This is a list of official publications and other interesting material on this website, together with a list of books written by civil servants describing their work. Please do not hesitate to email Martin Stanley if you cannot find the document that you need, or if you have an interesting document which might be added to this site.
( BGI = Better Government Initiative, CARR = Centre for the Analysis of Risk and Regulation, CSPL = Committee on Standards in Public Life, HoC = House of Commons, IfG = Institute for Government, IPPR = Institute for Public Policy Research, MoD = Ministry of Defence, NAO = National Audit Office, ONS = Office for National Statistics, OPSR = Office of Public Services Reform, PACAC = Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, PASC = Public Administration Select Committee, PIU = Performance and Innovation Unit, SRO = Senior Responsible Officer)
Official Codes and Guidance
- 1949 - HM Treasury - A Handbook for the New Civil Servant
- 1996 - Armstrong Memorandum
- 1980 - Civil Service Department - Handbook for the new civil servant
- 2004 - Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money
- 2011 - The Cabinet Manual (first edition)
- 2013 - Cabinet Office Guidance on Extended Ministerial Offices (probably now obsolete)
- 2014 - The Osmotherly Rules (see below for the 2005 version)
- 2015 - Managing Public Money
- 2015 - The Civil Service Code (see below for previous versions)
- 2015 - Working with Ministers
- 2015 - H M Treasury - Accounting Officer's Survival Guide
- 2016 - EU Referendum Guidance
- 2016 - The Special Advisers Code of Conduct (see below for previous versions)
- 2016 - Minutes of Cabinet Meetings - Style Guide
- 2018 - Civil Service Commission - Recruitment Principles
- 2018 - The Judge Over Your Shoulder (see below for 2006 edition)
- 2019 - The Ministerial Code (see below for previous versions)
- 2021 - David Allen Green - The UK's Written Constitution
Other interesting, though now somewhat dated, documents are
- c.1980 - Department of Energy - Extracts from the Manual of Office Practice:
- Official Correspondence, Minutes, Briefing etc.
- Working with Ministers' Offices
- Telecommunications
- The full manual runs to around 150 pages. Please email me if you would like to see it, or to know more about it.
- 1992 - Department of Trade and Industry - Private Office Handbook .
- 1994 - Department of Trade & Industry - Cut The Red Tape
Latest Statistics etc
Civil Service Statistical Bulletin 2020
These files are Excel spreadsheets which should download to your computer. If asked, click "Don't Update":
- Senior Salaries Review Body - 2015 Report
- 2012 - Civil Service Reform - Context - Data and case studies to accompany the Civil Service Reform Plan
- 2013 - Fast Stream Recruitment - Annual Report
- .... and data
Parliamentary and Government Reports etc.
- 1854 - Northcote Trevelyan Report
- 1854 - Macaulay Report on the Indian Civil Service
- 1918 - Haldane Report
- 1968 - Fulton Report
- 1975 - Civil Servants and Change (Report of the Wider Issues Review) - Main Text
- 1975 - Civil Servants and Change (Report of the Wider Issues Review) - Cover, Contents & Annexes
- 1988 - Efficiency Unit - Improving Management in Government - The Next Steps
- 1991 - The Citizen's Charter
- 1993 - Career Management and Succession Planning Study: The Oughton Report
- 1993 - Treasury & Civil Service Committee - The Role of the Civil Service
- 1994 - Continuity and Change
- 1995 - Taking Forward Continuity and Change
- 1995 - CSPL First Report - Standards in Public Life - 'The Nolan Report'
- 1997 - Modernising Government
- 1997 - HoC - The Accountability Debate - Next Steps Agencies
- 1999 - Civil Service Reform - Head of the Civil Service - Report to the Prime Minister
- 2000 - CSPL Sixth Report - Special Advisers chapter
- 2000 - Government Response to CSPL Sixth Report
- 2001 - PIU - Strengthening leadership in the public sector
- 2001 - PASC - Making Government Work - The Emerging Issues
- 2002 - Sir Andrew Turnbull's Letter to PASC
- 2002 - Sir Andrew Turnbull's Letter to Staff
- 2002 - PASC - Report on the Jo Moore/Martin Sixsmith Affair
- 2002 - OPSR - Better government services: Executive Agencies in the 21st century
