Operational Delivery

Ministry of Defence perm sec Stephen Lovegrove offers "expertise" to DExEU as Whitehall readies for Brexit – but downplays impact of European Union departure on the MoD's own work

New report from cross-party group of MPs highlights risks to shake up of police, ambulance and fire service comms — but praises low leadership churn at the Home Office

Boss of major outsourcing company says deliberate moves by government, as well as "foolishness" by suppliers, have put too much risk on shoulders of firms dealing with big public sector contracts

Brexit secretary insists claims Whitehall doesn’t have the resourcing to cope with leaving the European Union are driven by officials keen to increase their departmental budgets​

Comes after supplier Concentrix "consistently failed to achieve more than half of its performance targets" during first year of its tax credit checks contract

Recruitment drive looks to replace lost policy officers after former department’s relocation bid

More pre-Budget consultation, the creation of a new Cabinet committee, and a tougher stance from Treasury perm secs feature on think tanks' wish list

Treasury Committee, chaired by Andrew Tyrie (pictured), questions tax authority's plans to make businesses keep digital records and produce quarterly updates

Cabinet Office-commissioned study backs the “default presumption of full-cost recovery” for regulatory activities

Civil service chief people officer Rupert McNeil says leadership academy, launching later this year, will ask leaders to learn from successes and failures "of their peers and predecessors"

Comments from NHS England chief executive prompt former Treasury permanent secretary Nick Macpherson to warn of a "bottomless pit" on health service funding

Internal message to HM Revenue & Customs staff – seen by CSW – acknowledges that its estate overhaul will save less than expected, but dismisses talk of a major rethink as "just wrong"

Civil servants spread across three sites will share offices with the Home Office and DCLG by next year

NAO chief says it is time for the department to “step back and consider” its estates strategy as HMRC acknowledges its plans to close most offices will take longer, cost more, and save less than expected

Civil service’s biggest union says pressures flagged by FDA and Prospect in support of new pay deal also affect less senior workers

Brexiteers react with fury to Senior Salaries Review Body submission that suggests implementing EU referendum result is pushing Whitehall to its limits

Guidance refresh deletes entire section on creation of “Extended Ministerial Offices”

Former Barnet and Haringey council CEO Nick Walkley set to take helm of delivery body

But Howard League for Penal Reform says continued administrative delays are “simply unacceptable” for prisoners who remain locked up

With the end of 2016 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top officials to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2017 – and shed some light on their festive favourites. Professor Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer, takes part in our annual perm secs round-up...

Unions claim victory as Cabinet Office briefs on major change to civil service performance management system introduced by Francis Maude, including axing of requirement for guided distribution. CSW has the full detail and reaction

HMRC job ad says London Office will be moving to Canary Wharf as a "transitional site in summer 2017"

MPs call on government to commission independent review into tax-credit compliance processes

MPs say DfE must not focus solely on hitting target as it overhauls the UK's apprenticeships system