• Click "Download this"
• On the pop up box click SAVE.
• Do NOT click Open.
• Save the file on to you computer.
• You can then open the file.

To view file:

• Click "Download this"
• On the pop up box click SAVE.
• Do NOT click Open.
• Save the file on to you computer.
• You can then open the file.

It is available monthly on the ISSUU platform and also available on the 5ways website.

The great thing about this magazine is that it highlights the kind of people available to help your departments/organisations and this month (March) we feature several creative civil servants just like you.

Why not take a read, and see if perhaps we can motivate you to think about what you could do for your department, or perhaps you would like to get in touch with us because you want to be featured.

Sir Oliver Franks was Ambassador to the United States in the late 1940s. One year, a Washington radio station asked various ambassadors what they would most like for Christmas. The French Ambassador responded that he would like to see peace throughout the world. The Russian Ambassador said he wanted to see working people of the world freed from imperialism. Franks' response was less ambitious - "that's very kind of you," he said, "I'd quite like a box of crystallised fruit." Not quite what the radio station had in mind.

Aside from that slip up, Franks is a fascinating character, not least because he appears to be the first of many civil servants who have called for greater support for professional skills in Whitehall.

In the next Civil Service World (published 8 Feb), we've got an exclusive interview with Richard Douglas, head of the Government Finance Profession. It's worth watching out for, as his proposals for boosting the professions will affect pretty much everyone in the civil service...

It was announced yesterday that government’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), Joe Harley, is leaving at the end of the financial year. This is something of a shock, because Harley has been heralded as the man who will transform government’s IT fortunes. It’s also quite concerning because his own department, DWP, has a very large IT system that needs to be in place by 2013, and Harley will leave before the system is fully developed.

People come and go, but Harley’s departure highlights a structural problem, namely, the appointment of one official to do two (or more) roles. Harley is chief information officer for government and for DWP. This approach has also been mirrored in HR, with Chris Last performing the job for government and again for DWP. And the new head of the civil service, Sir Bob Kerslake, is also permanent secretary of DCLG.

Indeed, when cabinet secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell announced his departure, it took three people to replace him. Many experts have suggested that splitting the role is a problem, but isn’t it more concerning that some senior officials have so many responsibilities that their position can actually be split into a number of full-time jobs? If someone has so many responsibilities, how can they all be pursued with the time and effort they deserve?

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude is looking at what the future civil service will do. It would be wise for him to consider how many roles one official can be expected to have.

Support line-managers with dyslexic staff and,

Help HR develop good practice throughout and organisation to ensure staff have a level playing field to take up the opportunities on offer.

The network currently has one Chair, based in DCLG London, but is seeking co-chairs to help coordinate activity in other locations.

We want to make this group as useful as possible so please feel free to add your thoughts, pose questions and share useful materials and links.

Should you have any questions relating to the group, please get in touch with Becky Slack, online editor.

Group content

News and features on pensions, post-April 2012

News and features on pensions, pre-April 2012

Interviews relating to pensions

Useful documents

PMI is the world’s leading not-for-profit membership association for the project management profession, with more than 600,000 members and credential holders in more than 185 countries. Our worldwide advocacy for project management is supported by our globally-recognized standards and credentials, our extensive research program, and our professional development opportunities.

These products and services are the basis of greater recognition and acceptance of project management’s successful role in governments, organizations, academia and industries.

• membership,
• qualifications,
• events,
• publications,
• online services.

The association is a registered charity with around 19,500 individual and 500 corporate members making it the largest professional body of its kind in Europe. As part of its strategy to raise awareness and standards in the profession it is currently in the process of applying for a Royal Charter.

APM's mission statement is “to develop and promote the professional disciplines of project and programme management for the public benefit”.