If delivery is the government's focus, stability is one of the best ways to deliver it
09 Sep Project Delivery

If delivery is the government's focus, stability is one of the best ways to deliver it

What began as a week focused on delivery ended with a major cabinet reshuffle. But ministers need time to get up to speed and for every new appointment, there is a price to pay on delivery
by Dave Penman
'Successful transformation requires cultural change': What's in HMRC's Transformation Roadmap?
15 Aug Project Delivery
'Successful transformation requires cultural change': What's in HMRC's Transformation Roadmap?
Major projects: With NISTA now up and running, there is an opportunity to shift from episodic reform to sustained transformation
12 Aug Project Delivery
Major projects: With NISTA now up and running, there is an opportunity to shift from episodic reform to sustained transformation
'We heard some really traumatic things': Covid-19 Inquiry head of comms shares the highs and lows of the job
25 Jul Project Delivery
'We heard some really traumatic things': Covid-19 Inquiry head of comms shares the highs and lows of the job
DHSC details £700m NHS plans to counter unsafe concrete
18 Oct 2023 Project Delivery
DHSC details £700m NHS plans to counter unsafe concrete
Second perm sec Shona Dunn tells MPs four-year RAAC bill is “likely” to rise if capital contingency spending is prioritised
Auditor KPMG hit with ‘record’ £21m fine for Carillion failings
13 Oct 2023 Project Delivery
Auditor KPMG hit with ‘record’ £21m fine for Carillion failings
Scrutiny of collapsed outsourcer’s finances was “very bad, over an extended period”, boss admits
TfL veteran appointed to National Infrastructure Commission
12 Oct 2023 Project Delivery
TfL veteran appointed to National Infrastructure Commission
Michèle Dix was managing director of planning and Crossrail 2 at Transport for London
HS2 and A-levels scrapped: All of Sunak's Conservative conference announcements
05 Oct 2023 Project Delivery
HS2 and A-levels scrapped: All of Sunak's Conservative conference announcements
PM promises "better transport connections in the north" as he scraps Manchester leg of HS2 rail link
Honesty needed over problematic major projects, PAC says
15 Sep 2023 Project Delivery
Honesty needed over problematic major projects, PAC says
Officials need help to make “hard decisions” on projects that are failing
Making civil servants' jobs easier with 'nerdy tech' - Mark Thompson interview
13 Jul 2023 Project Delivery
Making civil servants' jobs easier with 'nerdy tech' - Mark Thompson interview
The next phases of government’s data revolution have the potential to truly transform the way the civil service operates, but business cases are not enough to deliver results. Suzannah Brecknell talks to Mark Thompson, director of data, platforms and interoperability in the Cabinet Office’s Government People Group
Too many cooks in the kitchen? Here’s a recipe for cross-government success
12 Jul 2023 Project Delivery
Too many cooks in the kitchen? Here’s a recipe for cross-government success
Complex challenges increasingly require officials to work across departmental boundaries, but it's not always easy to deliver on these shared projects. Sian Jones offers advice from the latest National Audit Office guide which aims to help civil servants get better together
NAO report spotlights ‘pitfalls’ for cross-department working
07 Jul 2023 Project Delivery
NAO report spotlights ‘pitfalls’ for cross-department working
Research finds 63% of civil servants see data-sharing issues as a barrier to collaboration
Motorola removed from government strategic suppliers list following ESN exit
18 May 2023 Project Delivery
Motorola removed from government strategic suppliers list following ESN exit
Company claims excision from roster of Whitehall's most significant commercial partners is a "routine update"
Delivery of troubled Home Office comms network programme pushed back to 2029
12 May 2023 Project Delivery
Delivery of troubled Home Office comms network programme pushed back to 2029
Work on Emergency Services Network began in 2015 and is now expected to complete a full decade behind original schedule
Recovering £1.1bn in Covid debts will be ‘incredibly hard’, DBT perm sec admits
11 May 2023 Project Delivery
Recovering £1.1bn in Covid debts will be ‘incredibly hard’, DBT perm sec admits
“Loosey-goosey” approach to first wave of business grants created a major obstacle to getting cash back, Davies tells MPs
MPs voice fears about Cabinet Office’s latest shared-services drive
05 May 2023 Project Delivery
MPs voice fears about Cabinet Office’s latest shared-services drive
Report flags lack of business case, absence contingency plans for funding shortfalls and inconsistent “benefits” calculations
Scottish Government decision making can be 'rushed and unclear', ex-officials warn
03 May 2023 Project Delivery
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
DLUHC ducks MPs’ questions on Treasury-imposed spending crackdown
28 Apr 2023 Project Delivery
DLUHC ducks MPs’ questions on Treasury-imposed spending crackdown
Committee chair says response begs questions about government’s commitment to levelling up
DfT perm sec ‘disappointed and dismayed’ at £2.2bn HS2 Euston Station cost hike
25 Apr 2023 Project Delivery
DfT perm sec ‘disappointed and dismayed’ at £2.2bn HS2 Euston Station cost hike
Bernadette Kelly tells watchdog MPs near doubling of projected cost for new HS2 terminus came as a “surprise”
The people with the purse strings are on the same side as you – here's how to play the government spending game
24 Mar 2023 Project Delivery
The people with the purse strings are on the same side as you – here's how to play the government spending game
If you’ve felt that the government spending game is stacked against you trying to do the thing that feels obviously right: it’s not just you
MoD agrees 'achievable' new schedule for troubled Ajax programme
24 Mar 2023 Project Delivery
MoD agrees 'achievable' new schedule for troubled Ajax programme
Department will resume payments for the armoured vehicles as the programme is "returning to firm footing", minister says
Ipsos to review 'lack of good quality evaluation' across major government projects Exclusive
14 Mar 2023 Project Delivery
Ipsos to review 'lack of good quality evaluation' across major government projects
Evaluation Task Force signs up market research firm for £250,000 review into Government Major Projects Portfolio
Eyes on the prize: How to improve civil service delivery
20 Jan 2023 Project Delivery
Eyes on the prize: How to improve civil service delivery
With big savings and a better citizen experience up for grabs, the NAO’s Alec Steel offers practical advice on using information to improve service delivery
Consultants to aid push for ‘better, smaller and fairer' Cabinet Office by 2025
13 Jan 2023 Project Delivery
Consultants to aid push for ‘better, smaller and fairer' Cabinet Office by 2025
CO2025 reform programme is intended to deliver a "slimmed-down, high-performance" Cabinet Office
DLUHC ‘making progress’ with skills challenges, says perm sec
10 Jan 2023 Project Delivery
DLUHC ‘making progress’ with skills challenges, says perm sec
Jeremy Pocklington also admits that inflation pressures are hitting levelling-up projects
DfT explores virtual queues to manage Dover lorry gridlock
05 Jan 2023 Project Delivery
DfT explores virtual queues to manage Dover lorry gridlock
Department to lead project looking at potential use of tech in avoiding 20-mile backlogs of vehicles
The Queue and the Commonwealth Games: Sarah Healey on DCMS's proud moments in a 'difficult year for the civil service'
04 Jan 2023 Project Delivery
The Queue and the Commonwealth Games: Sarah Healey on DCMS's proud moments in a 'difficult year for the civil service'
As she wishes for a "precendented" year, the DCMS perm sec sets out the importance of valuing staff
Historic England under strain due to 'legacy of underfunding'
04 Jan 2023 Project Delivery
Historic England under strain due to 'legacy of underfunding'
Report warns of "careful balancing act" amid strain on technology systems and staffing resources