By Civil Service World

01 Jan 2018

With the end of 2017 fast approaching, we asked the UK's top civil servants to look back at the year, outline their goals for 2018 – and tell us what they cannot do Christmas without. The links on this list will go live as the articles are published in the run up to 2018.


Cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood on the challenges of 2017, making Brexit preparations and getting a short holiday somewhere warm

Civil service chief executive John Manzoni on Whitehall diversity, creating a Brilliant civil service and adding more brandy to the brandy butter

Scottish Government perm sec Leslie Evans on 2017’s milestones from the Queensferry Crossing to social security

Welsh Government permanent secretary Dame Shan Morgan on future-proofing government and a year of big appointments

David Sterling: the interim head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service on a civil servant’s year without ministers

Rowena Collins Rice: Attorney General’s Office director general on big achievements in 2017, including best-in-Whitehall staff engagement

DfID perm sec Nick Dyer on how the department responded to 2017’s humanitarian crises

Alex Chisholm: Department for Business, Energy, & Industrial Strategy permanent secretary on the year the department moved from transition to transformation

DCMS perm sec Sue Owen reflects on a year of a name change, of WWI commemorations and EU exit plans

Department for Education perm sec Jonathan Slater on how the ministry responded to Grenfell

Defra perm sec Clare Moriarty on a year preparing for Brexit and delivering the civil service’s first unconference

Sir Robert Devereux: DWP perm sec reflects on “an important year” for the department and his decision to retire

Chief medical officer Prof. Dame Sally Davies on a year tackling antimicrobial resistance and acting on childhood obesity

Antonia Romeo: Department for International Trade perm sec on her first year in the top job

MoJ perm sec Richard Heaton praises the hard work of prison staff and taking forward court and tribunal reforms in 2018

'Alexa, show me Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency chief executive Oliver Morley’s 2017 review'

DfT perm sec Bernadette Kelly on how 2016 got HS2 on track

Home Office permanent secretary Philip Rutnam reflects on his first year since moving from the Department for Transport

Treasury second perm sec Charles Roxburgh on a challenging year and 2018’s productivity challenge

Jeff James: the keeper of the National Archives on the importance of digital preservation... and Christmas with a real tree

FCO perm sec Sir Simon McDonald on delivering a ‘one government’ response to crises in 2017

MoD perm sec Stephen Lovegrove reveals the tough decisions facing the department in 2018

NAO auditor general Sir Amyas Morse on how audit helped Whitehall improve in 2017 and priorities in response to Brexit

Innovate UK chief executive Dr Ruth McKernan on a decade of helping businesses grow

Government Communications executive director Alex Aiken on the “significant progress for the comms profession in 2017

HMRC perm sec Jon Thompson on doing Brexit and transformation at once and Christmas cinema visits

GDS chief Kevin Cunnington on moving offices in 2017 and delivering the Government Transformation Strategy

Charity Commission chief Helen Stephenson reflects on her first six months at the watchdog

Treasury solicitor Jonathan Jones on ensuring a nimble response to government priorities and finally joining Twitter in 2017

National Crime Agency DG Lynne Owens on how to stay a step ahead of serious and organised criminals in 2018

Land Registry chief Graham Farrant reveals a successful response to an IT crisis that risked the smooth functioning of the property market

Government Equalities Office director Hilary Spencer on introducing world leading gender pay gap legalisation in 2017

2017 review: National Savings & Investments Ian Ackerley reveals his Christmas car passion

Ofsted chief Amanda Spielman on inspection reform and her Christmas passion for bread sauce

Government commercial chief Gareth Rhys Williams on boosting Whitehall procurement capability and binge watching The Thick of It

Environment Agency chair Emma Howard Boyd on how it stays alert in the winter

Arts Council England chief Darren Henley on supporting culture in 2017 and the authenticity of pantomimes

Infrastructure and Projects Authority chief exec Tony Meggs on improving Whitehall delivery and undertaking a scheme of his own

Ofwat chief Cathryn Ross on introducing more competition to the water market in 2017… and Christmas Eve carp

Rob Varley: Met Office chief executive on the weather service's growing global impact

Duncan Selbie: Public Health England chief executive on PHE's efforts in Sierra Leone and moving office in 2021

Sally Collier on her first year as Ofqual chief regulator, and the 'smooth introduction' of new GCSEs and A-levels

Chief people officer Rupert McNeil on diversity networks, LGBT representation, and Christmas cake

Sport England chief Jennie Price on governance changes, boosting participation, and winter beach walks

Malcolm Harrison: Crown Commercial Service chief executive on refreshing commercial frameworks in 2018

UK Intellectual Property Office CEO Tim Moss reflects on homemade sloe gin and leaving Companies House

Andrew Rhodes: Whitehall operational delivery chief reflects on 2017’s introduction of the largest welfare reforms in generations

Office of Rail and Road chief executive Joanna Whittington reflects on her first year

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