Suzannah Brecknell

1 week ago | civilserviceworld.com | Susan Allott |Suzannah Brecknell

Sarah Healey has received a damehood in the King’s Birthday honours. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government permanent secretary becomes a Dame Commander of the Order of the Bath – which recognises the work of senior military officials and civil servants. Fellow permanent secretary-level civil servant, Madeleine Alessandri, the Joint Intelligence Committee chair, has also been awarded a damehood, with both officials recognised for their contribution to public service.

2 weeks ago | civilserviceworld.com | Suzannah Brecknell |Matilda Martin

A new, “radically" shorter Green Book will be published “at the start of 2026” according to the results of a review into the Treasury’s guide on how to appraise policies, projects, and programmes. The review, which was launched in January 2025 and published today alongside the Spending Review, set out to consider whether the Green Book was being used in a way that ensured fair, objective and transparent appraisals of projects outside London and the south-east of England.

2 weeks ago | civilserviceworld.com | Beckie Smith |Suzannah Brecknell

The news that the civil service strategic workforce plan will not be published until later in the year is “disappointing”, the head of the FDA union has said. The government had been expected to publish the much-anticipated workforce plan alongside today’s Phase 2 Spending Review announcement. But the Red Book, published immediately after the chancellor’s speech this afternoon, says the workforce plan will come out “later this year”.

2 weeks ago | civilserviceworld.com | Suzannah Brecknell |Matilda Martin

A new, “radically" shorter Green Book will be published “at the start of 2026” according to the results of review into HMT Treasury’s guide on how to appraise policies, projects, and programs. The review, which was launched in January 2025 and published today alongside the Spending Review, set out to consider whether the Green Book was being used in a way that ensured fair, objective and transparent appraisals of projects outside London and the south-east of England.

1 month ago | civilserviceworld.com | Beckie Smith |Tevye Markson |Suzannah Brecknell

The Cabinet Office has appointed a director from the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as director general of civil service reform and efficiency. Janet Hughes will move to the Cabinet Office from her current post as director of Defra's Future Farming and Countryside Programme in June. She succeeds Elizabeth Perelman, who left government in March to lead former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s office.