- 2003 - CSPL Ninth Report - Defining the Boundaries within the Executive
- 2003 - Sir Andrew Turnbull - Improving Leadership in the Senior Civil Service - 3 Letters
- 2003 - Note of a PASC Conference: The Future of The Civil Service
- 2004 - Civil Service Reform - Delivery & Values - Prime Minister's Speech
- 2004 - Draft Civil Service Bill - Consultation
- 2004 - Gershon - Releasing Resources to the Front Line
- 2004 - Lyons Review of Public Sector Relocation - Executive Summary
- 2004 - PASC - Draft Civil Service Bill
- 2005 - House of Commons Library - The Centre of Government
- 2006 - HoC - Lyons/Gershon Briefing Note
- 2008 - Civil Service Bill Consultation
- 2009 - Putting the Frontline First: smarter government
- 2010 - House of Lords - The Cabinet Office and the Centre of Government
- 2020 - House of Commons Library - Civil Service Reform
- 2011 - PASC - Change in Government
- 2012 - Government Response to the above 2011 PASC Report
- 2012 - Civil Service Reform Plan
- 2013 - Civil Service Reform Plan One Year On
- 2013 - NAO - Building Capacity - Executive Summary
- 2013 - PASC - Truth to Power - How Civil Service Reform Can Succeed
- 2013 - Liaison Committee: Lacking Capacity
- 2014 - Government's Response to the above 2013 PASC Report
- 2014 - Government's Response to the above 2013 Liaison Committee Report
- 2014 - Civil Service Reform Plan: Progress Report
- 2014 - House of Lords Debate on Civil Service Reform
- 2014 - Baxendale Report - External Hiring of Senior Officials
- 2015 - Response to the Baxendale Report
- 2015 - PASC - Lessons for Civil Service Impartiality from the Scottish Independence Referendum
- 2015 - PASC - Civil Service Skills
- 2016 - NAO - Accountability to Parliament for taxpayers' money
- 2016 - Chilcot - Extracts from the Report of the Iraq Inquiry
- 2016 - Cabinet Office - Arms Length Bodies - Report on the Outcome of the Classification Review
- 2017 - NAO - Capability in the Civil Service
- 2017 - PACAC - The Work of the Civil Service: key themes and preliminary findings
- 2017 - PACAC - Lessons still to be learned from the Chilcot Inquiry
- 2018 - PACAC - " " " - the Government's Response
- 2018 - PACAC - Ensuring Proper Process for Key Government Decisions
- 2018 - PACAC - " " " - the Government's Response
- 2018 - Kakabadse Report to PACAC - Is Government Fit For Purpose?
- 2018 - PACAC - The Minister and the Official: The Fulcrum of Whitehall Effectiveness
- 2019 - The Government's Response to PACAC's Report on Strategic Leadership in the Civil Service
- 2021 - The Cabinet & Perm Secs - Declaration on Government Reform
- 2021 - Michael Gove speech - The Obligations We Owe
Important Think Tank etc. Reports
- 1994 - IPPR & William Plowden - Ministers and Mandarins (Foreword, Introduction, Conclusion & Recommendations only)
- 2001 - Public Audit Forum Report: Propriety and Audit in the Public Sector
- 2004 - Demos & Ed Straw - The Dead Generalist
- 2005 - Reform, KPMG & Robert Darwall - Reforming Whitehall - The Reluctant Managers
- 2006 - IPPR - Is Whitehall Fit for Purpose?
- 2006 - IPPR - Whitehall's Black Box
- 2006 - IPPR - Whitehall's Black Box - Summary only
- 2010 - IfG - Shaping Up
- 2010 - BGI - Good Government
- 2011 - IfG - The Whitehall Entrepreneur
- 2012 - BGI - Good Government: Mid Term Review
- 2012 - IfG - Open letter to the Government
- 2012 - IfG - Reforming the Civil Service
- 2012 - IfG - Transforming Whitehall
- 2012 - IfG - James Purnell and Leigh Lewis - The First 100 Days
- 2013 - BGI - Hidden Dangers
- 2013 - IfG - Accountability at the Top
- 2013 - IfG - Reforming Civil Service Accountability
- 2013 - IfG - Permanent Secretary Appointments and the Role of Ministers
- 2013 - IPPR - Accountability and Responsiveness in the Senior Civil Service
- 2014 - IfG - Civil Service Reform in the Real World
- 2014 - IfG - Leading Change in the Civil Service
- 2014 - Reform - How to run a Country - A collection of essays
- 2015 - GovernUp - Digital Future
- 2015 - GovernUp - Localism 2.0
- 2015 - GovernUp - Repurposing Whitehall
- 2015 - GovernUp - Role of Politicians
- 2015 - GovernUp - Tackling the Skills Gap
- 2015 - GovernUp - World Class Government
- 2015 - IfG - Whitehall Monitor: Deep Impact?
