Leadership

Chairman of the cross-party Liaison Committee writes to David Cameron to say he believes referendum rules for civil servants take too much power from pro-Brexit ministers

Bishop to lead body which regulates civil service appointments

Second perm sec to announce he is leaving the civil service after vying for top Treasury job

The civil service has always had great people, argues former senior Cabinet Office official Andrew Greenway – but it must get better at valuing trust over hierarchy

Bernard Jenkin says his Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee needs more time to scrutinise the government's choice for public appointments watchdog – and the government has yet to name its preferred candidate for the civil service equivalent

As the Treasury's permanent Nick Macpherson this week departs the civil service after more than a decade as the department's most senior official, here's our full conversation with his former boss as chancellor, Alistair Darling – who worked with Macpherson as the Treasury grappled with the 2007-8 global economic crisis

Infrastructure and Projects Authority says strong public sector involvement coupled with move away from traditional government structures has been a important factor in the success of capital projects like London 2012 and Crossrail

A new book by Beth Simone Noveck – a former open-government adviser to both US president Barack Obama and prime minister David Cameron – contains useful lessons for the civil service on finding the right expertise

Departments to spearhead use of HR metrics, and target apprenticeships and internships at working class kids, as Cabinet Office updates its diversity Talent Action Plan

Largest civil service union to ballot members on closure of Department for Business, Innovation and Skills St Paul's Place site – as permanent secretary Martin Donnelly tells MPs the decision will "make policy work more cost-effectively"

Since Clare Moriarty became permanent secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last August, she has found herself drawing on three decades of Whitehall experience to tackle challenges like flooding and organisational reform. Jess Bowie meets her

PAC says "encouraging signs of change" on the commercial front – but urges Cabinet Office to do more to chase up departments who are failing to make progress

A lack of challenging advice, no control over important appointments and poor management information are among the frustrations voiced by David Laws, Greg Barker, Ken Clarke, Stephen Hammond and Baroness Kramer speaking in the latest interviews under the Institute for Government's 'Ministers Reflect' series

Government's preferred candidate to succeed Sir David Normington as Commissioner for Public Appointments says revamped process for filling top public jobs will not result in ministers "just being able to get who they want"

Microsoft considers the safest way to push the boundaries of innovation

Looking back on past government blunders, it’s hard not to think senior officials could have done more to persuade politicians to take better decisions, argues former senior civil servant Martin Stanley 

The outgoing Commissioner for Public Appointments Sir David Normington warns that proposals to change the way ministers make appointments to top public posts would represent a step in the wrong direction — and could undermine progress in making sure jobs are awarded on merit

Committee chair Bernard Jenkin warns cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood that guidance on support for pro-Brexit ministers could leave officials exposed during legal proceedings — but Heywood says withdrawing them "would simply create uncertainty and confusion"

Bath and North East Somerset Council's Jo Farrar set to join Department for Communities and Local Government's senior management team

Outgoing director of the Institute for Government think tank due to take over from Sir David Normington at watchdog ensuring ministers fill top public jobs on merit

Chancellor pays tribute to "great public servant" – but SNP MPs jeer reference to "impartiality"

CCS chief Collier says independence of exams watchdog Ofqual "one of the attractions" of taking on chief regulator role – and says procurement background no barrier to doing the job

"The obvious efficiency savings have come through in the early period," says former head of the civil service – as chancellor prepares to outline £4bn of further spending cuts

Former Times health editor on the move to BIS