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Civil servants in the Department of Health tried to prevent a doctor from raising safety concerns directly with ministers, The Sunday Times reported this weekend.

The National Security Strategy (NSS) does not have sufficient contingency plans, creating a “dangerous and unwise” situation that could cause problems for the UK, a parliamentary committee warns today.

Outsourcing is here to stay, argues Tony Travers (pictured): the civil service needs the skills to manage providers and to foster competitive markets.

The UK hasn’t had an EU policy for years, but civil servants still have a duty to fight for our interests in Brussels, argues Sir Andrew Cahn (pictured). 

Two major suppliers were charging the Ministry of Justice for the electronic tagging of people who didn’t exist. Colin Marrs investigates how we ended up in this position, and what’s being done to tighten up procurement

The Universal Credit reforms risk placing too much responsibility on chaotic drug users, warns a civil service substance abuse expert

To reform organisations and deliver policies in an era of cuts, the civil service needs to dramatically improve its staff development. Adam Branson reports from a round table discussion on identifying and nurturing talent

Michael Barber, the former head of Tony Blair’s Delivery Unit, has told CSW he is “tempted” by the idea of a commission on civil service reform, as long as it’s able to build cross-party consensus.

Businesses have voiced broad support in a number of areas for the principle of European Union membership, according to a set of surveys released by the government.

The government is ignoring the digital needs of both the most vulnerable people in society and frontline civil servants, according to Chi Onwurah, a Labour shadow Cabinet Office minister.

With the Cloud First strategy gathering pace, how secure is the government’s data when stored online? Tim Gibson reports on a round table that weighed the risks, and considered how to mitigate them

A therapist discusses the funding cuts and incessant policy changes that have exhausted NHS staff

A burrito place that doesn’t have any beans: could anything be more frustrating‽ In fact, the only upside of eating at Adobo in Victoria is that I can utilise the trusty interrobang (‽) in CSW, winning a bet – and, consequently, the ability to eat lunch somewhere nicer next time around.

Sharon White, the Treasury’s DG for public services, has been made its second permanent secretary.

The government last week published advice given by HM Treasury permanent secretary Sir Nicholas Macpherson, cautioning the chancellor against a currency union with an independent Scotland.

A quality and audit lead at a hospice tells Jon Stone about jumping through CQC hoops, and the joys of unfunded central policies.

Universal Credit has been stymied by confused accountability and a “very, very poor set of decisions,” Public Accounts Committee chair Margaret Hodge has told CSW.

Reaching 60 is undoubtedly a milestone occasion befitting of celebration. And though it wasn’t my milestone, I was more than happy to take the opportunity to check out La Trompette – a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chiswick. Having never sampled Michelin-starred offerings before, I was intrigued to see if it would live up to the hype.

Serious questions remain about accountability for Universal Credit in light of Robert Devereux and Iain Duncan Smith’s latest appearance before MPs, the Institute for Government has said.

The Cabinet Office is using its Contestable Policy Fund to commission research from outside government asking why women are not progressing to the top roles of the civil service.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin has blocked the publication of the project assessment review report into the HS2 rail line.

Poor financial forecasting is an “entrenched” problem in the civil service, and leads to money being wasted across departments, the National Audit Office has said.

The Cabinet Office has appointed a former oil executive to take charge of the Major Projects Authority, it announced this week.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has launched a consultation on the open source document formats which his department is proposing should be used across government.

The Serious Fraud Office has asked for emergency funding of £19m to pay for higher than expected expenditure on a series of big investigations.

Social investment charity Nesta has been named as the government’s chosen partner in the first mutual joint venture spun off from a Whitehall policy unit.

A lack of resources is making it more difficult for the Charity Commission to do its job, the organisation’s chief executive has said.

The Public Administration Select Committee wants the creation of an independent commission into the civil service. The PM has so far given a firm ‘no’ – but its chair, Bernard Jenkin, won’t let up. Joshua Chambers meets him

In the wake of a series of scandals around government procurement, CSW held a round table on how to minimise the risks involved in contracting out public sector activity. Colin Marrs reports on a bid to fashion Outsourcing 2.0

Managerial politics only works in an era of economic growth, Liberal Democrat peer Lord Ashdown has warned, and the current political “vacuum where those great principles and debates should lie” leaves space for some “ugly ideas” to enter the mainstream.

Government does not know the impact of its schemes to provide SMEs with access to finance, nor how much of the money invested in the schemes has reached small companies, according to a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report published yesterday.

Government’s use of payment by results contracts will inhibit its ability to buy services from charities and social enterprises, the Institute for Government has warned.

At least 2% of the government’s benefits expenditure has been taken up by fraud and error since 2005, according to new figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).