'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

The Covid Inquiry's Every Story Matters exercise gathered more than 58,000 individual stories from the public. Comms director Samantha Edwards shares how she got the nation talking
by Susan Allott
New business-case rules for major projects come into force
14 Jul Project Delivery
New business-case rules for major projects come into force
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
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
Outcome delivery plans suspended after job-cuts saga and Autumn Statement
01 Dec 2022 Project Delivery
Outcome delivery plans suspended after job-cuts saga and Autumn Statement
Disruption halted publication but Sunak will not scrap ODPs in the long run, minister confirms
NAO sounds alarm as funding shortfalls threaten departmental shared-services drive
30 Nov 2022 Project Delivery
NAO sounds alarm as funding shortfalls threaten departmental shared-services drive
Cabinet Office “doesn’t know how much has been spent or what benefits to expect”, watchdog warns
DfT names winners of £5m rail innovation fund
16 Nov 2022 Project Delivery
DfT names winners of £5m rail innovation fund
Projects include self-charging trains, suicide-prevention technology and new ways to carry freight
Troubled Ajax programme 'far from on track' as MoD rejects contractor's claims
07 Nov 2022 Project Delivery
Troubled Ajax programme 'far from on track' as MoD rejects contractor's claims
MoD and former minister say new schedule to deliver Ajax armoured vehicles has not yet been agreed as noise problems remain
‘Over-ambitious’ HMPPS electronic tagging plan ‘threw away’ £100m
24 Oct 2022 Project Delivery
‘Over-ambitious’ HMPPS electronic tagging plan ‘threw away’ £100m
MPs “unconvinced” of MoJ's ability to oversee overhaul of electronic tagging after “long history of poor performance"
‘Competing priorities’ hinder efforts to boost civil servants’ commercial skills
19 Oct 2022 Project Delivery
‘Competing priorities’ hinder efforts to boost civil servants’ commercial skills
Recruitment and spending controls also making it harder to train up contract managers and commercial specialists, Chisholm reveals
Read the September 2022 issue of Civil Service World
27 Sep 2022 Project Delivery
Read the September 2022 issue of Civil Service World
How is government managing its most innovative and high-risk projects? Plus, is wokery really a problem in the civil service?
HMCTS pauses IT system rollout in attempt to resolve union dispute
22 Sep 2022 Project Delivery
HMCTS pauses IT system rollout in attempt to resolve union dispute
Common Platform pause is “a reasonable first step", says PCS union, which had planned strikes
Truss ‘must not scrap Outcome Delivery Plans’
15 Sep 2022 Project Delivery
Truss ‘must not scrap Outcome Delivery Plans’
Monitoring system will be crucial for keeping track of departments’ progress over next two years, says Institute for Government
Civil servants set to exit another 20 Whitehall buildings
01 Sep 2022 Project Delivery
Civil servants set to exit another 20 Whitehall buildings
Government Property Strategy sets out plans to reduce core estate from current 36 buildings to 16
CCS consultancy spend goes up, but agency-staff costs plummet
10 Aug 2022 Project Delivery
CCS consultancy spend goes up, but agency-staff costs plummet
Annual report says Crown Commercial Service delivered almost £3bn in benefits to the public sector in 2021-2022
Bosses face £870k in fines over Carillion cover-up
29 Jul 2022 Project Delivery
Bosses face £870k in fines over Carillion cover-up
FCA says “misleading” statements about contracting giant’s finances aggravated the impact of its 2018 collapse
Treasury spending chief sounds alarm on inflationary pressures facing departments
22 Jul 2022 Project Delivery
Treasury spending chief sounds alarm on inflationary pressures facing departments
Cat Little says some parts of government are “struggling” to evidence the impact of spiralling prices
MoD comes out fighting after MPs’ equipment plan report
23 Jun 2022 Project Delivery
MoD comes out fighting after MPs’ equipment plan report
Minister rejects claims department is “complacent” over affordability of £238bn programme
BEIS offers £160k for second perm sec to oversee 'high-stakes' programmes
23 May 2022 Project Delivery
BEIS offers £160k for second perm sec to oversee 'high-stakes' programmes
Role has been created to "increase the scope and capacity of senior leadership", perm sec says
Saving grace: NS&I chief Ian Ackerley on Covid turbulence, select committee grillings and green investment
18 May 2022 Project Delivery
Saving grace: NS&I chief Ian Ackerley on Covid turbulence, select committee grillings and green investment
The chief executive of Britain’s venerable state-owned savings bank talks about its pandemic savings push, reputation management and transforming his organisation
Red light, green light: examining the government's progress on improving its performance
22 Apr 2022 Project Delivery
Red light, green light: examining the government's progress on improving its performance
CSW assesses progress against key actions set out in the Declaration on Government Reform, and explores how volunteering can boost skills and support key priorities
Red light, green light: examining the government's progress on empowering its people
22 Apr 2022 Project Delivery
Red light, green light: examining the government's progress on empowering its people
In the final part of our series exploring the Declaration on Government Reform, CSW assesses progress against actions designed – according to the document – to ensure there are the “best people leading and working in government to deliver better outcomes for citizens”.
The shift to agile working may be fraught with complications – so how can public sector organisations get it right?
07 Apr 2022 Project Delivery
The shift to agile working may be fraught with complications – so how can public sector organisations get it right?
Embracing uncertainty; active listening; strong leadership – Antonio Weiss explores the foundations of good agile approaches
A real shot in the arm: the highs, lows and lessons of delivering the Vaccines Programme
29 Mar 2022 Project Delivery
A real shot in the arm: the highs, lows and lessons of delivering the Vaccines Programme
In a bleak and challenging time, the breath-taking speed and success of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout provided much-needed hope across the country. Beckie Smith meets Antonia Williams and Leila Tavakoli, who worked on the programme, to discuss what they learned from this award-winning endeavour
'The most challenging summit anybody’s ever held': Cop26 COO Wasim Mir on last year's climate conference
15 Feb 2022 Project Delivery
'The most challenging summit anybody’s ever held': Cop26 COO Wasim Mir on last year's climate conference
Organising a climate summit amid a pandemic was a massive logistical and diplomatic undertaking. Wasim Mir takes us behind the scenes of Cop26
WATCH: Steve Glass on the work of the Vaccine Taskforce and maintaining 'tenacity under pressure'
28 Jan 2022 Project Delivery
WATCH: Steve Glass on the work of the Vaccine Taskforce and maintaining 'tenacity under pressure'
The winner of the Cabinet Secretary's Outstanding Leader Award shares how the task force delivered Covid-19 vaccines under extraordinary circumstances and on a massive scale, and lessons for the future