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Passing powers from Whitehall to local areas is a key government goal. But do civil servants have enough understanding of what is happening on the ground to make the policy work? Colin Marrs talks to experts and officials to find out
Bath and North East Somerset Council's Jo Farrar set to join Department for Communities and Local Government's senior management team
Proposals to make local government financially self-sufficient by 2020 must not be impacted by George Osborne's business-boosting measures, a lobby group has warned
Plans to end local authority reliance on Whitehall gather pace
Shadow cabinet office minister says lack of senior Communities and Local Government officials outside the capital shows "utter contempt" for the rest of the country – but department points out that senior officials "account for less than 5% of the department’s workforce"
As Home Office prepares to take on full responsibility for fire and rescue services from the Department for Communities and Local Government, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee say Whitehall must do more to understand the local implications of budget cuts
English devolution is a journey without a clear destination – producing a long overdue rebalancing of power, but within continuing tight financial constraints
A care home manager discusses how the pressures facing the sector – including budget cuts and high staff turnover – impact on some of the most vulnerable people in society
As Lords Committee looks into whether Scotland needs a separate civil service, former Cabinet secretary Lord O'Donnell says London house prices "seriously damage mobility" between Whitehall and the rest of the UK
National Audit Office raises concerns over the number of transformation projects government is undertaking, as report notes that over a third of major projects due to be delivered this Parliament may be unachievable
Deal confirms Spending Review's projected average cut of 6.7% for councils as they move towards full localised funding
With the end of 2015 in sight, we asked Whitehall's top officials to review the year, set out their priorities for 2016 – and shed some light on their festive plans. Leslie Evans, permanent secretary of the Scottish Government, takes part in our biggest-ever perm secs' round-up series...
With the end of 2015 in sight, we asked Whitehall's top officials to review the year, set out their priorities for 2016 – and shed some light on their festive plans. Dr Malcolm McKibbin, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, takes part in our biggest-ever perm secs' round-up series...
Welsh first minister says there is “no real machinery for a regular heads of government meeting” – as Silk Commission chair reveals he considered calling for separate civil service.
Economic Affairs Committee warns that Scotland Bill is progressing with “undue haste''
Decentralisation will not be a "panacea" for improved public services, think tank warns
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
Equalities and Human Rights Commission warns that gaps in public data are leaving marginalised groups – including transgender people, gypsies and travellers, and bullied children – under the radar
More say over Assembly procedures, energy and transport promised in Draft Wales Bill
Opinion: The need to find new ways of delivering services while resources are tight is the real reason for the new localism push
Richard Caborn spent a decade as a minister in the last Labour government. Here he shares his insights on working with officials – and explains why, on one occasion, the civil service went to the dogs...
Sheffield City Region Combined Authority will get transport, planning and skills powers
The chief of the FDA union warns that Whitehall will miss out on a significant talent pool if under-represented groups do not believe a leadership role in the civil service is for them
PM highlights achievements of Whitehall's digital team as he argues government has "moral imperative" to "streamline" public services