Why is it so hard to sell an idea to government (even one that could make millions for the public purse)?
04 Apr Operational Delivery

Why is it so hard to sell an idea to government (even one that could make millions for the public purse)?

To an outsider, reaching the right civil servants with an idea that could revolutionise services or save money seems impossible
by Jon McKnight
SR25: MoJ gets funding injection for new prison places and probation services
12 Jun Operational Delivery
SR25: MoJ gets funding injection for new prison places and probation services
MoJ sets up new probation and reoffending directorate
02 Jun Operational Delivery
MoJ sets up new probation and reoffending directorate
HMRC labelled 'lumbering dinosaur' and urged to modernise systems
30 Apr Operational Delivery
HMRC labelled 'lumbering dinosaur' and urged to modernise systems
Responding to climate change and improving the natural environment – a part for everyone in creating the conditions for success? 
16 Oct 2024 Operational Delivery
Responding to climate change and improving the natural environment – a part for everyone in creating the conditions for success? 
Katy Losse, director of environment and climate change at the NAO, looks at the different roles civil servants can play in tackling one of government's biggest problems
DWP review to examine carer's allowance overpayments
16 Oct 2024 Operational Delivery
DWP review to examine carer's allowance overpayments
Liz Kendall says department is "determined to put this right" after thousands of carers were told to repay huge sums
Benefits system 'exacerbating health conditions', DWP study finds
14 Oct 2024 Operational Delivery
Benefits system 'exacerbating health conditions', DWP study finds
Claimants described benefits application process as “physically and mentally exhausting” and say health assessments can "set back their wellbeing for days"
DWP hiring more caseworkers to tackle PIP review delays, minister says
03 Oct 2024 Operational Delivery
DWP hiring more caseworkers to tackle PIP review delays, minister says
Department has increased caseworker numbers by 5.5% in the last year amid benefits application backlog
Read the autumn 2024 issue of Civil Service World
18 Sep 2024 Operational Delivery
Read the autumn 2024 issue of Civil Service World
We look at government's green power goals and introduce you to the new ministers in each department
Sunak ignored police chiefs' warning to act on prisons crisis before election
10 Sep 2024 Operational Delivery
Sunak ignored police chiefs' warning to act on prisons crisis before election
Police bosses warned Sunak that “simply waiting for a new government to be formed after the election" to tackle the crisis would be "an unacceptable delay in mitigation”
Immigration watchdog seeks evidence on Border Force
28 Aug 2024 Operational Delivery
Immigration watchdog seeks evidence on Border Force
ICIBI invites people with “knowledge or first-hand experience of clandestine entry to the UK" to contribute to inspection
Defra launches rapid review of Environmental Improvement Plan
01 Aug 2024 Operational Delivery
Defra launches rapid review of Environmental Improvement Plan
Work on new strategy begins as watchdog says government is "off track" to meet the plan's goals to protect nature and public health
Reeves commits to spending review every two years
29 Jul 2024 Operational Delivery
Reeves commits to spending review every two years
Chancellor announces next spending review date and fiscal-planning reforms
McFadden announces resilience review following Covid Inquiry report
24 Jul 2024 Operational Delivery
McFadden announces resilience review following Covid Inquiry report
Cabinet Office minister says he will chair a cabinet committee on resilience to oversee the review
Covid Inquiry calls for 'fundamental reform' to civil emergency planning
18 Jul 2024 Operational Delivery
Covid Inquiry calls for 'fundamental reform' to civil emergency planning
Inquiry's module 1 report calls for "radical simplification" of processes and structures and a new statutory body
Climate advisers urge ministers to undo Sunak ‘damage’
18 Jul 2024 Operational Delivery
Climate advisers urge ministers to undo Sunak ‘damage’
Climate Change Committee also says climate adaptation “must become fundamental aspect of policymaking across all departments”
Senior Tory 'tremendously encouraged' by Labour's plans for delivery
12 Jul 2024 Operational Delivery
Senior Tory 'tremendously encouraged' by Labour's plans for delivery
Plus, IFS director hails Starmer's "remarkably experienced" ministerial team
No.10 promises to loosen control over England's regions
10 Jul 2024 Operational Delivery
No.10 promises to loosen control over England's regions
“For too long a Westminster government has tightly gripped control," Angela Rayner tells metro mayors
New government must address prisons crisis 'within days', think tank warns
03 Jul 2024 Operational Delivery
New government must address prisons crisis 'within days', think tank warns
Overcrowding is down to sustained mismanagement, rather than unforeseen circumstances, IfG says
'Don’t surprise a politician': PAC chair Meg Hillier on accountability, openness and collecting 'Yes, Minister moments'
01 Jul 2024 Operational Delivery
'Don’t surprise a politician': PAC chair Meg Hillier on accountability, openness and collecting 'Yes, Minister moments'
Meg Hillier has spent nearly a decade investigating the ins and outs of government delivery in her role as chair of the Public Accounts Committee. What wisdom can she share with officials and future ministers?
Next government 'must examine drivers of disability benefit spending, not rush to restrict'
21 Jun 2024 Operational Delivery
Next government 'must examine drivers of disability benefit spending, not rush to restrict'
Resolution Foundation calls for "serious strategy" involving the NHS and employers as well as DWP and the Treasury
Progress on levelling up 'glacial', think tank says
19 Jun 2024 Operational Delivery
Progress on levelling up 'glacial', think tank says
Next government must be "decisive" if it wants to meet aims of levelling up white paper by 2030, IFS warns
Think tank makes argument for delivery units across government
18 Jun 2024 Operational Delivery
Think tank makes argument for delivery units across government
Reform paper makes series of recommendations to tackle barriers to effective delivery
Government must reduce size of the state or raise taxes, IFS warns
10 Jun 2024 Operational Delivery
Government must reduce size of the state or raise taxes, IFS warns
The think tank has urged political parties to set out their plan
I worked for Blair's Delivery Unit – trust me that the next government needs a new approach to reform
06 Jun 2024 Operational Delivery
I worked for Blair's Delivery Unit – trust me that the next government needs a new approach to reform
Top-down targets simply don’t release the creativity and compassion in our public servants that all of us are going to depend on, writes a former perm sec
'Current systems are deficient': HMRC warned over 'digital-by-default' approach
04 Jun 2024 Operational Delivery
'Current systems are deficient': HMRC warned over 'digital-by-default' approach
Industry bodies say there is a "gap" between the availability of online tools and HMRC's perceptions of what taxpayers can actually do
HMRC apologises for child benefit payment error
04 Jun 2024 Operational Delivery
HMRC apologises for child benefit payment error
Processing error that delayed child benefit payments for 500,000 people now fixed, department says
Power failure at Defra data centre caused ‘no significant border delays’, minister says
30 May 2024 Operational Delivery
Power failure at Defra data centre caused ‘no significant border delays’, minister says
Outage of key government service for sharing data between agencies operating at UK border lasted four days