All articles written by Dave Penman on civilserviceworld.com

12 Sep HR

Sacking Tom Scholar shows weakness. Good ministers don't fear robust advice

The Treasury perm sec's exit bodes ill for both Liz Truss's administration and the principles underpinning a permanent and impartial civil service

07 Jul HR

There is no one issue that led to Boris Johnson's downfall, but the predominant one is integrity

"The disconnect between what Johnson said and did was what ultimately did for him"

17 Jun Civil Service Reform

Maude's making a comeback – but if Frankie said relax, I'm not sure I would

The news that Francis Maude is reportedly conducting a review on civil service governance feels like a government running out of ideas, writes Dave Penman

16 May Civil Service Reform

The Politburo has spoken: unpicking 'plans' for 91,000 civil service job cuts

Plans to cut one in five civil service jobs are beyond irrational – until you consider the real reason for the announcement

13 Apr HR

Ministers' ideological obsession, not efficiency or effective government, is driving civil service reform

Ministers still view officials with suspicion and resentment, and at worst views them as pawns to score a cheap headline

22 Mar Civil Service Reform

Ministerial hand-wringing over working from home is beyond a joke

While Jacob Rees-Mogg fixates on the numbers of officials who are back at their desks – and hugely damages morale in the process – civil servants are getting on with the job of delivering public services

18 Mar Civil Service Reform

'Get paid less, work more and have your reputation trashed' isn't a great sell for the senior civil service

Competency-based pay could represent some light at the end of the tunnel, but it needs proper funding or it will be just another train

18 Feb

The Queen's portrait row at BEIS reminds us patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel

As Kwasi Kwarteng refuses to quash a fake news story, the PM's 18th century namesake has some useful lessons for members of the current cabinet

01 Feb HR

Dave Penman: Sound ideas and worrying signs from the Sue Gray investigation

Reviews of civil service code and its counterpart for special advisers suggest Boris Johnson thinks he has found a get-out-of-jail card on Partygate

24 Jan Civil Service Reform

Hapless or hypocritical? Civil servants have had enough of being attacked to save the Big Dog

A Friday-evening press release accompanied by anonymous briefings doesn't indicate strong leadership, but it does have the whiff of Red Meat sacrificed, along with civil service morale, to save a floundering prime minister

18 Jan HR

Dave Penman: time for No.10 to settle its tab on Partygate

No-one can escape their personal accountability for following the letter and spirit of the law, and those in government should set an example

07 Dec 2021 HR

Penman: High Court ruling on Patel case sets an important precedent to protect civil servants

FDA's judicial review has made it clear the ministerial code is more than just a political document, but the case shows how much change is needed

12 Nov 2021 HR

Standards in public life? Sorry, we’re not familiar with that phrase

Bullying, intimidation and an untimely attempt to overhaul the standards system – with political accountability seemingly a thing of the past, it’s no wonder that the irony meter has blown its fuse

07 Oct 2021 HR

Dave Penman: Oliver Dowden is pedalling falsehoods with his Peloton attack on civil servants

Oliver Dowden knows his attack on officials working from home was untrue, but he is happy to undermine morale for cheap laughs at party conference

05 Aug 2021 HR

Dave Penman: Riffing Rishi’s Pret project could undermine civil service relocation drive

Ministers are starting to drop hints about driving civil servants back to the office again as the summer break starts. But this could undermine the government’s own efforts to move officials out of Whitehall

15 Jul 2021 Civil Service Reform

Dave Penman: Bold ideas and recipes for chaos from the Commission for Smart Government

The new review is a serious piece of work, and comes just weeks after the government’s own declaration on reform. But do ministers have a clear strategy for the reform they want?

