Articles

Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the civil service, has rejected claims that structures within Whitehall are preventing open debates about government policy, and emphasised the need for senior leaders to encourage an “open culture in their department where people feel able to raise issues and concerns about progress”.

Permanent secretaries should set “clear targets for advancing diversity in their departments”, head of the civil service Sir Bob Kerslake said in a House of Commons lecture on Monday. Part of being a stronger civil service, he said, “will be being more diverse at all levels, fully harnessing the talent available to us”.

The government is likely to implement a further set of civil service reforms soon, the head of the civil service Sir Bob Kerslake has told CSW, as it pursues “unfinished business” that didn’t make it into last year’s Civil Service Reform Plan (CSRP).

Sir Bob Kerslake

Head of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government

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.

Privilege days – where civil servants get extra days off following bank holidays or on days significant to the monarchy – are “completely out of line” with what you would see in the private sector and must be reviewed, Sir Bob Kerslake, head of the civil service, has told CSW.

Following their January debut, the civil service’s leading duo are taking the stage again – this time to champion the Civil Service Reform Plan. Matt Ross asks about politicisation, centralisation, and unwelcome press attention

Sir Bob Kerslake, the head of the civil service, has established a blog and an account on the social networking site Twitter, so that he can better engage with civil servants across the UK and the globe.

Civil service leaders must praise good work, support employee development and remain “visible and understanding” to address the problem that civil servants are becoming less proud of their organisation, according to civil service head Sir Bob Kerslake.

An academy to develop project leadership skills among senior officials, launched this week by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, will become a model for addressing skills gaps across government, according to head of the civil service Sir Bob Kerslake.

The incoming cabinet secretary and head of the civil service, Jeremy Heywood and Bob Kerslake, are taking on their new jobs at a time of unprecedented financial, policy and political challenges. Matt Ross meets them.

Permanent Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government

On 1 January, Sir Bob will become the Head of the Civil Service

Sir Bob Kerslake has a record of taking tough jobs just as they get still tougher, and that’s certainly true of his arrival at the DCLG. He tells Matt Ross about localism, budget cuts, policy reform – and the threats to morale

Permanent secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government

The Homes and Communities Agency has its formal launch on 1 December, charged with fostering housebuilding and regeneration. The economic climate could barely be more daunting – but Matt Ross finds its new head, Sir Bob Kerslake, characteristically relaxed