HS2 reset: Lovegrove report unpacks lessons for civil service
20 May Finance

HS2 reset: Lovegrove report unpacks lessons for civil service

Recommendations include more realistic salaries for officials working on major projects and a culture shift away from “automatically” appointing career civil servant as SRO
by Jim Dunton
NAO lauds Government Finance Function for ‘strong foundations’ with 2030 strategy
19 Jun Finance
NAO lauds Government Finance Function for ‘strong foundations’ with 2030 strategy
NAO refuses to sign off Whole of Government Accounts for third year running
18 Jun Finance
NAO refuses to sign off Whole of Government Accounts for third year running
Treasury dubs size of Northern Ireland’s public sector ‘a significant budgetary challenge’
03 Jun Finance
Treasury dubs size of Northern Ireland’s public sector ‘a significant budgetary challenge’
‘I have to make sure the ship is not blown off course': Alex Chisholm's cross-government efficiency drive – and the teenage job that crushed his festive spirit
14 Dec 2022 Finance
‘I have to make sure the ship is not blown off course': Alex Chisholm's cross-government efficiency drive – and the teenage job that crushed his festive spirit
Striking the right balance between proactive and reactive priorities will be a challenge in 2023, the Cabinet Office perm sec and civil service COO predicts
Treasury perm sec James Bowler: Tom Scholar's departure ‘was not normal’
13 Dec 2022 Finance
Treasury perm sec James Bowler: Tom Scholar's departure ‘was not normal’
Top Treasury officials also say they "gave all the advice they should have done" ahead of disastrous mini-budget
FCDO to step up aid scrutiny as minister admits UK 'not a development superpower'
08 Dec 2022 Finance
FCDO to step up aid scrutiny as minister admits UK 'not a development superpower'
Development minister also planning restructure which could include new second perm sec
Defra ‘working up business case’ for APHA cash boost
07 Dec 2022 Finance
Defra ‘working up business case’ for APHA cash boost
Perm sec Tamara Finkelstein tells MPs department will need to reprioritise some work to offset inflation
National Audit Office boss: ‘We’re not a remote working organisation’
06 Dec 2022 Finance
National Audit Office boss: ‘We’re not a remote working organisation’
Some organisations made "premature" decisions, "boxing themselves into a strategy that they might now be regretting", Gareth Davies says
Perm secs take flak for major-project spending transparency
02 Dec 2022 Finance
Perm secs take flak for major-project spending transparency
MPs complain of late, poor-quality and “missing in action” accounting-officer assessments
Will the Autumn Statement’s short-term focus sideline longer-term outcomes for public services?
01 Dec 2022 Finance
Will the Autumn Statement’s short-term focus sideline longer-term outcomes for public services?
Public services may well have passed their tipping point, and short-term firefighting is clearly not the way back
Civil service job cuts 'should fund better pay for top new recruits'
01 Dec 2022 Finance
Civil service job cuts 'should fund better pay for top new recruits'
Performance-related pay and “senior specialist” roles would help departments attract more outside talent, IfG says
DHSC rapped for sharing 'misleading' graph on nurses' wage rise
30 Nov 2022 Finance
DHSC rapped for sharing 'misleading' graph on nurses' wage rise
Tweet shared after nurses' strike announced remains up despite warning it could harm public confidence
NAO sounds alarm as funding shortfalls threaten departmental shared-services drive
30 Nov 2022 Finance
NAO sounds alarm as funding shortfalls threaten departmental shared-services drive
Cabinet Office “doesn’t know how much has been spent or what benefits to expect”, watchdog warns
Raab condemns public sector strikes and says pay hikes would 'undercut the poorest'
23 Nov 2022 Finance
Raab condemns public sector strikes and says pay hikes would 'undercut the poorest'
Striking is not the “right thing to do now”, Raab says as civil servants gear up for industrial action
Sunak 'should consider enabling OBR to probe departmental spending plans'
22 Nov 2022 Finance
Sunak 'should consider enabling OBR to probe departmental spending plans'
Think tank’s growth proposals urge PM to consider Vaccine Taskforce-inspired interventions for key goals