In the first of our new Changemakers series, Suzannah talks to Claire Donaldson, Innovation Hub co-founder and lead at the Department for Science Innovation and Technology, about building the conditions for innovation in the public sector, getting creative with your pitches, and the benefits of working in partnership.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, editor-in-chief, Civil Service World.

Edited and produced by Podot.

 

Produced and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot

The government’s top commercial official speaks to CSW about the pressures, and lessons, from the government’s response to coronavirus

CSW chats to HM Revenue and Customs’ deputy chief executive Angela MacDonald to get the inside story of the department key role in the government’s response to coronavirus, and what is was like to switch jobs in the pandemic. Hosted by Richard Johnstone. With Angela MacDonald. Edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.

On this week's Civil Service World Podcast, the last of the series, Jess and Suzannah are discussing changes to diversity and inclusion within the civil service, and how that's changed and challenged preconceptions about who civil servants are. For the conversation, they're joined by Charlotte Dring, co-founder of the Cross-Government Social Mobility Network, and Emran Mian, Director General, Decentralisation and Growth at MHCLG. Hosted by Jess Bowie and Suzannah Brecknell. With Charlotte Dring and Emran Mian. Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot. Visit www.civilserviceworld.com/ for more!

On this week's Civil Service World Podcast, Suzannah Brecknell and Jess Bowie are discussing kindness in the civil service. They're joined for the discussion by former civil servant and founder of One Team Gov, and also, down the line from Scotland, by Sarah Davison, CEO of the Carnegie UK Trust, and Dr Elizabeth Kelly, a GP. Hosted by Jess Bowie and Suzannah Brecknell. With Kit Collingwood. And Sarah Davidson and Elizabeth Kelly. Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot. Additional recording by Alexis Adimora. Visit www.civilserviceworld.com/ for more!

On this week's Civil Service World Podcast, Jess Bowie and Suzannah Brecknell discuss Suzannah's visit to the first annual conference of the Office for Statistics Regulation where she spoke to Ed Humpherson, Deborah Ashby and Baroness Onora O'Neill about how we can improve communication about statistics. Hosted by Jess Bowie and Suzannah Brecknell. With Ed Humpherson, Deborah Ashby and Baroness Onora O'Neill. Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot. Visit www.civilserviceworld.com/ for more!

On this week's episode of The Civil Service World Podcast, Jess and Suzannah speak to social worker Ryan Wise and Katie Rose from the Centre for Public Impact about a new blueprint for social work. Can the approach to social work be entirely overhauled, or are our current systems too entrenched for renovation? The Centre for Public Impact UK is a not-for-profit that helps government and public sector organisations to prepare for the complex challenges they face. You can read the blueprint here: https://resources.centreforpublicimpact.org/production/2019/11/Blueprint-for-childrens-social-care-FINAL.pdf Hosted by Jess Bowie and Suzannah Brecknell. With Ryan Wise and Katie Rose. Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot. Visit www.civilserviceworld.com/ for more!

Reoffending costs the economy £18bn annually so finding innovative solutions is critical. In this episode, CSW brings together a panel of experts from across the prisons and rehabilitation landscape to discuss new approaches that can achieve meaningful change.

Hosted by Jessica Bowie.

Continuing our new Changemakers series, Suzannah talks to Ben Lovatt, deputy director of the Contact Engagement Platform at HMRC, to find out how the agency is using robots and automation to make services better.

We also speak to Duncan Brown, head of software engineering at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s AI incubator; and Owen Barry, Capita’s managing director for central government, about how automation, robotics and agentic AI are reshaping work across the public sector – and what it will take to go further.

This episode is sponsored by Capita.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, editor-in-chief, Civil Service World.

Edited and produced by Podot.

All government departments have been tasked with prioritising AI adoption to drive innovation and improve productivity, but with only 22% leveraging automation and 17% using machine learning, AI uptake remains in its infancy.

In this episode, a panel of government and industry leadersshare insights on overcoming common roadblocks on the path to AI transformation, such as budget constraints, outdated systems, and skills gaps. They offer advice on how to scale AI from pilot to full implementation and discuss real-world examples of successful projects improving efficiency and services.

Discussion hosted by Jess Bowie, editor-in-chief of CivilService World.

In the first of a new series, in partnership with KPMG, Jess Bowie and Jo Thomson explore what makes great public services in the digital era.

In this episode Jess and Jo share some of their own experiences of interacting with the state, we hear from former HMRC permanent secretary Jim Harra about how the UK's tax authority has been putting citizens at the heart of its services, and we discuss the three Rs of customer service.

