Leadership

Victor Adebowale may be a peer of the realm, but his ideas for public service reform – built on 30 years’ experience in housing and social care – challenge established thinking. Winnie Agbonlahor meets him

HM Passport Office will be abolished and its operations absorbed by the Home Office from 1 October, it has been announced today, and the organisation’s chief executive Paul Pugh will be replaced by a newly-appointed director general.

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. 

Civil servants achieve so much for the public good, argues Dave Penman, but rarely get the praise they deserve: their leaders should sing their praises more loudly – even if it gets the critics irate

Helen Edwards left a career in frontline social work and charity management for a job on Whitehall; now she's the DCLG's deputy permanent secretary. She tells Matt Ross about pursuing change in service delivery, councils, and her own department. Photo by Mark Weeks

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.

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