Pensions, pay and voluntary exits: CSW's most-read stories of 2025
23 Dec 2025 Civil Service Reform

Pensions, pay and voluntary exits: CSW's most-read stories of 2025

Step behind the curtains – here are the 11 stories that got the most attention in 2025
by CSW
Turning bold choices into reality – MoJ perm sec Jo Farrar on the year ahead
02 Jan Justice & Home Affairs
Turning bold choices into reality – MoJ perm sec Jo Farrar on the year ahead
‘The way leaders respond to concerns has a ripple effect’ – Ethics watchdog Doug Chalmers on culture and curiosity
01 Jan Leadership
‘The way leaders respond to concerns has a ripple effect’ – Ethics watchdog Doug Chalmers on culture and curiosity
A big birthday bash and a new remit: First civil service commissioner Gisela Stuart’s 2025 highlights
31 Dec 2025 HR
A big birthday bash and a new remit: First civil service commissioner Gisela Stuart’s 2025 highlights
Civil Service Award winners: Supporting communities through a year like no other
06 May 2021 Coronavirus
Civil Service Award winners: Supporting communities through a year like no other
In the second of our series of interviews with Civil Service Awards winners, CSW spoke to MHCLG senior policy adviser Abigail Agyei,. who won the Rising Star Award for her work with marginalised communities during the coronavirus pandemic. She spoke to CSW about her work, winning the award, and trying to celebrate during lockdown
Ciaran Martin: Six security tests for the new cyber strategy
06 May 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
Ciaran Martin: Six security tests for the new cyber strategy
The government’s Integrated Review revealed that the government planning to publish a new cyber security strategy. Ciaran Martin, the former chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, tells us what to look out for in it
Opinion: Could Covid unlocking help levelling up too?
05 May 2021 Coronavirus
Opinion: Could Covid unlocking help levelling up too?
In this month’s CSW editor’s letter, Richard Johnstone wonders if there’s an opportunity to reset the UK’s economic geography as the country emerges from the pandemic
Civil Service Award winners: Leading the way to better lives for victims of the Troubles
05 May 2021 Local & Devolved
Civil Service Award winners: Leading the way to better lives for victims of the Troubles
There was no shortage of talented individuals and teams recognised in this year’s Civil Service Awards. In this series, CSW talked to some of the winners about their work and how it felt to win. First up is Chris Atkinson, who won the Inspirational Leadership Award for his work coordinating the delivery of long-stalled plans for a payments scheme to help people left with permanent disabilities as a result of conflict in Northern Ireland. He tells CSW about the background to the project
A closer look: what now for the government’s vaccine passport plans?
30 Apr 2021 Coronavirus
A closer look: what now for the government’s vaccine passport plans?
CSW's sister title PublicTechnology examines the government’s strategy for offering a digital certification tool, and its key advantages and challenges
How America got its civil service of appointees
28 Apr 2021 Foreign Affairs
How America got its civil service of appointees
The United States changes its top civil service leaders with every new president. Lorenzo Castellani offers an insight on how this system came to be, drawing on research from his new book
Opinion: How can policymakers help improve the wellbeing of local communities?
26 Apr 2021 Economy
Opinion: How can policymakers help improve the wellbeing of local communities?