Hosted by Jess Bowie, editor-in-chief of Civil Service World, and Jo Thomson, partner – customer transformation at KPMG.

Recorded and produced by Podot. 

In this episode Jess Bowie talks to Tom Brown, author of The Mind of the Minister, about the unique relationship between senior civil servants and politicians.

Tom explains how officials and ministers can build close and productive working relationships, what happens when it all goes wrong, and what he's observed about relations between civil servants and Labour ministers a year into the new government's term.

We also find out how he went about writing his book, and which of the many senior civil servants and ministers he spoke were the hardest to pin down.

Host: Jess Bowie, editor-in-chief, Civil Service World

Recorded and produced by Podot

In this episode - part of our CSW events series - Jess Bowie chairs a discussion reflecting on government's efforts to implement productivity improvements, highlighting both successes and failures in the ongoing pursuit of better services for citizens. Featuring Kate Caulkin, director of people and operational management insights at the NAO; Katherine Kent, head of public services productivity statistics at ONS; Emran Mian - who was director general for digital technologies and telecoms at DSIT but has recently been promoted to permanent secretary at the department; and Clare Mortimer, partner, AI & data, at Deloitte.

In this episode - part of our CSW events series - we are reflecting on Labour’s first year in government and the tangible impacts of its mission-driven approach on the civil service.

Suzannah, Joe and Grace find reasons to be optimistic along with many causes of frustration, and share their views on how ministers and the civil service can drive more radical change in the next four years.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, editor in chief of Civil Service World, with guests Grace Wyld, head of policy and research at the Future Governance Forum, and Joe Hill, policy director at Re:State.

In episode two of this new series, created in partnership with KPMG, Jess Bowie and Jo Thomson continue exploring what makes great public services in the digital era.

Today we hear from the senior civil servant Matt Briggs. Matt recently joined the MoJ on short-term loan, but in this episode we discussed his work as head of DWP's Service Modernisation Programme, and how he's helping to build government services for the 21st century. He also told us about leading national projects like Tell Us Once, wrestling with imposter syndrome, and how the stories of individual citizens are what gets him out of bed in the morning. Hosted by Jess Bowie, editor-in-chief of Civil Service World, and Jo Thomson, partner – customer transformation at KPMG.

Recorded and produced by Podot. 

In this episode we meet Sam Rose, a leader in data science, advanced analytics and AI in the Department for Transport, to find out more about the holistic approach the DfT is taking towards AI adoption. We hear how officials are using behavioural science techniques to map opportunities, evaluate interventions and understand what an AI-ready department would look like.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, editor-in-chief of Civil Service World.

Recorded and produced by Podot.

Suzannah Brecknell sits down with Sherin Aminossehe - director of growth and missions at the Ministry of Defence, talented artist, and author of a new book celebrating British railways.

They discuss Sherin's career spanning both public and private sectors, the lockdown challenge which inspired her first book, her earliest memories of making art, and the importance of buildings in creating communities. Plus, of course, our favourite railway stations.

You can buy Sherin's new book - 200 Years of Britain's Railways in 24 Journeys - here.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell

Espisode recorded and produced by Podot

In episode three of It's Personal, created in partnership with KPMG, Jess Bowie and Jo Thomson continue their exploration of what makes great public services in the digital era.

Jess and Jo hear first from three citizens, some of whom have seen an improvement in public services, others who have been let down.

Our main interview this episode is with Kate Caulkin, a former senior civil servant and HR and project delivery expert who is now people and operational management insights director at the National Audit Office.

We also hear from Keith White, a digital transformation leader who was (at the time of recording) head of digital experience at Northern Trains.

Hosted by Jess Bowie, editor-in-chief of Civil Service World, and Jo Thomson, partner – customer transformation at KPMG.

Recorded and produced by Podot. 

In this episode we explore how learning is changing across government. Our panel discuss the pressures facing departments, the opportunities that new approaches can bring, and the lessons organisations can take from recent examples.

Our guests are Mike Zealley, managing director, learning services at KPMG, Louise Scott-Worrall UK head of learning services at KPMG and Tamsin Cooper, managing director at Forward Institute.

You will hear about the trends shaping workplace learning and the challenges that leaders must overcome to deliver real impact.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, editor-in-chief of Civil Service World.

We're doing things a bit differently this episode. Instead of interviewing a senior civil servant, we're pulling back the curtain and giving listeners an all-access look at how we put together the current issue of Civil Service World.

