Scholar tells MPs
How civil servants have learnt at pace during Covid-19
16 Jun 2020 Government Tax Profession
How civil servants have learnt at pace during Covid-19

Two former directors general – now leadership coaches – share their observations about civil servants seizing opportunities to innovate
More than 100 furloughed workers join civil service as volunteers to tackle Covid-19
16 Jun 2020 Education
More than 100 furloughed workers join civil service as volunteers to tackle Covid-19

Volunteers are ‘using their skills for the greater good’, chief people officer says