Sir Chris Wormald introduces the 21st 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.
John Sheridan, Digital Director at The National Archives, examines how the organisation is tackling the urgent issue of managing the shift to digital records and the risks to preserving them.
A decade since the UK Government's Behavioural Insights Team became the first in the world dedicated to applying behavioural science to public policy, BIT CEO David Halpern identifies the policy ‘unicorns’ – the successful ‘nudges’ prompted by behavioural insights.
As the organisation's champion for Diversity and Inclusion, Melanie Dawes looks at progress towards a truly inclusive Civil Service, introduces two civil servants from underrepresented groups who describe their experience, and pinpoints five ways in which we can all help to turn ambition into reality.
Nick Smallwood, who as CEO of the Infrastructure and Projects Authority oversees the Government Major Projects Portfolio, writes that where projects fail there are shared features to learn from and apply those learnings to future projects.
Anthony Smith, Westminster Foundation for Democracy CEO, looks at how the WFD, the UK Government’s democracy-support agency for developing countries, is responding to the main challenges to democracy today.
John Pullinger, who retired this year as UK National Statistician, talks about the value of statistics in the data and information age, and gives his views on subjects including fake news and the level of statistical literacy in public life.
Matthew Coats, Director General, EU Exit Implementation, looks in detail at the wide-ranging Civil Service preparations for the UK's withdrawal from the EU, including in the event of there being ‘no deal’.
Department for International Trade (DIT) Permanent Secretary Antonia Romeo takes questions from Joe Watts, DIT's Head of News, about the department's role and how it is helping to shape the UK’s place in the world.
Finland’s former Ambassador to the UK argues that her country’s consistently good performance in various international rankings stems from its well-functioning public administration, based on values such as equality and transparency.
As Government Actuary Martin Clarke explains, experts in his department make a vital contribution to issues ranging from the cost of pensions, to amounts paid out in personal injury claims, and planning financial assistance for those affected by natural disasters.
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