We hear from three members of Team CSW - Tevye Markson, Susan Allott and Beckie Smith - about the features they worked on and who they enjoyed interviewing, and also ask Beckie, who is now in charge of the print magazine, how it felt to put together her first issue.

Hosted (remotely) by Jess Bowie.

Episode recorded and produced by Podot.

In this episode we speak to Heidi Edwards, assistant head of AI skills and talent at the Defence AI Centre in the Ministry of Defence, to find out how a new way of learning is helping to grow AI skills across all parts of the MoD.

We also discuss what an AI ready workforce would look like in terms of skills, culture and leadership with Heidi and Olivia Lory Kay, director of workforce development at Capita.

This episode is sponsored by Capita.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, editor-in-chief, Civil Service World.

Edited and produced by Podot.

In episode four of It's Personal, created in partnership with KPMG, Jess Bowie and Jo Thomson continue their exploration of what makes great public services in the digital era.

In one way or another, HM Revenue and Customs touches the lives of almost every adult in the UK. In this episode, we sit down with Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services, to hear about the challenges and complexities of designing services that need to work for everyone. We also hear some examples of transformation that Myrtle has led and what success looks like for her – and for HMRC as a whole.

Hosted by Jess Bowie, editor-in-chief of Civil Service World, and Jo Thomson, partner – customer transformation at KPMG.

Recorded and produced by Podot.

In this episode, we speak to Megan Lee Devlin – DG for Service Transformation at the Ministry of Justice – about practical, responsible AI adoption in government.

Megan shares how she uses AI day-to-day, from making the most of the general tools licenced by her department to the no-code tools built by civil servants themselves. She also tells us about bespoke, large-scale tools like Justice Transcribe, which has halved the time probation officers spend on admin.

She offers advice on building capability, overcoming challenges like hallucinations, and how leaders can support a wider adoption of AI through curiosity, connection and responsible championing.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, editor-in-chief, Civil Service World.

Recorded and produced by Podot.

The latest Civil Service World Podcast discusses the extraordinary week we've just seen in Westminster and Whitehall.

CSW's editors-in-chief Jess and Suzannah are joined by Hannah Keenan from the Institute for Government to reflect on the sacking of cabinet secretary Sir Chris Wormald, the unprecedented nature of the situation - given how recently Wormald was appointed, and the impact of the turmoil on civil service morale.

Presented by Jess Bowie and Suzannah Brecknell.

Recorded and produced by Podot.

Why is it so hard to do government well – and who’s trying to change that?

In this episode Suzannah Brecknell speaks to Derek Alton, founder of Civic Punks and former public servant, about his global quest to find the people who are building the future of government.

The conversation explores why governments struggle to adapt at the pace they need to, what history and even ecology can teach us about renewal, and how change can happen through the people who make the system work.

And, of course, we meet the Civic Punks - people with a passion for public service and a determination to change the system from within and without.

You can meet more Civic Punks on Derek's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CivicPunks

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, Editor-in-Chief, Civil Service World

Produced by Podot

From October, the UK takes on the chair of the Open Government Partnership, a global network of over 70 countries committed to more transparent, accountable and participatory government. In this episode Suzannah Brecknell speaks to Kevin Keith, chair of the UK Open Government Network and the UK Multi-Stakeholder Forum, about how the civil service can make the most of this moment.

From the lessons of a psychological experiment from 1950s Oklahoma, to what open government means in practice and why it matters right now, Kevin explores what all of this means for policy and delivery, and how the agenda connects to some of the biggest forces reshaping politics: from the collapse of public trust, to the rise of populism.

Useful links and contacts mentioned in this episode:

• UK Open Government Network: opengovernment.org.uk
• Contact:uk@opengovernment.org.uk

• Open Government team, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit: opengovernment@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
• Open Government Partnership: www.opengovpartnership.org

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, Editor-in-Chief, Civil Service World.

Recorded and produced by Podot.

The Chancellor has said she wants to build an active and strategic state that drives investment-led growth across the whole of the UK. But is the wiring in place to make that happen?

In this episode, recorded at the Connected Places Summit in London, Suzannah Brecknell speaks to Alan Welby, managing director for built environment and local growth at the Connected Places Catapult, about what it will take to turn that ambition intoreality.

Drawing on a new report finding that only 1% of SMEs in most UK cities meet the threshold for investment readiness, Alan explains why capital continues to follow familiarityand existing networks rather than potential, and what needs to change. Theconversation covers blended finance, devolution, and the skills gap betweenpublic and private sectors. Plus, we hear a concrete example of how innovativefinancing models are being used to retrofit ageing housing stock in Glasgow.

