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National Audit Office report on Crown Commercial Service blames failure to achieve forecast procurement savings on “overambitious targets, poor planning, inadequate data and lack of buy in”

 

Lack of awareness about devolution issues in Whitehall is “unacceptable”, the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee says, as Brexit brings fresh pressure for UK government to improve the way it works with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Ipsos Mori research shows a drop in trust of  politicians, ministers, business leaders, charity leaders, and the ordinary man in the street

National Audit Office report suggests DWP's "use of sanctions is linked as much to management priorities and local staff discretion as it is to claimants’ behaviour"

MP calls for further investigation into a contract between UKTI and a consultancy firm which was cancelled after officials raised concerns over invoicing

The Department for Exiting the EU will be given £94m a year from 2017, while the FCO and trade department receive extra funding to build trade policy capability. But the FDA union has warned of EU exit "on the cheap"

FCO perm sec Simon McDonald has told MPs he is “hopeful” that the Treasury will announce a new fund to recruit trade policy staff in today’s Autumn Statement

Researchers warn about lack of transparency over evidence behind policies announced in big fiscal events

David Cameron’s policy guru ruminates on his career over lunch with CSW's Suzannah Brecknell

"We need to go back, we need to re-plan, we need to be realistic, we can't do it all", says civil service chief executive

As well as leading the Ministry of Justice through a time of immense challenge and change, Richard Heaton is also busy trying to break down the barriers holding back black and minority ethnic civil servants. He tells Suzannah Brecknell why he’s optimistic about the future. Photos: Paul Heartfield

Constitutional expert and Whitehall historian Lord Hennessy says work must begin now for an official history of the UK’s exit from the European Union

Exclusive: David Cameron’s policy guru and former Cabinet Office minister warns agains "jargon-ridden, non-sensical, useless, distracting management speak" and argues for better treatment of civil servants to compensate for pay restraints

Justice permanent secretary tells MPs that “bearing down on the gap” between spending review targets and actual spending is the largest challenge for his officials, as he stands by the decision to implement spending controls that caused friction between department and prisons inspectorate

The outspoken former chair of the Public Accounts Committee chews the fat with Suzannah Brecknell

Public Accounts Committee criticises decision to class new carrier bag charges as a deregulatory measure, as officials indicate that many more regulations will soon come under scope of government's Business Impact Target

Exclusive: David Cameron’s former policy guru tells CSW that Brexit negotiations will be like a “multi-dimensional game of chess” and officials must co-ordinate analysis work to make sure British politicians have upper hand

New review of the way the ONS develops its methodology calls for a board-level Innovation Champion

While most departments closed their historical services many years ago, a few are building new ways to bring past expertise to their policy-making. Suzannah Brecknell speaks to key figures including former Treasury permanent secretary Sir Nicholas Macpherson about Whitehall's renewed drive to learn the lessons of history

IfG says civil service is responding quickly to prepare for Brexit — but warns that ministerial conflict and uncertainty over the process could undermine this work

Ed Balls, Jacqui Smith and Jack Straw are among the latest former ministers to lift the lid on their dealings with the civil service. Suzannah Brecknell reports

HMRC may need to delay digital tax plans, Treasury committee chair Andrew Tyrie tells new chancellor Philip Hammond

Civil service also sees 10% fall in number of temporary staff, according to the latest ONS stats

 Panel of experts — which include former Paralympic swimmer Chris Holmes — launched to help civil service to improve inclusion for disabled staff

Former Public Accounts Committee chair Margaret Hodge calls on new prime minister Theresa May to appoint a third of perm secs from outside the civil service and challenge the “masonic” culture among senior officials

Former chair of the Public Accounts Committee wants to “tear away the shroud of secrecy” around corporate tax settlements, calling for scrutiny along similar lines to the Intelligence and Security Committee

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs committee chairman says opening up civil service recruitment to outsiders is welcome, but a "second-best objective" when organisation should be building its own capability

High speed rail project faces "volatile" costs and skills shortages, Public Accounts Committee says, as the group of MPs urge government to finalise decisions on route

Treasury resistance hampered early planning, while over-stretched senior officials failed to spot warning signs that the project to overhaul benefits was failing, according to an in-depth report published by the Institute for Government

Former Cabinet Office perm sec – and one-time Football Association chief exec – set to return as Civil Service Commissioner, subject to approval from MPs

Exclusive: Former Cabinet Office minister says nothing should be done to weaken the "central authority" of the Government Digital Service, as the United Nations' latest e-government index has Britain at the top for the first time

Public sector organisations can now buy blockchain technologies through the government’s Digital Marketplace

New director Crystal Akass and operations lead Jo Rodrigues will report to chief people officer Rupert McNeil

Earlier this month, the Infrastructure and Projects Authority published its annual report shedding light on the government’s largest and most complex projects. Alongside details on budget and timelines, each project is given a red, amber or green rating to indicate how likely it is to deliver expected benefits. Suzannah Brecknell takes a look at some of the key findings

New service charter sets out what the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman expects from departments and NHS trusts

Think tank calls for stronger sector-wide systems to support and learn from failing organisations