Leadership

For the last five years, Civil Service World has rounded off December by publishing a set of articles written by permanent secretaries and other key figures. This year, Matt Ross finds perm secs focusing on skills, Scotland, global threats – and the creeping advance of Xmas

Sir Jeremy Heywood

Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service

George Osborne's spad enjoys significant pay rise 

CSW asks former ministers to appraise the UK civil service. This month, Sir Hugh Robertson MP gives his views

Since 2008, the civil service has seen huge change. Now it’s time for me to follow its lead

Treasury favourite leaves for Ofcom in March 2015

The Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) has appointed four new board members, it was announced on Monday 8 December.

Greg Mulholland announced on social media that he was voting no to the ACOBA chair appointment yesterday.

Second Permanent Secretary to the Treasury Sharon White is the lead candidate for the role of Ofcom chief executive, according to Sky News.

Stephen Ibbotson, director of business at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), offers his peers in the finance profession a view from outside government

The public sector is hurting – particularly civil servants. The government must act before the damage is irreparable

New chief executive of the civil service John Manzoni named “clarity, accountability and delegation” as “opportunities for improvement” in public sector management.

Don’t fall for the accepted wisdom. The real story of the coalition lies in the hard data

This year’s Civil Service Award winners were announced yesterday, at a ceremony held at Lancaster House and featuring speeches by prime minister David Cameron and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg.

Francis Maude’s tweaks to a core facet of our democracy have the support of key players. But what about everybody else?

Hilary Spencer became the new director of Civil Service Learning (CSL) at the end of October, taking over from Jerry Arnott, who retired from the civil service.

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has appointed Professor John Loughhead as its new chief scientific adviser. Loughhead, who took his post on 22 October, was previously executive director at the UK Energy Research Centre – a publicly-funded institute – and will keep this role on a part-time basis until December.

The civil service must foster “a more vibrant, competitive marketplace” of government contractors and rebuild its skills in contract management, the government’s outgoing chief operating officer Stephen Kelly has told CSW.

The leader of the Opposition’s new electoral strategist, Lucy Powell, was also named as shadow Cabinet Office minister in yesterday’s Labour mini-reshuffle.

Katherine Kerswell has criticised the Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) for attacking local authorities over parking fees.

CSW asks former ministers to appraise the UK civil service. This month, Charles Clarke gives his views.

Finance professionals across government should “get on the front foot” and make sure they’re involved in the policymaking process, the government’s new director-general of public spending, Julian Kelly, has said.

Alex Younger has today taken up his new role as chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), taking over from Sir John Sawers, who retired after five years in the post. 

The Crown Prosecution Service saw its staff survey scores on learning and development rise 11 percentage points in a year, thanks to chief exec Peter Lewis