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Senior civil servants are used to facing tough questioning from select committees. Elizabeth Bates looks at what the next parliament might have in store for these powerful groups of MPs

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude tells CSW that performance management should move from a system where managers categorise set proportions of staff as performing well, acceptably and poorly to one where employees are individually ranked best to worst

As Whitehall continues to professionalise civil service policy making, the Institute for Policy Research’s director Hugh Lauder shares his perspectives on evidence-based policy, and how the Institute’s new Professional Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice serves to help policy-makers 

It’s two years since the launch of the Major Projects Leadership Academy, a training school designed to improve the leadership of big public sector schemes. With 100 graduates now under its belt, is the programme achieving its aims? Colin Marrs reports

Lord Falconer is the man entrusted by Ed Miliband with preparing Labour for government. Here he speaks to Matt Foster about the party’s plans for Whitehall, and why he thinks the coalition has got its relationship with the civil service "dramatically wrong". Photos by Louise Haywood-Schiefer

Thirty three companies take the lion’s share of central government procurement spending, between them receiving roughly £10bn of Whitehall money each year. But who are they? Do they truly understand the public sector? And do civil servants trust them? Rebecca Sims-Robinson crunches the numbers.

Another inconclusive election will mean uncertainty for the country – and complex challenges for Whitehall, says the Institute for Government's Peter Riddell

With the general election looming, Geoff Mulgan and Stian Westlake of the innovation think tank Nesta​ say any prime minister who wants to get things done needs to seriously consider changes to the centre of government

Five years ago, Gus O’Donnell was a key player in the delicate transition to a coalition government. Peter Hennessy asks the former cabinet secretary what we might expect after next month’s vote

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg promises above-inflation payrise for public sector from 2019 if party holds "balance of power"

Journalist Jane Dudman assesses the state of Whitehall as it prepares for a new government

Exclusive: Labour peer in charge of preparing party for government says he wants to avoid "civil service wars" associated with creating, scrapping and merging departments, but eyes greater role for Number 10

A learning support assistant tells Sarah Aston about the unintended effects Labour’s inclusion policy is having on mainstream schools over a decade after it was introduced. Illustration by John Levers

Policy-makers around the world are using open data to bolster their development programmes, says Liz Carolan of the Open Data Institute

SNP leader and Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon sets out party's plans to 'change the direction' of next government, as David Cameron pledges yearly Treasury and Cabinet Office review of impact of devolved decisions

Across the world, central and local governments are doing more to share common IT systems. Joshua Chambers looks at global examples of “government as a platform”

Changes to civil service media rules dreamt up in Whitehall look very different to officials on the frontline, argues FDA union general secretary Dave Penman

‘Fragmentation’ and coalition wariness will make post-election talks more ‘complicated’, Institute for Government director Peter Riddell tells UCL event

Naureen Khan, Associate Director, Central Government at techUK outlines techUK's Three Point Plan for better public services

Tackling the cultural and organisational changes needed to optimise and improve digital customer experience across the public sector

Foreign Office announces that its permanent secretary Simon Fraser is to leave Whitehall at the end of July

In the second of CSW's in-depth assessments of the party manifestos, Mark Rowe picks apart the Tory document to find out what the party has in store for the civil service

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says education budget boost will have 'near religious status' in future coalition talks

Following the Home Office’s introduction of exit checks at ports and border crossings last week, air transport specialist SITA’s Ray Batt discusses how technology can help ensure security while reducing passenger delays