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The Civil Service Commission can help civil servants flag complaints about breaches of the Civil Service Code. First civil service commissioner, Sir David Normington, explains how his organisation has just launched an 'Open Week' to encourage civil servants to ask questions and engage with them:
Former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell used the second part of his Radio 4 documentary on Tuesday, In Defence of Bureaucracy, to call for the retention of an impartial civil service, and to argue that the “occasionally intemperate tone” taken by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has “not helped” the “unusually strained” relationship between ministers and civil servants.
The National Security Council has improved Whitehall’s planning and coordination. But it’s been busiest where the bullets have been flying, and there are doubts over its scrutiny of less obvious dangers. Stuart Watson reports.
The business department’s permanent secretary Martin Donnelly tells Suzannah Brecknell how his department is working to bring businesses and government together, creating strategies designed to kick start Britain's economic growth
Former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell is to present two programmes on Radio 4 in a bid to defend the work of the civil service.
The level of public trust in civil servants has risen dramatically over the last 30 years, a poll by the Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute has found, while politicians are firmly ensconsed at the foot of the table.
When John Beddington became the government’s chief scientific adviser, many departments didn’t employ an influential science champion. But now, he tells Colin Marrs, the quality of science is on the rise across Whitehall
Reforming the civil service won’t “in itself make a dramatic difference to government effectiveness,” former cabinet secretary Lord O’Donnell told the Public Administration Select Committee today. Instead, government needs to ensure it is clear about what it wants to achieve, he added.
As the Olympics fade from memory, the legacy goals could also slip away – leaving London, like Athens, with a pricey herd of white elephants. Suzannah Brecknell tests the cross-Whitehall effort to reap the Games’ rewards.
The government has now published its permanent secretaries’ objectives, listing the targets against which their performance will be assessed. Joshua Chambers explains how the move is likely to affect Whitehall leaders
After 35 years in Whitehall and five years leading the Government Equalities Office, Jonathan Rees is heading for the exit. Matt Ross learns of his worries about civil service capabilities, ministerial policies and endless reorganisations
Katherine Kerswell and Clare Sumner are heading up the tricky task of civil service reform. Joshua Chambers meets the dynamic duo leading the drive to shake up Whitehall’s skills, structures and working practices
As director of the Scotland Office, Alun Evans is in charge of Whitehall’s efforts to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom. Joshua Chambers meets the man coordinating a vast campaign encompassing most departments
Jonathan Stephens Permanent Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Jonathan Rees Director General, Government Equalities Office
Dr Malcolm McKibbin Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service
The 2012 Permanent Secretaries' Round-Up
Sir Bob Kerslake Head of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government
Robert Devereux Permanent Secretary, Department for Work and Pensions
Last week the Civil Service Commission published its response to two proposals in the Civil Service Reform Plan for greater ministerial involvement in senior civil service appointments. The most discussed proposal would give ministers the right to choose their permanent secretaries from a number of candidates judged suitable by a selection panel. In our response, the commission actively supports the involvement of ministers in permanent secretary competitions and has agreed some further changes to strengthen that involvement. But we stop short of giving ministers a choice. That would, we believe, be a step too far.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has paused his plans to allow ministers to choose their permanent secretary from an approved shortlist, after the Civil Service Commission intervened to propose a compromise arrangement.
We were both honoured to attend and be part of the Civil Service Awards last month. From Stranraer to Bournemouth, the outstanding work of civil servants was celebrated – whether they’d delivered roads or the Olympics, run prisons or Jobcentres. In one evening we recognised the very best of the civil service and left in no doubt that we lead some of the most talented professionals.
Civil service head Sir Bob Kerslake has told CSW that the turnover of permanent secretaries in the past two years has been too high, and that “in an ideal world” there would not be as much change.