What can policy professionals learn from evidence-based policing? Matt Bland highlights examples of evidence-based innovation on the front line, and what policy professionals across the civil service can learn fro...

Matt Bland highlights examples of evidence-based innovation on the front line, and what policy professionals across the civil service can learn from this experience
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DWP sees apprenticeship starts halve over three years Minister blames headcount restrictions but flags focus on digital and counter-fraud roles

Minister says apprentice numbers "have been limited in recent years by headcount restrictions in the civil service”
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NICS confirms Executive Office perm sec appointment Moira Doherty takes helm of Northern Ireland’s core strategy department after serving as interim since February

Head of NICS Jayne Brady has appointed Moira Doherty as permanent secretary of The Executive Office
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Sedwill: PM should reinstate Robbins Former cab sec and national security adviser says Starmer should 'retract his accusations' against ex-FCDO perm sec

Former cab sec and national security adviser says Starmer should "retract his accusations" against Robbins
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From complaints to change: How to rebuild trust in public services With a new name to accompany a deliberate shift towards greater systemic and preventative impact, the Public Service Ombudsman will lean into its c...

"If we listen carefully, act on what we hear, and work together across the system, complaints can become a powerful driver of improvement"
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Robbins: FCDO insisted Mandelson undergo developed vetting despite 'dismissive' attitude from No.10 Former FCDO perm sec Olly Robbins says his department did not 'overrule' UKSV on granting DV clearance to Mandelson, but followed proper process to...

Robbins said there was an “atmosphere of pressure” surrounding Mandelson’s appointment, with regular phone calls from the No.10 private office to chase up the process
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Strike ballot over FCDO job cuts fails to reach turnout threshold Union says it was “a handful” of votes short of securing an overwhelming mandate to oppose department’s restructuring plans

Union says it was “a handful” of votes short of securing an overwhelming mandate to oppose department’s restructuring plans
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Civil Service Commission launches review of revolving-doors rules Watchdog also kicks off new audits of departments’ approaches to business appointment rules at lower grades

Watchdog also kicks off new audits of departments’ approaches to business appointment rules at lower grades
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'Region building is nation building': Who is responsible for driving economic growth? Local, central and regional government leaders shared their thoughts at the recent Connected Places Summit

Who is responsible for driving economic growth? Local, central and regional government leaders shared their thoughts at the recent Connected Places Summit
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Latest civil service & public affairs moves – 30 March–20 April Appointments in the civil service, UK politics, and public affairs, via Dods People

The latest moves 👇
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Ex-Defra perm sec Helen Ghosh put forward to chair environment watchdog Ghosh, who also led the National Trust, named as preferred candidate for Office for Environmental Protection job

Former Defra perm sec Helen Ghosh named as preferred candidate for Office for Environmental Protection job
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Robbins sacking: Gus O'Donnell warns of 'serious' crisis in ministerial-civil service relations Former cabinet secretary says the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins “risks having a serious and sustained chilling effect on serving and prospective civi...

Former cab sec says the sacking of Sir Olly Robbins “risks having a serious and sustained chilling effect on serving and prospective civil servants"
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He said SR25 is a "crucial foundation ...and on that foundation we can now go even further", and he's keen to use the time before SR27 formally kicks off to develop ideas on what that might look like. Murray said this is an "active process" involving NEDs and "externals". END OF THREAD

For the next SR, Murray said he wants to "build on what we've done in terms of transformation for SR25 and go much further in SR 27".

Murray also mentioned that each department has a lead-NED focusing on delivering the efficiency plans, and HMT has facilitated a meeting of those lead NEDs to share lessons and ideas.

He said that for example, Justice Transcribe – an AI programme in the MoJ – is reducing every meeting by about 12 minutes on average but external voices had “challenged us to think about moving beyond that to make entire processes more efficient”.

The minister also said that the “really big win” from AI will come from focusing on making entire processes more efficient rather than improving individuals’ productivity.

He said: "It’s not saying, we’re not good enough, we don’t have the ideas. It’s saying, there’s lots of great people working in departments getting on with their day job" but it is "right to have challenge from outside about how we can transform and do better in the future".

Murray said he learnt that, “we don’t always have the ideas in government about how to do transformation – we need to be open to having ideas and challenge from outside. And I think we should have confidence in saying that."

He said a target to reduce the amount of post that HMRC sends out came from that external challenge.

Speaking at an Institute for Government event, Murray said HMRC took this approach to find transformation efficiencies for SR25 when he was the minister for HMRC, getting external people in (people that non-executive directors knew from the private sector in to give the department a "gentle kick".

THREAD: James Murray, chief secretary to the Treasury, has said he wants to bring in more external input into government to help drive transformation and improve productivity.

What is the cost of DWP’s UC anti-fraud algorithm? Since being launched by the benefits department five years ago, an automated tech tool has been subject to criticism and controversy. Sam Trendall ...

A deep dive into five years of DWP’s controversial fraud-detection tool
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Home Office gives update on pledge to end use of asylum hotels Department says eleven more hotels have returned to their normal community use

Home Office announces closure of more asylum hotels as it seeks to deliver on manifesto pledge
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Review flags governance and culture issues at Troubles legacy body Northern Ireland Office plans further probe, following ex-NI Department of Health perm sec’s investigation

Northern Ireland Office to commission a further probe into Troubles legacy body due to concerns over governance and culture problems
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A quick guide to…public design Public design is an area of growing interest for civil servants and academics alike. To find out more, CSW spoke to Lucy Kimbell, professor of cont...

A quick guide to public design, with some help from professor of contemporary design practices Lucy Kimbell
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Select few: Q&A with PAC chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Select committee chairs play a critical role in holding departments to account. Here, Public Accounts Committee chair Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown te...

Select committee chairs play a critical role in holding departments to account. Here, Public Accounts Committee chair Geoffrey Clifton-Brown tells us the top skills the role requires and his priorities for the year ahead
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Ethics watchdog: Improving public understanding of standards landscape is 'most difficult' task Doug Chalmers says low trust in politicians and public institutions leads to 'disengagement', while the complexity of the governance system 'makes ...

Ethics and Integrity Commission chair says engaging and informing the public on the standards landscape is likely to be the watchdog's toughest task
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Civil Service Pension Scheme: Cabinet Office explains decision to outsource contract Cabinet Office update says Capita won contract based on past performance, price and value for money

"The assessment provided a data-driven indication that outsourcing provided the best opportunity to realise defined benefits with the least risk"
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Dame Mavis McDonald: Doyenne of housing policy and fount of strength With her impressive knowledge of housing policy, McDonald was a 'steadying hand' amid machinery of government changes

Trailblazing women: Dame Mavis McDonald was a steady hand who didn't suffer fools gladly
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