Leadership

Former Department of Health permanent secretary Dame Una O’Brien and the DH's current deputy director of legislation and policy reflect on the lessons from a series of seminars drawing on insights from past healthcare leaders and those working on the innovations of the future

Writing exclusively for CSW, Neil Couling – director general of the Department for Work and Pensions' Universal Credit programme – says strong political backing, a "test and learn" approach to delivery, and giving staff the space to develop has helped get the welfare reform scheme back on track

Microsoft surveys a handful of capabilities offered by SQL Server 2016

Cabinet secretary and head of the civil service Sir Jeremy Heywood responds after critics point to lack of female leaders at the very top of Whitehall

Former Department for Work and Pensions permanent secretary Leigh Lewis finds that Martin Stanley’s new book How to be a Civil Servant offers a valuable guide, but not quite the whole picture

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union announces one-day strike action of policy officials set to be affected by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' plan to close its office in Sheffield

Nearly half of senior managers say they cannot work flexibly, according to a survey by the FDA union — despite a range of policies to encourage better work-life balance

Union general secretary rounds on plans for another overhaul of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, with planned changes "all the more galling” after 2010's negotiations

General secretary of union for senior civil servants says staff cuts taking a toll on membership numbers — but defends move to extend reach with new Keystone initiative

Interim chief Martin Jones has position made permanent

FDA union calls for civil servants to be paid for all overtime, as survey shows an increase in the number of officials working above their contracted hours

Microsoft takes a look at how video conferencing is transforming courtroom efficiency

Appointment of new leader at the energy department comes after the Competition and Markets Authority called for a "reset" of government's relationship with energy suppliers

Specialist union's formal response to Cabinet Office's planned shake-up of Civil Service Compensation Scheme warns of impact on workforce management – and raises prospect of industrial action

The dearth of top female leaders shows that Whitehall must not get complacent on gender equality

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee chair Bernard Jenkin says legislation may be needed to make non-executive directors brought into government feel less disposable

The Public Accounts Committee wants the most senior civil servants to play a greater role in approving major projects, and to publish their assessments of whether policies offer value for money

PCS study of almost 25,000 civil servants, including managers, finds widespread concern about the way performance management is working in practice

Cabinet Office review prompts fresh distinctions between executive agencies (EAs), non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and non-ministerial departments (NMDs)

Pinsent Masons lawyer and former Stonewall chair David Isaac to become chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) after promising to step back from decisions around government contracts

Former chief of defence materiel, who left the civil service at the end of 2015, to carry out progress review for the MoD on equipment buying

Department of Health says “military level” contingency planning in place to ensure emergency care will continue

Union's deputy general secretary says 1% average pay rise cap is "not sustainable", after government gives departments more freedom to reward "outstanding" senior officials

What values should guide officials at a time of deep scepticism with democratic institutions? David Faulkner was a civil servant at the Home Office for over 30 years before joining Oxford University's Centre for Criminology – here he shares his thoughts on how public officials can secure the confidence of the citizens they serve