- 2017 - BGI - Evidence to PAC on Civil Service Capability
- 2017 - IfG - Professionalising Whitehall
- 2018 - IfG - Accountability in Modern Government
- 2020 - GovernUp - The Commission for Smart Government - What's Gone Wrong With Whitehall?
- 2020 - IfG - Moving Out: Making a Success of Relocation
- 2020 - IfG - Decision Making in a Crisis
- 2021 - Social Mobility Commission - Navigating the Labyrinth and Action Plan
- [2021 - Martin Stanley - Blog commenting on the above report - Professional Detachment and the Civil Service]
- 2021 - IfG - Responding to shocks - 10 lessons for government
- 2021 - IfG - Finding the Right Skills for the Civil Service
- 2021 - Commission for Smart Government - Strategic, Capable, Innovative, Accountable: Four Steps to Smarter Government
- 2021 - IfG - Commentary on the above report - Smarter Government
- 2021 - Policy Exchange - Government Reimagined
Better Policy Making
Several useful documents are listed on my separate Policy-Making Website
Special Advisers
(CSPL = Committee on Standards in Public Life, IfG = Institute for Government, PASC = Public Administration Select Committee)
- 2000 - CSPL Sixth report - Special Advisers chapter
- 2000 - Government Response to CSPL Sixth Report
- 2002 - PASC - Report on the Jo Moore/Martin Sixsmith Affair
- 2003 - CSPL Ninth report - Ministers, Special Advisers and the Permanent Civil Service
- 2013 - Mark Madden - Induction Material for Australian SpAds: Generals, Troops and Diplomats
- 2013 - Research Note - SpAds and Public Allegations of Misconduct 1997-2013
- 2014 - IfG - In Defence of Special Advisers
- 2016 - The Special Advisers Code of Conduct (see below for previous versions)
- 2017 - NAO - Conflicts of Interest
- 2020 - IfG - Special Advisers and the Johnson Government
Ministerial Directions
- Five examples of Ministerial Directions may be found here.
Women in Whitehall
- 1919 - Women's Advisory Committee Report
- 1971 - Kemp-Jones Report: The Employment of Women in the Civil Service
- 2014 - Hay Group and Cabinet Office - Women in Whitehall
- 2015 - Institute for Government - Women and Whitehall
- A History of Women in the Civil Service
Other Material
- 1922 - Sir Guy Fleetwood Wilson - Letters to Somebody
- Pre-1945 - Ian Bancroft's War Poetry
- 1945 - R W Rawlings - The Civil Service and The People
- 1950 - Bridges - Portrait of a Profession
- 1968 - James Thomson - How Could Vietnam Happen? An Autopsy
- 1980 - Cabinet Office file - Margaret Thatcher's Dinner with Permanent Secretaries
- 1983 - Douglas Wass - Reith Lecture: The Privileged Adviser
- 1984 - Lord Bancroft - Whitehall and Management: A Retrospect
- 1987 - Government Management - Brief to the Incoming New Zealand Government
- Contents and Introduction, including
- The Importance of Incentives
- Designing Better Interventions
- Improving the Operation of Markets
- The Partnership between Government and Citizens
- Chapter 1 - Role and Limits of Government
- Chapter 2 - The Public Sector
- Chapter 3 - Social Policy
- Chapter 4 - Economic Management
- Chpater 5 - The Treaty of Waitangi
- Chapter 6 - Economic Situation etc.
- Chpater 7 - Social Policy - Background Papers
- 1991 - Diana Goldsworthy - Setting Up Next Steps
- 1995 - Patrick Dunleavy - Policy Disasters - Explaining the UK's Record
- 1997 - Michael Duggett - The Evolution of the UK Civil Service 1848-1997
- 1998 - Cabinet Office Memorandum - Accountability and Incentives
- 1999 - Robb Wye - DfEE - Modernising Government: How to Judge Success
- 1999 - Martin Stanley - Cabinet Office - Comments on Better Government Project
- 2001 - CARR - A comparisons of Policy Making in German and UK Government Departments
- 2002 - Sir Richard Wilson: Portrait of a Profession Revisited
- 2002 - Sir Robin Mountfield - Politicisation
- 2002 - Sir Robin Mountfield - Content of a Civil Service Act
- 2005 - Hay Group report: SCS Pay Market - Comparability Study
- 2008 - Richards, Blunkett & Mathers - Old & New Labour Narratives of Whitehall
- 2009 - Permanent Secretary Person Specification
- 2009 - Trust in the System
- 2009 - David Laughrin - Swimming for Their Lives - Waving or Drowning?
