Government needs ‘ruthless focus’ not ‘everythingism’, think tank argues
26 Mar Project Delivery

Government needs ‘ruthless focus’ not ‘everythingism’, think tank argues

Reform says belief that all projects and policies can aid all objectives is crippling delivery
by Jim Dunton
First app version of GOV.UK website launches
01 Jul Project Delivery
First app version of GOV.UK website launches
Mega projects: Delivery bodies given freedom to set pay for specialist roles
20 Jun Project Delivery
Mega projects: Delivery bodies given freedom to set pay for specialist roles
Keir Starmer asks cab sec to examine damning HS2 review's implications for civil service
19 Jun Project Delivery
Keir Starmer asks cab sec to examine damning HS2 review's implications for civil service
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
Tom Scholar named in New Year Honours – plus all the civil servants that made the 2023 list
03 Jan 2023 Project Delivery
Tom Scholar named in New Year Honours – plus all the civil servants that made the 2023 list
Home Office perm sec Matthew Rycroft and Treasury second perm sec Cat Little named alongside former Treasury chief
DfT boss Bernadette Kelly: ‘I could write a book on the journey to opening Crossrail – but I always believed it would come good in the end’
19 Dec 2022 Project Delivery
DfT boss Bernadette Kelly: ‘I could write a book on the journey to opening Crossrail – but I always believed it would come good in the end’
It was “pleasing and poignant” that the Elizabeth Line opened in time for the Queen to open it, the Department for Transport perm sec writes
'Major projects can boost growth, but picking the right ones isn't simple': IPA boss Nick Smallwood reflects on 2022
15 Dec 2022 Project Delivery
'Major projects can boost growth, but picking the right ones isn't simple': IPA boss Nick Smallwood reflects on 2022
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority chief exec lauds successes like the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and discusses the importance of supporting teams that have been affected by Covid-19 and the cost-of-living crisis
Civil Service Awards 2022 winners revealed
09 Dec 2022 Project Delivery
Civil Service Awards 2022 winners revealed
See the awards list in full
Perm secs take flak for major-project spending transparency
02 Dec 2022 Project Delivery
Perm secs take flak for major-project spending transparency
MPs complain of late, poor-quality and “missing in action” accounting-officer assessments
Will the Autumn Statement’s short-term focus sideline longer-term outcomes for public services?
01 Dec 2022 Project Delivery
Will the Autumn Statement’s short-term focus sideline longer-term outcomes for public services?
Public services may well have passed their tipping point, and short-term firefighting is clearly not the way back