17 Jun 2021 Coronavirus

Dave Penman: Dom should put up or shut up

The prime minister’s former top adviser fired broadsides across all of Whitehall in his evidence on the government’s coronavirus response. But we got more accusations than facts

24 May 2021 Leadership

Dave Penman: Standards in public strife

The various inquiries dogging the government do not seem to have affected it electorally. Unfortunately, that seems to be the only thing that matters to the PM, Dave Penman writes

13 Apr 2021 Civil Service Reform

Opinion: In the office, but out of touch

The prime minister and chancellor have both begun encouraging people back to the workplace after Covid. But government would be much better served learning the flexible working lessons of the pandemic

22 Feb 2021 HR

Dave Penman: Why the FDA launched a judicial review over PM’s support for Patel

Boris Johnson’s backing for the home secretary despite evidence of bullying means ministers now have to meet a lower standard of conduct than civil servants. This can’t go unchallenged

12 Feb 2021 HR

Dave Penman: Lessons from HMRC’s groundbreaking pay deal

The new pay package from HMRC shows a department that is setting the pace in pay and reward for civil servants. Other departments should hurry to catch up

12 Jan 2021 HR

Dave Penman: There’s huge demand from civil servants for greater flexible working. Departments should help make it happen

FDA research reveals many civil servants want to hold on to home working even after the coronavirus emergency. Ministers must catch up to where their workforce is

23 Nov 2020 HR

‘We have a moral vacuum at the heart of government’: Dave Penman on the PM’s Patel decision

Pledges by Boris Johnson about tackling bullying in the future are not only hollow but insulting following last week’s events, says the FDA general secretary

27 Oct 2020 Civil Service Reform

Dave Penman: The new big beast enters the alpacas' den

Simon Case’s first appearance before the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs select committee meant that Dave Penman heard his voice for the first time. And he had a lot to say.

08 Sep 2020 Civil Service Reform

Dave Penman: the government’s return-to-office drive is yet another insult to civil servants

The introduction of targets for officials to get back into departments is gesture politics, says the FDA general secretary, and is likely to fail

27 Aug 2020 HR

Dave Penman: Civil servants must not fear they will be sacrificed, undermined and discarded – that’s no way to run a government

"If those who you routinely ask to go that extra mile, feel that at a moment’s notice they will be sacrificed, undermined, briefed against and discarded, then you will not attract the best people and you will not get the most out of them"

06 Aug 2020 Coronavirus

The genie has left not only the bottle, but the entire building – so stop trying to shame civil servants back to the office

As journalists accuse "workshy" officials of "wrecking the economy", Dave Penman asks: If remote working works for employees, why not embrace it?

09 Jul 2020 Communications

Dave Penman: What we can read into the latest bout of anonymous briefing

New leaks to the press about reforms to the Government Communication Service are yet more proof that this government sees control from No.10 as critical to its operation and success

01 Jul 2020 Civil Service Reform

Mark Sedwill’s extraordinary career shows ministers work with talented public servants. They must inspire them, not just challenge them

The civil service is full of civil servants who have excelled throughout their career. Continued briefing against them won’t get the best from them amid unrepresented challenges, Dave Penman says

16 Apr 2020 Government Tax Profession

Doing the unimaginable: don't forget the unsung heroes across government

As the civil service responds to the immense challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, they have achieved something incredible - leaving Dave Penman (almost) lost for words

03 Apr 2020 Government Tax Profession

Dave Penman: Cometh the hour, cometh the PM?

Only the prime minister can address the growing fracture in the relationship between ministers and officials. But will he?

24 Feb 2020 Brexit

Dave Penman: What does the government’s northern focus mean for civil servants?

The Conservative Party’s newfound interest in the north of England could be a game-changer for civil servants. Or it might just be a passing fad

27 Jan 2020 Government Tax Profession

Dave Penman: What Disney can teach Dom

Dominic Cummings view of the civil service seems Frozen in time. Ministers and advisers need to realise its strengths in any reforms to avoid alienating a talented workforce

20 Dec 2019 Government Tax Profession

Dave Penman’s letter to Father Christmas

Dear Santa…

15 Nov 2019 Government Tax Profession

Dave Penman: Politics is in crisis. Only politicians can fix it

Next month’s election is an opportunity to fix the nation’s broken politics, but politicians must rise to the challenge by remembering the reasons they chose this job in the first place

08 Oct 2019 Government Tax Profession

Dave Penman: PM must protect civil service values in unprecedented times

The Brexit-driven drama of Westminster ratchets up daily, but civil servants must be allowed space to do their job in safety, says FDA union chief

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