Civil Service Reform

With the end of 2016 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2017 – and shed some light on their festive favourites. This list will be updated throughout December, so check back regularly!

After three years away from Whitehall, Ian Watmore is back — this time as head of the organisation upholding the very values of the civil service. The new first civil service commissioner sits down with Matt Foster to talk reform, diversity, and why, as a departmental leader, you can no longer "just draft your way out of a problem”

Civil servants from across the UK gathered at Lancaster House in London last night for the annual Civil Service Awards, organised by CSW’s parent company Dods. Below is a full list of the winners — congratulations from the CSW team to all those were nominated!

James Stewart becomes the latest senior departure from the Government Digital Service, as he makes the case for IT spend controls

Spending Review 2015 plans "will remain in place", says the new chancellor – but departments will be able to reinvest some of their 2019/20 savings

Microsoft looks at how it's cloud technologies are helping the MOD meet its digital transformation agenda

Microsoft shares key findings from one of the largest studies of business and IT leaders around digital transformation

FCO perm sec Simon McDonald has told MPs he is “hopeful” that the Treasury will announce a new fund to recruit trade policy staff in today’s Autumn Statement

"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