Civil Service Reform

Whitehall officials recruited to teach friends and family basic digital skills in Cabinet Office drive to get more people online

 The next government must build on existing Whitehall reforms if it wants to avoid mid-term failures, says think tank the Institute for Government

Cabinet Office says contracts for private firms running public services will include 'presumption in favour of disclosing information' to the public

GDS's Mike Bracken appointed to new chief data officer role aiming to improve Whitehall's use of data

Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude says £11bn of £20bn annual Whitehall efficiency drive identified, but Labour warns of little room for more 'back office efficiencies' 

Institute for Government urges greater focus on collaboration and long-term planning

There is “unfinished business” in civil service reform, former head of the civil service Sir Bob Kerslake said yesterday – including devolving powers away from Whitehall, and breaking down departmental structures. 

Former head of the civil service Sir Bob Kerslake has said his biggest regret is that the government didn’t publish a civil service diversity plan more quickly.

Oliver Robbins, director-general, civil service, has spoken out in defence of the government’s new Talent Action Plan – designed to promote diversity in the civil service – after a blog about its publication attracted 130 comments on the civil service website.

Oliver Robbins, formerly the deputy national security adviser, has been appointed ‘director general for civil service’ in the Cabinet Office.

Permanent secretaries should set “clear targets for advancing diversity in their departments”, head of the civil service Sir Bob Kerslake said in a House of Commons lecture on Monday. Part of being a stronger civil service, he said, “will be being more diverse at all levels, fully harnessing the talent available to us”.

The government is likely to implement a further set of civil service reforms soon, the head of the civil service Sir Bob Kerslake has told CSW, as it pursues “unfinished business” that didn’t make it into last year’s Civil Service Reform Plan (CSRP).

For years, governments have run pilots exploring ways to improve local autonomy and coordination between services at the sharp end. Winnie Agbonlahor reports on the latest results – and the prospects for radical change