Civil Service Reform

"Brexit will be a true test of whether SDPs are fit for purpose", says the Public Accounts Committee

 Former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake urges government to "pause, review, take stock of what it has in front of it and then revisit the question of capacity"

Exclusive: Ian Watmore tells CSW he is "absolutely convinced" that the current crop of ministers "wants to preserve Northcote-Travelyan" model of an impartial civil service, as he sets out focus on diversity, skills and leadership

Mayank Prakash scoops UK IT Industry Award as department denies rumours of a project overspend

Staff responses signal across-the-board plunge on all key measures, and make department Whitehall’s lowest employee-engagement performer

Former Cabinet Office minister says he "very much" doubts more staff will be needed for Brexit and says departments can "reallocate" existing officials – as Downing Street claims leaked memo may be an attempt by consultants to win business

Manzoni and Gummer convene refreshed advisory panel as government reiterates commitment to channel 33% of procurement spend through SMEs

Senior DH official will need to show “flexibility, adaptability and resilience"

"Shadow" body takes shape ahead of next year's move to centralise ownership of government estate and charge departments market-level rent

Microsoft's Natalia Boldyreva looks at how Office 365 can fundamentally transform how government work gets done

After a career in journalism spanning the Financial Times, The Times and Prospect, Bronwen Maddox has taken the helm of the Institute for Government. She tells Jess Bowie about her vision for the IfG’s future – and spills the beans on dinner with Russian president Vladimir Putin

"We need to go back, we need to re-plan, we need to be realistic, we can't do it all", says civil service chief executive

The drive to achieve greater consistency in the relationships between departments and ALBs is welcome, says Chris Banks of the Public Chairs' Forum – but it's time to move away from the "parent-child" model

A new resource from the Centre for Public Impact rates the effectiveness of policy initiatives from around the world. Mark Smulian reports

As well as leading the Ministry of Justice through a time of immense challenge and change, Richard Heaton is also busy trying to break down the barriers holding back black and minority ethnic civil servants. He tells Suzannah Brecknell why he’s optimistic about the future. Photos: Paul Heartfield

A recent Microsoft webinar examined how civil servants can realise the full benefits of mobile, flexible and modern workplaces with the Government Hubs programme

New strategy unveiled by the chancellor to be broken up into three strands – "defence, deter and develop" 

With the new government focused on Brexit, Theresa May and Philip Hammond have not voiced their support for making government digital – but the potential for savings is huge

After a career in finance that included a stint in the former battlegrounds of South East Asia, UK Export Finance chief executive Louis Taylor faces challenges on a new front: supporting UK exporters in an era of Brexit uncertainty. Colin Marrs meets him

Microsoft looks at three focus areas of organisations that have successfully implemented digital transformation strategies

National Audit Office says GDS now getting on better with Defra after subsidies fiasco – but announces wider probe into effectiveness of the central digital team

Find out which civil servants and departmental teams are in the running for an award

Public Accounts Committee urges Cabinet Office to boost departments’ oversight of quangos – and share accountability good practice more widely

Former Troubled Families tsar hits back after government-commissioned analysis casts doubt on the success of the flagship social policy scheme