England's core cities are poised to receive new powers mirroring those already enjoyed by London's mayor in the drive to reinvigorate 'democratic decision-making', Ruth Kelly has indicated.
The National Audit Office has denied accusations that it was unduly pressured by the Department of Health into producing a positive report on its £12.4bn procurement of a national IT programme for...
For the Labour government, charity began and ended at home. Or the Home Office, at least, where its charitable and voluntary sector policy largely gathered dust after 1997.
There is a lull in Westminster, as if everything is waiting for the next PM. For many in the public sector, this represents a welcome rest from a breakneck whirl of reform but not for local...
Local government reformer Sir Michael Lyons wants more choice at a local level. But, as George Jones and John Stewart argue, it's a controlling central government culture that needs to change
Prime Minister Tony Blair this week initiated a crucial phase of his third-term public services reforms a wide-ranging review of private and voluntary sector capabilities across health, social care...
Connecting for Health the NHS's huge National Programme for IT has been dogged by 'scope creep' and core 'spine' problems. But as its chief, Richard Granger, tells PF , plenty has gone right,...
From protecting care home standards to saving people from torture, the Human Rights Act touches on all aspects of public life. Yet it is under fierce attack. Nick Pearce examines why
Broxtowe is one of more than 100 councils that have rejected the government's three funding options for meeting the decent homes standard. Next week sees the official launch of their own...
Local Government Secretary Ruth Kelly this week delayed the sector's white paper until the autumn, allowing for a more radical assessment of plans to devolve powers to cities and town halls.
Scotland's deputy auditor general is renowned as a cool, strategic thinker, a quality she will bring to CIPFA as the institute's new president. Mike Thatcher reports
As the Gershon enforcer, John Oughton is the man charged with ensuring £21.5bn in efficiency savings roll in. So how is the public sector doing on its great mission, asks Joseph McHugh
Local government should seize the opportunity offered by the Lyons Inquiry and push for a model of local transport funding akin to that developed by Transport for London, the Local Government...
Ken Livingstone has pledged to put the fight against global warming at the heart of his London plan, as he published the first major review of the 2004 strategy.
Government and local authority interaction with communities after the London bombings last July was 'well-intentioned' but 'could have been better co-ordinated', the Home Office has been warned.
The Treasury this week stood firm over its decision to administer tax credits from the Revenue and Customs department, despite claims that the system is 'in crisis' and should be moved to the...
Core Whitehall departments struggled to match the performance of other central government bodies in getting to grips with the Freedom of Information Act, according to recent figures.
Financial managers in the public sector are prepared to do what is required to make the Gershon efficiencies but first they want some firm decisions on how the improvements will be measured
The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement's head marries 'lean-thinking' management-speak with NHS values. Sally Gainsbury meets a man of change
Scotland's public sector watchdog has defended itself against claims by members of the Scottish Parliament that it might not be achieving best value following rising costs in its budget.
Senior civil servants will shortly be asked to sign a confidentiality declaration and assign copyright to the Crown for information relating to their work, under plans to prevent the publication of...
The minister co-ordinating the government's public services reforms this week urged Whitehall departments to sign up to a project that could prevent workforce opposition to future changes.