Alan calls on civil servants to be bolder, and get muchsmarter about  supporting – and challenging – places to collaborate as they drive growth.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, Editor-in-Chief, Civil ServiceWorld.
Recorded and produced by Podot.

The government spends nearly £430 billion a year on public procurement, or around 15% of GDP.  In this episode Suzannah Brecknell speaks to Rikesh Shah, chair of the Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre, about how government can use procurement as a genuine strategic lever for innovation – and why that's a challenge for the whole civil service, not just procurement teams.

Rikesh sets out what innovation in procurement actually means in practice, why engaging the market early is essential, and the opportunities presented by NISTA’s £718bn infrastructure pipeline. He also tackles the cultural barriers head-on, with practical examples of how taking a calculated risk on innovation generated significant returns at Transport for London.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell, Editor-in-Chief, Civil Service World. Recorded and produced by Podot.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre: https://cp.catapult.org.uk/project/innovation-procurement-empowerment-centre/

To share your procurement challenges with IPEC's cohort programme, email: contact@ipec.org.uk

In the latest episode of It's Personal, created in partnership with KPMG, Jess Bowie and Jo Thomson continue their exploration of what makes great public services in the digital era.

Sunderland was named the UK's smartest city in 2024 – but what does that actually mean for the people who live there? In this episode, we sit down with Liz St Louis, Director of Smart Cities and Enabling Services at Sunderland City Council, to explore how data and technology are being used to make services faster, safer and more responsive.

From sensors detecting damp in homes to multi-agency hubs where council teams work alongside police and fire services, Liz shares how Sunderland has moved from being 'data rich but intelligence poor' to using real-time insight to prevent problems before they escalate. We also hear about the city's long-term infrastructure partnership, its network of hubs tackling digital exclusion, and why – even as 60% of interactions move online – keeping a human-first option remains non-negotiable.

Hosted by Jess Bowie, editor-in-chief of Civil Service World, and Jo Thomson, partner – customer transformation at KPMG.

Recorded and produced by Podot.

As cross-sector research shows rising levels of abuse towards customer-facing staff, this episode explores how one of government’s largest operational departments is protecting its frontline officials – while also improving services for citizens.

We’re joined by Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s director general for customer services and chief customer officer, who explains the kind of abuse frontline civil servants face on a daily basis and outlines the department’s response, from peer support and mental health advocates through to legal intervention. We discuss the role of technology in tackling abuse, and the unique challenges public sector organisations face since they, unlike the private sector, have an obligation to interact with every customer.

Joining the conversation, Jo Causon, the chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, shares data on the scale of the problem, including how it can impact staff retention and sick days, and explains why her organisation is calling for a standalone legal offence covering all customer-facing workers, not just those in retail.

Hosted by Tevye Markson, online editor of CSW.

Recorded and produced by Podot.

Catherine Day spent 25 years as a civil servant, including a posting as the UK's spokesperson in Iran and senior posts in No.10, Cabinet Office and the FCDO advising ministers and senior officials on national strategy, security and reform.

In 2023 she left, convinced that our governance system is broken, and that it cannot be fixed from within.

In this episode, Catherine talks to Suzannah Brecknell about what those 25 years taught her, why she believes there is a critical gap at the centre of our institutions, and what she is doing about it.

We find out more about the National Strategy Project, which Catherine co-founded, and how civil servants can get involved in the work of renewing our democracy.

We also explore why biological anthropology –  the study of how humans organise to survive and thrive – turns out to be the perfect training for a career in government, and Catherine explains why she remains, despite everything, optimistic.

Hosted by Suzannah Brecknell

Recorded and produced by Podot

In the latest episode of It's Personal, created in partnership with KPMG, Jess Bowie and Jo Thomson continue their exploration of what makes great public services in the digital era.

One in three chest X-rays in the NHS is now reviewed with the support of AI – but what does that actually mean for patients? In this episode, we speak to Rob Dale, Senior Programme Manager for Digital Diagnostics and AI at NHS England, who leads the AI Diagnostic Fund: a £21m programme that has deployed AI tools across 64 NHS trusts. Rob explains how the programme moved from concept to scale without falling into the trap of 'pilotitis', and why getting the balance right between central coordination and local autonomy has been critical to its success.

Hosted by Jess Bowie, editor-in-chief of Civil Service World, and Jo Thomson, partner – customer transformation at KPMG.

Recorded and produced by Podot.