Leadership

Exclusive: Business department's top official Martin Donnelly tells CSW he will have "failed" if diversity agenda falls by the wayside – and sheds light on what the BIS 2020 review means for the organisation's regional presence

Civil service People Survey results show engagement steady, but fewer civil servants believe they have the right tools to do their job

A look back at Margaret Thatcher's time in office shows the real story of balance and partnership between ministers and civil servants

Stinging report by the Public Accounts Committee says government funding to the collapsed charity was “never seriously questioned, let alone stopped”

Insitute for Government report says there is "insufficient recognition" that "less money will often mean doing less" – and urges clear statements of intent from new single departmental plans

PCS and Prospect plan walkouts over pay and terms – while the agency's chief says strike move is "disappointing"

Ahead of tonight's Civil Service Awards ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the Cabinet secretary hails the "passion, imagination and ingenuity" of officials across government

Crown Commercial Service's director of complex transactions to temporarily serve as chief commercial officer

Theresa May sketches out Home Office vision for the next five years – and confirms that Home Office perm sec Mark Sedwill is reviewing size of the department's central HQ

HM Revenue and Customs chief executive says low staff morale is not damaging productivity – but acknowledges more work to do to make officials feel engaged with wider department

Health service chief executive says "considerably more progress" needed in Spending Review talks to ensure "genuinely workable NHS funding solution"

New "Office for Students" and Teaching Excellence Framework among measures in business department's Green Paper

Garry Graham – taking over from Leslie Manasseh at the union for specialists and managers – calls for "cool appraisal" of performance management by ministers

When Army 2020 was announced in 2012, it represented one of the biggest structural reforms to the British Army in decades. A key plank of the scheme – itself part of the larger Future Force 2020 programme – has been to cut the number of regulars from 102,000 to 82,000 by 2018, and to make up the shortfall with reservists. The programme’s recruitment problems have been well publicised in the past, but, in 2015, is it any closer to ‘mission accomplished’? Colin Marrs reports

Public Accounts Committee criticises HMRC over customer service, compliance and tackling aggressive tax planning – while HMRC says MPs have "overlooked" its achievements

Former Cabinet Office perm sec joins top Department for Education official Chris Wormald at hearing on the charity's collapse – and reveals he considered earlier ministerial direction over grant to the organisation

With the ‘low-hanging fruit’ exhausted, the public sector must approach new government saving targets with a radically different attitude, says AECOM

Top official at the business department says plan to subsidise apprenticeship wages could set an "unhelpful precedent" – and seeks the fourth ministerial direction of the parliament

DWP perm sec heaps praise on the department's operations team for finding efficiencies, while acknowledging staff can't "just pedal faster forever"

Official who raised value for money concerns over further funding for the charity to face questions from the Public Accounts Committee

Four ex-Government Digital Service staff join their old boss at the Co-op

Exclusive: Committee chair tells CSW inclusion of the word "instructions" gives "new potential for conflict" between Spads and permanent officials – but minister says changes will help departments become more "orderly and organised"

Chief inspector says some apprenticeships have been "devalued" by push to make them more widely available

General secretaries of the PCS and FDA unions renew their call for a rethink on civil service pay after cabinet secretary tells CSW officials are "realistic" about the need to cut the deficit