Operational Delivery

Independent Commission for Aid Impact says DfID’s aid measurement focuses too much on short term financial results over long term ‘transformative change’

National Audit Office report says department consulted carefully on Care Act, but sounds warning over whether local authorities will be able to cope with demand

GDS confirms Digital Services framework will be overhauled after user feedback

Austin Mitchell reviews a new book examining the impact of decades of reform to central government 

Stereotyped as masters of the dark arts, what role do special advisers really play? As a new crop arrives in Whitehall, Sarah Aston asked some veteran spads to share their war stories

Number 10 spokesperson denies new units tracking policy progress are a "judgement on the civil service"

Report by the National Audit Office says Department for Work and Pensions must get better at spotting potential problems with big schemes

Civil service culture is perceived to be one of the biggest barriers to digital change, a survey carried out by techUK reveals 

FDA union general secretary Dave Penman warns that civil servants have been left "undervalued, exhausted and unclear about the future"

Department for Work and Pensions to be led by Iain Duncan Smith again as Cameron fleshes out new government

Former education secretary Michael Gove to take on justice secretary role while Nicky Morgan stays at DfE

New poll of health workers by Dods Research finds Labour most trusted on NHS, but there is doubt over the main parties' policy pledges

Michael Barber joins former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley at event on delivery co-hosted by the Cabinet Office, Centre for Public Impact and Institute for Government

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.

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

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

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

Former Scope and Mencap IT director Conall Bullock takes on newly-created Cabinet Office role, reporting directly to permanent secretary Richard Heaton

New report by the Institute for Government think tank warns that 'huge variation in quality, usability and accessibility' of data is making it harder to measure departmental performance against Business Plans

Report by the Public Accounts Committee says HMRC too slow in identifying potential abuse of tax reliefs

 The next government must build on existing Whitehall reforms if it wants to avoid mid-term failures, says think tank the Institute for Government

Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude says £11bn of £20bn annual Whitehall efficiency drive identified, but Labour warns of little room for more 'back office efficiencies' 

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee warn commercial skills gap at Defence Equipment and Support will undermine MoD efforts to reduce costs if not addressed

Departments to pay market-level rent for offices and other freehold assets in drive to better manage government land and property