Leadership

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.

Leaders across the civil service are wrestling with change management. Here’s how to rise to the challenge

Senior civil servants often “don’t know what’s going on” with contracts held by their departments and thus spot problems too late, Joshua Reddaway, the National Audit Office’s director for commercial and contracting, has warned.

Paul Pugh, chief executive of the Passport Office, has been accused of a “complete management failure” by the Home Affairs Select Committee. In a report published today, the committee calls for the office to be abolished and its functions to be returned to the direct control of ministers.

A monthly interview with people who've crossed organisational and sectoral boundaries to join a new working world.

Perspectives from outside the civil service

Improving board performance would reduce staff turnover and cut the number of costly project failures.

Lord Browne of Madingley, Lead Non-Executive Director, HM Government offers and overview of the progress the civil service has seen in recent years.

Chris Wormald tells Winnie Agbonlahor how he's trying to raise the standard of policymaking across government - without imposing too much central control

The new set of published perm secs' objectives seem much improved, but are they really what they claim to be? Report by Samera Owusu Tutu. Illustration by John Levers.

Picking the right civil service CEO is important. But, FDA general secretary Dave Penman argues that any candidate will encounter the job's structural challenges.

Iain Rennie, state services commissioner at the New Zealand Government, tells Civil Service World about the strengths and weaknesses of his home civil service

The secret of great leadership lies not in management books, but in learning to identify and understand your emotions.

The new chief executive of the civil service will only have “sufficient authority” if he/she reports directly to the prime minister, rather than Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, John Healey, co-founder of new think-tank GovernUp, has said.

MPs are sceptical about the rush to appoint a CEO, reports Winnie Agbonlahor.

CSW magazine is full of white men. But don't shoot the messenger: we're depicting the reality of Whitehall's top leadership.

Picking the right civil service CEO is important. But any candidate will encounter the job's structural challenges.

Malcolm Stirling, Business Consultant, Monster Worldwide Ltd

Appointments, job changes and exits among senior civil servants and key figures in the wider public service

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate saw its people survey score for management visibility rise by 12 points in a year. Its programme strategy manager David Lewsey explains how he did it

Civil service organisations must be agile to succeed – but they’re bound in chains of hierarchy and deference, argues Robin Ryde

Sailing into uncharted waters, the civil service has no rules on how to help the coalition parties prepare for an election.

The government’s chief operating officer Stephen Kelly has today announced he will leave the civil service in November to become the chief executive of business software firm Sage Group.

After several bruising years, civil servants need the support and funds to achieve ministers’ goals – or the recovery could prompt an exodus