What if boldness were an explicit value of the civil service?

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what it takes to get difficult and meaningful things done. Why it’s hard, exhausting and incredibly rewarding to make progress. What kinds of values and behaviours can help make a team…

Losing one is a misfortune. Two?

Ah yes, carelessness. Losing two is carelessness.

The internet has changed what’s possible in public services. That only happens if the shape and culture of Whitehall reflects the new reality. Today feels like a victory for those who believe a…

Bad service design is not a strategy

This week, a very senior UK government official told me that better digital services present a…

Saving the tigers of Whitehall

There about as many tigers in the wild as there are senior Civil Servants in the UK. This is my favourite…

Hiring and keeping good people: 6 things government must do

Another well-informed person publicly called out the lack of digital skills working in government this week. Yvonne Gallagher, the NAO’s Director of Digital Value for Money, concluded that:

10 things policy can learn from product

Six months ago I made a career pivot from policy making to product management. The roles…

How do you smooth the path to a digital NHS?

Late last October, the Department of Health announced that Dr Bob Wachter, author…

At your service: What are civil servants for?

Ministers decide. That’s pretty much the UK’s constitution, if you’ve only got…