Project Delivery

While all the focus in recent days may have been on the consequences of Britain's historic decision to quit the European Union, that doesn't mean life in Whitehall ground to a halt. Here are three key, non-Brexit stories you may have missed since the referendum result

Changes come as DH seeks to cut running costs by 30% by 2020

"I cannot now foresee an announcement until at least October," says transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin

Exclusive: Former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake tells CSW that key departments tasked with making Brexit work have been "stripped back" in recent years and will have to have an injection of resources

Former Department for Education HEO Edward Chapman sentenced to three years and four months in jail after admitting £1m fraud and obtaining money by deception – as department says it is seeking to "recover the misappropriated funds in full"

New figures from the Management Consultancies Association show another year-on-year rise in public sector consultancy spending – but totals remain well below 2009 peak

New £160,000-a-year "Continuous Improvement Director" asked to track progress against commercial improvement plans departments have agreed with the Cabinet Office

Public Accounts Committee says system is “bedevilled by long standing poor performance” and urges the Ministry of Justice to do more to understand likely impact of cutting resources

Civil Service Board backs move to let key commercial staff work directly for the centre of government, potentially sitting outside of departmental pay and grading

New report by the UK’s aid watchdog says Department for International Development’s claims on improving access to water and sanitation are credible — but warns department’s focus may be too short-term

Online verification service passes service assessment, as Janet Hughes vows to listen and learn as scheme is introduced across departments

Ministry of Justice says it will announce "next steps in due course" amid reports Medway Secure Training Centre to be brought into public control

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee chair Bernard Jenkin says legislation may be needed to make non-executive directors brought into government feel less disposable

Home Office chief points out that enforcement rate for confiscation orders is increasing, even as overall debt pile grows, while Derbyshire police chief Mick Creedon points the finger at legacy of “inflated” targets

The Public Accounts Committee wants the most senior civil servants to play a greater role in approving major projects, and to publish their assessments of whether policies offer value for money

National Audit Office says probation services "have been sustained throughout a period of major changes" – but warns of "unsurprising frictions" between private and public sector staff

PAC urges stronger cross-government effort to clamp down on fines incurred for errors in the way government spends EU funds

Civil service union PCS argues latest proposals do not take account of Land Registry's digital progress and could lead to a reduced capacity for statutory work

Union analysis of Cabinet Office data on more than 280,000 officials highlights "statistically significant" differences in how different groups are treated

Department must to more to challenge contractors, say MPs, as too many health and disability assessments do not meet acceptable standards despite an increase in the cost per assessment

Infrastructure and Projects Authority says strong public sector involvement coupled with move away from traditional government structures has been a important factor in the success of capital projects like London 2012 and Crossrail

International Development Committee gives broad backing to UK's new aid strategy – but warns DfID not to lose sight of poverty focus as other departments take on responsibility for spending development assistance funds

PAC report casts doubt on ability of beefed-up major projects watchdog to scrutinise government’s biggest schemes, and calls on Cabinet Office to explain how it will meet skills shortages needed for "transformation"

Review says Department for Transport must do more to shape the future development of the nation's rail infrastructure