The coronavirus and the stalled European Super League should teach policymakers the same lesson: there is an urgent need to engage local communities in policy and delivery
Switching off: time to tackle ‘always on’ work culture
23 Apr 2021 HR
Switching off: time to tackle ‘always on’ work culture
Many civil servants have embraced working from home during the pandemic, but it also means the lines between work and home life have been blurred. The government should set out rules around out of hours engagement – but employers don’t have to wait
How to transform a government agency: IPO launches five-year reform plan
22 Apr 2021 Digital, Data & Technology
How to transform a government agency: IPO launches five-year reform plan
Today, the Intellectual Property Office has launched its One IPO Transformation programme, a 5-year drive to transform intellectual property services and enhance the value IPO adds to the UK economy. Deputy chief executive David Holdsworth shares details of the plans
Read the April 2021 edition of Civil Service World
21 Apr 2021
Read the April 2021 edition of Civil Service World
Inside: What the Integrated Review means, Civil Service Awards winner stories, how the how the United States got its civil service of appointees
Julia Lopez: Data is fundamental to government. Let me know your ideas to use it better Exclusive
19 Apr 2021
Julia Lopez: Data is fundamental to government. Let me know your ideas to use it better
The Cabinet Office minister writes for CSW to launch a new Dragons' Den-style competition to transform government data for citizens and society
Alex Thomas: Skills and spills in the civil service
19 Apr 2021 Civil Service Reform
Alex Thomas: Skills and spills in the civil service
The government is keen to boost the skills of civil servants and, even in the midst of the Greensill scandal, Whitehall needs to think about both internal training and bringing in external expertise. Here’s some ideas for reform
Yes, board member: Lord Michael Bichard on making the most of departments' non-execs
14 Apr 2021 Civil Service Reform
Yes, board member: Lord Michael Bichard on making the most of departments' non-execs
Giving departmental boards a stronger role would help government become more effective
Opinion: In the office, but out of touch
13 Apr 2021 Civil Service Reform
Opinion: In the office, but out of touch
The prime minister and chancellor have both begun encouraging people back to the workplace after Covid. But government would be much better served learning the flexible working lessons of the pandemic
Opinion: Let’s abolish the spending review
12 Apr 2021 Civil Service Reform
Opinion: Let’s abolish the spending review
Further reform of the way the government manages resources to achieve its goals is vital, says the former government lead non-executive director Sir Ian Cheshire
Colin Talbot: How public servants can make the machine work for them
09 Apr 2021 Civil Service Reform
Colin Talbot: How public servants can make the machine work for them
In the first of a new series of articles exploring developments in public sector management, Colin Talbot looks at how one social care organisation is challenging the assumptions of service delivery
Final performance: what the closure of the government’s Performance Platform means
07 Apr 2021 Civil Service Reform
Final performance: what the closure of the government’s Performance Platform means
Government is closing two centralised tools to make data available to departments and the public. Sam Trendall finds out more
Outcome delivery plans: third time lucky?
01 Apr 2021 Civil Service Reform
Outcome delivery plans: third time lucky?
The new approach to departmental planning can only really succeed if the Government can define properly what its small number of priority goals are.
'Courage is the first quality you need': Barbara Hosking's civil service career recollections
31 Mar 2021
'Courage is the first quality you need': Barbara Hosking's civil service career recollections
Barbara Hosking, the former press secretary to Harold Wilson and Ted Heath, has died aged 94. In February 2018, she sat down for lunch with Suzannah Brecknell to discuss writing speeches for prime ministers, the courage required of civil servants, and coming out at 91. Here, we republish the interview to share her reflections on her time in government
How civil servants can prepare for the Covid decade
30 Mar 2021 Coronavirus
How civil servants can prepare for the Covid decade
The challenges of the UK’s recovery from the pandemic will take years to sort out. A new report from the British Academy sets out some of the things policymakers need to think about to prepare
Making contact: the inside story of how the government’s Covid app was developed
29 Mar 2021 Coronavirus
Making contact: the inside story of how the government’s Covid app was developed
More than 20 million UK citizens have downloaded the NHS Covid-19 app. One of the leaders of the development process discusses its impact and future plans with Sam Trendall
‘Sound priorities, undermined by a narrow view of security and aid cuts’: assessing the integrated review
26 Mar 2021 Security & Defence
‘Sound priorities, undermined by a narrow view of security and aid cuts’: assessing the integrated review
The government’s landmark foreign and defence policy review arrived at many of the right conclusions, but UK security could be undermined by a focus on competition when the UK’s leadership could make a bigger difference through cooperation, says Ian Mitchell, the co-director, Europe for the Center for Global Development
Relationship goals: how ministers and civil servants can work together better
25 Mar 2021 Leadership
Relationship goals: how ministers and civil servants can work together better
The relationship between ministers and civil servants is the most important in government. CSW sat down with one former minister and one former permanent secretary to find out how it works in practice
Covid policy lessons: one year on from the UK’s first lockdown, how have other countries faced the crisis?
23 Mar 2021 Coronavirus
Covid policy lessons: one year on from the UK’s first lockdown, how have other countries faced the crisis?
As the NHS performs the difficult balancing act of carrying out a nationwide vaccine rollout while trying to mitigate the spread of new Covid variants, Geoffrey Lyons peers beyond British borders to review five innovative and relatively inexpensive responses to Covid from foreign governments