Operational Delivery

"We’re forever doing accountability ex-post," says the former cabinet secretary, as MPs kick off their new inquiry into the future of the civil service

Cabinet Office lays amended redundancy scheme before parliament after key unions back a deal – but the Public and Commercial Services union says refusal to extend deadline was an "unnecessary and spiteful insult"

Independence fears prompt U-turn as Children and Social Work Bill enters report stage in House of Lords

Latest National Fraud Initiative report shows 37% fall in properties recovered

The UK in a Changing Europe​ says there will be "tensions if there is any further bifurcation of salaries in Whitehall" as a result of the drive to recruit specialists for Britain's EU exit. Meanwhile, Cabinet Office confirms Brexit-focused civil service-wide resource review is starting with the Senior civil Service

New report by the Institute for Government flags skills gap, policy divide and officials' attitudes to digital as potential barrier to service transformation and big savings

Amid debate over the future of the revolving door watchdog Acoba, Cabinet Office's Chris Skidmore warns against undermining "modern, dynamic" moves between public and private sector

HMRC chief says he will have "something to announce within the next few working days" about end of contract with US outsourcing firm, and says company "simply didn’t put enough people" on tax credit inquiry lines

First central government department to offer payroll credit union savings scheme reveals take-up

Find out which civil servants and departmental teams are in the running for an award

Public Accounts Committee urges Cabinet Office to boost departments’ oversight of quangos – and share accountability good practice more widely

Chair of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee welcomes review of staff appraisal system, and says new inquiry will put a heavy emphasis on leadership skills in the civil service

The Public Accounts Committee says the government's latest plan to cut costs by sharing back office functions has failed to learn the lessons of previous attempts

Justice permanent secretary tells MPs that “bearing down on the gap” between spending review targets and actual spending is the largest challenge for his officials, as he stands by the decision to implement spending controls that caused friction between department and prisons inspectorate

Civil service chief John Manzoni (pictured) and Treasury perm sec Tom Scholar say annual updates to the much-criticised Single Departmental Plans will address "big elephant" of Britain's exit from the EU

National Institute of Economic and Social Research study, commissioned by the government, finds “no significant or systematic impact” of the programme, as the Department for Communities and Local Government says it has learned lessons from its first phase

Fast Stream assessment now much more focused on "real-life work scenarios", says Gillian Smith, after report warns of lack of working class representation in the scheme

New deputy director for international trade to lead a team promoting UK's transport industry in a post-Brexit world

New home for the digital team is 10 minutes from the City of London

Susan Acland-Hood on the move as courts service presses ahead with digital shake-up

Tax authority defends decision to axe tax credits contract as 150 temporary staff face last day at work

Public Accounts Committee says department is unable to evidence reforms' success and significant challenges remain

HMRC may need to delay digital tax plans, Treasury committee chair Andrew Tyrie tells new chancellor Philip Hammond

HMRC chief Jon Thompson (pictured) says reorganising four existing lines of business into a more simplified structure will ensure that HMRC is "fit for the future" – as union says there is "nervousness" among some staff over timing of the changes