Whitehall's attempts at consultation leave a lot to be desired. But effective policy-making can only be achieved when there is a genuine process of engagement with all the different parties involved
Holyrood could face a radical shake-up after Scotland's May elections. So what difference would it make to public services? David Scott quizzes the key politicians
A wide-ranging review of Prison Service finances could introduce damaging changes to staff pay and grading systems, Whitehall's largest trade union has warned.
Despite the best efforts of the Disability Discrimination Act, too many disabled people are still treated as second-class citizens. The new equality duty on public sector organisations is intended to...
Organisations wishing to challenge contracts awarded by public bodies have been able to do so on the basis of judicial review. Not any longer, it would seem, if the decision to tender had been...
It's the end of the line for a lot of regulatory red tape in local government as Peter Rogers prepares to slash more than 60 Whitehall-controlled areas down to five. He explains his role
The beleaguered Home Office this week introduced the first ever Whitehall 'contract' clarifying the specific roles and responsibilities of ministers and civil servants, Public Finance has learnt.
As the UK rushes to improve the skills of its workforce, a door has opened for more private sector involvement in further and higher education. Is this filling a gap or taking over at the expense of...
The Department for Constitutional Affairs needs to control the 'ridiculous' situation in which millions of pounds of fines go uncollected, the Public Accounts Committee said this week.
Improving access to English lessons is one of the most useful steps councils can take to ensure migrant workers are better integrated into their communities, the local government watchdog said this...
Public bodies are well versed in EU procurement rules, which require various services to be put out to tender. But recent European Court judgments have muddied the water. Norman Ballantyne explains
Despite record levels of investment, the public sector is seen to be in crisis. This is because services are suffering from having simplistic market models foisted on them, argues Unison's general...
A controversial Scottish Executive report showing that Scotland has an £11.2bn funding 'black hole' might have contained an error over the level of public spending, chief economist Andrew Goudie...
Tony Blair has successfully used market forces to improve public services, but will his successors adopt a more populist approach? This is not the time to change, argues one business leader
Public sector bodies look set to face new rules and responsibilities as part of the government's attempt to cut carbon emissions. Proposals now out for consultation offer both challenges and...
The local government white paper promised a bright new future for 'radical and devolutionary reform'. But the process has already been short-circuited, argues Tim Thorogood
Legislation to free government figures from ministerial control is fundamentally flawed and the proposed new statistics watchdog must be given real teeth, the chair of the Treasury sub-committee has...
Pay attention at the back. Teaching methods are changing. No more crowded ranks of children meekly bending their heads over exercise books, slavishly copying down whichever National Curriculum-honed...
Supporters say social enterprises marry private efficiency with public values, offering innovative low-cost, high-quality services. But a wider definition of value for money is needed to get the best...
Hardworking and 'heroic' civil servants are being let down by a Whitehall culture that rewards failure and ignores successful individuals, a report by a leading think-tank has claimed.
The main reason why so many big outsourcing contracts run aground is the lack of any sort of mechanism to solve disputes before they get out of hand, argues Mark Amsden. But there is a wealth of...
Chancellor Gordon Brown will host eleventh-hour discussions aimed at preventing a national strike by civil servants later this month, Public Finance has learnt.
