News

The British Library’s vast collection is about to get much bigger. Suzannah Brecknell meets its new chief executive, Roly Keating, to find out how the world’s second largest library is reinventing itself for the digital age

All government departments will be required to deliver the goals outlined in the civil service Capabilities Plan released last week, Bob Kerslake, head of the civil service, has told CSW.

The Cabinet Office has established a new structure, chaired by cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, to improve government’s long term planning, Civil Service World can reveal.

Government must plan ahead for long-term social, economic and environmental change, so it employs ‘horizon scanners’ to predict likely scenarios. Joshua Chambers looks at what the future holds for this unusual profession.

Companies run by two lead departmental non-executive directors (Neds) have been publicly accused of serious wrongdoing.

The government needs a chief financial officer (CFO) “who is clearly and visibly responsible for ensuring that spending decisions are made on the basis of financial analysis and for measuring the outcomes in terms of value for money and performance management,” Rebecca McCaffry, innovation specialist at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), has told CSW.

“Only one or two companies” owned by the government will never be privatised, Mark Russell, the new head of the Shareholder Executive, told the Financial Times on Monday. The government owns stakes in 21 businesses, including trading funds such as Ordnance Survey and the Land Registry.

The Postcode Address File – a database containing details of over 28m UK addresses – is to be sold off along with the Royal Mail in the coalition’s privatisation plans, prompting criticism from the government-backed Open Data Institute (ODI).

Ed Lester, former head of the Student Loans Company (SLC), has been appointed chief executive of the Land Registry. He replaces Malcolm Dawson, who joined the Land Registry in 2008 and became chief exec in 2011 on a fixed-term contract.

Chris Wormald, the education department’s permanent secretary, is leading organisational changes that go well beyond the Civil Service Reform Plan. Matt Ross quizzes him on the outcomes of his "zero-based review".

For years, governments have run pilots exploring ways to improve local autonomy and coordination between services at the sharp end. Winnie Agbonlahor reports on the latest results – and the prospects for radical change

People are using their mobile phones and tablet computers for a fast-growing range of tasks, and service providers must keep up. Joshua Chambers reports on how digital by default has morphed into mobile first

The long-awaited Capabilities Plan has now emerged, outlining how civil service skills and abilities are to be strengthened. Now the work begins: Colin Marrs explains how officials will be required to put flesh on its bones.

The coalition really doesn’t understand health and safety, a professional in the field tells Tom Heyden.

It’s not clear that the MoJ is ready for its next big challenge

The Ministry of Justice is at the forefront of the coalition’s moves towards both outsourcing of service provision, and payment by results – meaning that life isn’t always easy for its chief, Ursula Brennan. Matt Ross meets her

The transport department's Community Rail Ambassador Project won the Understanding and Engaging with Communities award in the Diversity and Equality Awards for their work encouraging disadvantaged groups to make better use of rail travel. Civil Service World finds out more

Under the coalition’s open data agenda, the trading funds are being encouraged to release more information without charge. But if they give away their biggest asset for free, how can they earn a living? Winnie Agbonlahor reports.

Civil Service Learning is struggling to reverse a terrible trend.

In 2010, a CSW survey revealed civil servants’ feelings about their training. Three years on, post budget cuts and Civil Service Learning, we’ve asked them again – with quite different results. Suzannah Brecknell reports.

The annual drama of the Budget is a dysfunctional relic and should be scrapped, says Julian McCrae. Ministers and civil servants have bigger – and more nourishing – fish to fry.

The former head of construction for the London 2012 Olympic games, Howard Shiplee, has been appointed to lead the delivery of Universal Credit, the Department for Work and Pensions has announced today.

The Department for Communities and Local Government must do more to ensure the success of a £1.3 billion scheme aimed at boosting home building, the National Audit Office (NAO) warned today.