Sir Chris Wormald introduces the 22nd edition of Civil Service Quarterly. The lead item is a new interview with Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service Sir Mark Sedwill, while other articles focus on subjects ranging from the National Security Council, a decade after its creation, to how UK Research and Innovation is changing the way research is funded.
On 24 February 2015 Parliament passed regulations to make the UK the first country in the world in which treatment involving DNA from three people can be used to prevent the transmission of serious mitochondrial disease from mother to child. Alexandra Humphris-Bach from Sciencewise outlines the importance of the public voice in guiding this process.
Alex Morris, from the Strategy and Growth Directorate in BIS, explains how they are planning for the rising demand for people trained in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
The Scottish Referendum preoccupied Whitehall over the autumn. But civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Executive were engaged in supporting talks in Northern Ireland to avert a growing crisis in devolution there. Sir Jonathan Stephens, the Permanent Secretary of the Northern Ireland Office describes how these culminated in the Stormont House Agreement, reached on the eve of Christmas.
Welcome to the eighth edition of Civil Service Quarterly. A key theme running through this issue is that technological advancements are changing the way we live and work: ‘A revolution on our roads’ explores a future in which cars drive themselves; …
Tackling the most recent Ebola outbreak has been an international effort. The Department for International Development (DFID) is leading the UK response to the crisis in Sierra Leone, working with a range of other departments to fight the virus abroad and on home soil. Jennie Barugh, Head of the Ebola Crisis Unit at DFID explains why cross-departmental collaboration is crucial in stopping the spread of the disease.
Once considered the black sheep of the Defra family, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has advanced from disparate, struggling silos to a unified example of best practice in Government. Chief executive Mark Grimshaw outlines the approach behind this four-year transformation.
Public service professions have lagged behind the medical profession in using empirical evidence to guide decision making. David Halpern, National Adviser on What Works & CEO of Behavioural Insights Team, explains how the emergence of ‘What Works Centres’ can change this, and outlines the case for ‘radical incrementalism’.
A team of Policy Fellows are bringing new insights and challenge to policy making in the Department for Education (DfE). Nicole Berry and Bridie Tooher from the DfE’s Strategy Unit, explain how embedding seven ‘outsiders’ is raising capability across the department.
The Department for Health (DH) is pioneering a new Connecting programme to equip its staff with a better understanding of frontline experience. Peter Howitt and Kate Dewit explain why encouraging staff to spend time in delivery organisations is bringing benefits for citizens, delivery organisations and DH staff.
Government interest is growing in the potential for design to improve policy. Miles Ayling, Director of Innovation at NHS England and Catherine Makin, Project Manager for Health at the Design Council, explain how a partnership between NHS England and the Design Council has reduced aggression, improved staff morale and led to better patient experience across A&E departments.
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