Curiosity, problem-solving and misconceptions: Policy profession co-heads Susan Acland-Hood and Gareth Davies set out their vision
12 Jan Policy

Curiosity, problem-solving and misconceptions: Policy profession co-heads Susan Acland-Hood and Gareth Davies set out their vision

Susan Acland-Hood and Gareth Davies have been hard at work since being named co-heads of the policy profession last summer. They talk about their plans to develop the profession, embracing generalism, and why it’s important to ask the right questions
by Beckie Smith
Treasury launches new crackdown on ‘public service inefficiencies and waste’
20 Jan Policy
Treasury launches new crackdown on ‘public service inefficiencies and waste’
HMRC reinstates 17,000 frozen child benefit cases after checks error
20 Jan Policy
HMRC reinstates 17,000 frozen child benefit cases after checks error
Military chief sounds alarm over £28bn MoD ‘black hole’
09 Jan Policy
Military chief sounds alarm over £28bn MoD ‘black hole’
Whitehall ‘not moving fast enough’ on product-safety reform
12 May 2023 Policy
Whitehall ‘not moving fast enough’ on product-safety reform
Public Accounts Committee chair voices concerns about pace of progress with 2021 review
'Opening up my door to junior civil servants was powerful,' ex-environment secretary says
10 May 2023 Policy
'Opening up my door to junior civil servants was powerful,' ex-environment secretary says
George Eustice extols virtues of interrogating officials who have done 'hard graft to understand an issue'
DfE minister admits ‘challenge’ of Spring Budget childcare offer
09 May 2023 Policy
DfE minister admits ‘challenge’ of Spring Budget childcare offer
Expansion of 30-hours-a-week entitlement requires renaissance in recruitment, Claire Coutinho tells MPs
NICS head unpacks impact of power-vacuum budget cuts
05 May 2023 Policy
NICS head unpacks impact of power-vacuum budget cuts
Jayne Brady warns there will be some decisions officials cannot legally make in absence of Northern Ireland Executive
Scottish Government decision making can be 'rushed and unclear', ex-officials warn
03 May 2023 Policy
Scottish Government decision making can be 'rushed and unclear', ex-officials warn
Financial rules are sometimes seen as "bureaucratic or optional", former civil servants tell committee
Civil servant to walk length of UK for charity
27 Apr 2023 Policy
Civil servant to walk length of UK for charity
DSIT official says managers have been "extremely supportive" of his career break
Think tank calls for all departments to get a chief exec
14 Apr 2023 Policy
Think tank calls for all departments to get a chief exec
Reform plans also target churn and prospect of annual £80bn in savings from better productivity
Long-suppressed DWP report shows benefits sanctions 'slow progress into work'
11 Apr 2023 Policy
Long-suppressed DWP report shows benefits sanctions 'slow progress into work'
DWP forced to release 2020 report – after making more people subject to sanctions
Time travel in Whitehall: Institutional amnesia and learning lessons from history
03 Apr 2023 Policy
Time travel in Whitehall: Institutional amnesia and learning lessons from history
Closing the gap between history and policy is a critical concern with relevance to contemporary debates about immigration, sentencing policy, childcare, to mention just a few
Departments ‘back net-zero objectives', Pocklington tells MPs
27 Mar 2023 Policy
Departments ‘back net-zero objectives', Pocklington tells MPs
But energy security department perm sec acknowledges that decarbonising power sector by 2035 will be “very challenging”
BEIS recovered just 1% of £1.1bn fraud in Covid support loans to small firms
24 Mar 2023 Policy
BEIS recovered just 1% of £1.1bn fraud in Covid support loans to small firms
Losses come on top of multi-billion-pound Bounce Back Loans hit, National Audit Office says
Read the spring 2023 issue of Civil Service World
21 Mar 2023 Policy
Read the spring 2023 issue of Civil Service World
Read exclusive interviews with Home Office perm sec Matthew Rycroft and first civil service commissioner Gisela Stuart – plus deep dives on the trade profession and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance's legacy