Civil Service Reform

Think tank says long-awaited vision has no detail on resource allocation and a telling absence of public support from prime minister Theresa May and chancellor Philip Hammond

Union cries foul over “unprecedented” redundancies made with 24 hours’ notice at rights watchdog

Former minister tells watchdog MPs Whitehall has made "bad mistakes" in outsourcing IT projects

Government Transformation Strategy sets out plans to encourage a pro-digital culture change in Whitehall, with unified pay strategy for central government roles

Newly-released interviews by the Institute for Government offer a fascinating insight into politicians’ views of the Whitehall machine. They ain’t all that flattering, finds Suzannah Brecknell...

Some staff are still uncertain about joining the GCO, Institute for Government researchers find, though the reforms to improve commercial capability are already making an impact

Later this year, ownership of much of the government estate will be passed to a new Government Property Agency – with departments charged market-level rent for their offices in a bid to drive down costs. Mark Leftly listens in as the GPA's top team explains why the new approach to the government's estate is about more than just saving money

Reform think tank calls for rethink on civil service management style as it predicts more than 130,000 administrative-level civil service jobs could be automated in the next ten years

Automation will need to be handled with sensitivity by managers – but any upgrade in public services must start with the workforce, argues Alexander Hitchcock of the Reform think tank

Praise for outgoing Rural Payments Agency chief after troubled period, as Defra announces that Paul Caldwell is stepping up to serve as interim CEO

FDA and Prospect argue enhanced salaries but thin pension offer for staff in the new Government Commercial Organisation will deter civil service interest and fail to attract real private sector talent

Caroline Nokes says savings from estate programme will be used to fund recruitment of frontline advisers, but MPs, including Tory backbenchers, raise concerns over access for claimants