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Friends in NED: why the UK government needs independent non-executive directors

Growing allegations of cronyism have raised questions about non-executive directors’ influence and put pressure on the UK government to be more transparent about their appointment. Jack Aldane hears from current […]

Easy money: transforming tax collection

By digitally transforming the collection of financial data, governments can streamline and automate the process of assessing and collecting business taxes. But to successfully deliver reforms, the panellists warned at […]

Dawn of a new energy infrastructure

To reach net zero, countries will have to radically reshape their energy production and distribution infrastructures – reforming policies and regulations in every field from transport to housing. Catherine Early […]

Necessity is the mother of innovation: turning burning platforms into launchpads for reform

In the face of the pandemic, civil servants have taken big risks to protect their populations – short-circuiting established processes to launch innovative services and transform working practices. At a […]

Will the pandemic pave the way for welfare reform? The UK’s former homelessness tsar sets out her vision

It was the devastation of the Second World War that gave birth to the UK’s welfare state, and now, argues Louise Casey, the covid-19 pandemic provides the government with a […]

We’re all teleworkers now: flexible working policies in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia

As social distancing rules are relaxed, will civil servants be drawn back into the office? Pablo Jimenez Arandia examines the emerging policies on flexible working in four big countries and […]

Aye of the needle: overcoming vaccine hesitancy

To end the pandemic, governments must persuade the vast majority of adults to get vaccinated – but apathy, health fears and conspiracy theories are holding down vaccination rates. Liz Heron […]

Best in class: a more inclusive approach to diversity

To date, the diversity agenda has largely focused on race, gender, sexuality and disability – but it’s just as important that civil service workforces include staff from different social classes, […]

Who is William Shawcross, the government’s pick for public appointments commissioner?

In the CVs of senior regulators, it’s not par for the course to see books reporting on the rise of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and biographies of figures including […]

Finding the growth elixir: how to build high-tech business clusters

Thriving in the pandemic, digital and science firms promise renewed growth to governments that can foster world-class tech hubs. But how can civil servants help researchers and start-ups to build […]