- 2009 - Chapman & O'Toole - Leadership in the British Civil Service
- 2009 - Kevin Rudd - John Paterson Oration
- 2009 - Alison Wolf - Centre Forum - National Pay Rates
- 2010 - Edward Bowles - The Role of the Private Secretary
- 2011 - Pensions Commission - Final Report
- 2011 - David Laughrin - In Their Own Words - What Ministers Think of Civil Service Support
- 2011 - ONS - Consultation Document on the Use of CPI and RPI when Increasing Pensions
- 2012 - The Department for Education Review
- 2012 - Speech by Minister Oliver Letwin
- 2012 - Christopher Jary's Letter to Minister Francis Maude re Civil Service Training
- 2012/13 - Interviews with Six Cabinet Secretaries
- 2013 - Tribute to the late Baroness Thatcher
- 2013 - Speech by Shadow Minister Jon Trickett
- 2013 - Speech by PASC Chair Bernard Jenkin
- 2013 - My note - The New Zealand and UK Civil Services Compared
- 2013 - Senator Elizabeth Warren - The Vital Role of Government
- 2014 - Dave Richards & Martin Smith - The Lessons of Tony Benn as a Cabinet Minister
- 2015 - Speech by Minister Matt Hancock
- 2015 - My advice - How to Influence Government Policy
- 2015 - Eulogy for Sir Peter Gregson
- 2015 - Simon Carne on Human Rights
- 2015 - SRO appointment letter - National Cyber Security Programme
- 2016 - Christopher Jary's review of Jill Knight's book - Civil Service Rifles
- 2016 - Bernard Jenkin's Speech at the IfG
- 2016 - Michael Gove - Sir Humphrey needs to learn who's the boss
- 2017 - Oliver Letwin's Evidence submitted to the PACAC
- 2017 - Lady Hale - The United Kingdom Constitution on the move
- 2017 - Paul Johnson - Making Good Public Policy is just about the Hardest Thing there is
- 2017 - Chris Dillow - Good Policy, Badly Implemented
- 2017 - UK-EU agreement following Phase 1 of Brexit negotiations
- 2017 - John Major - The Responsibilities of Democracy
- 2017 - SRO appointment letter - Customs Transformation Programme
- 2017 - Jeremy Moore - Discussion of the Capability of the Civil Service
- 2018 - John Manzoni - Speech to the IfG
- 2018 - Paul Johnson - Fairness
- 2018 - House of Commons Library - Public Bodies
- 2019 - Supreme Court Decision - Miller v. The Prime Minister
- 2019 - Daniel Fitzpatrick and David Richards - The civil service's diversity agenda under the coalition
- 2019 - Richard Willis - Testing Times: A History of Civil Service Exams
- 2019 - Alex Allan's Review of Civil Service Support for Home Secretary Amber Rudd
- 2020 - Michael Gove - The Privilege of Public Service
- 2020 - Sarah Nickson - Australia and Canada highlight the dangers of politicising the civil service
- 2020 - David Aaronovitch - Progressive Policies
- 2020 - Hugh Pemberton - Some Thoughts on Civil Service Reform
- 2020 - Hugh Pemberton's comments on the dismissal of Philip Rutnam - A poodle bites back
- 2020 - Wendy Williams - Windrush Lessons Learned Review
- 2020 - A commentary on The Johnson Government
- 2021 - The COVID-19 Pandemic Regulations as at January 2021
- 2021 - IfG Commentary on HMG's Declaration on Government Reform
- Giles Wilkes and Wilfred Hyde - Policy-Making 101
- Fight the Fog - advice on clear communication
- My commentary on the Bexit negotiations etc. lists a number of essays, articles and speeches.
- Netflix's Values
- Preparing for a New Government & Meeting new Ministers
- How the Military deal with Snakes
- How the Senior Civil Service deal with Rats
- Permanent Secretary and Other Senior Appointments from 1900 (external link)
- Armed Forces Ranks compared
Previous (and superseded) Versions of Above Documents
- 1997 - Ministerial Code (Tony Blair)
- 2001 - Ministerial Code (Tony Blair's second code)
- 2005 - Osmotherly Rules
- 2005 - Ministerial Code (Tony Blair's third code)
- 2006 - Civil Service Code
- 2006 - The Judge Over Your Shoulder
- 2007 - Ministerial Code (Gordon Brown)
- 2009 - Special Advisers Code of Conduct
- 2010 - Civil Service Code
- 2010 - Special Advisers Code of Conduct
- 2010 - Ministerial Code (David Cameron)
- 2015 - Special Advisers Code of Conduct
- 2015 - Ministerial Code (David Cameron's second code. This update removed the explicit requirement that ministers comply with international law and treaty obligations.)
- 2016 - Ministerial Code (Theresa May)
- 2017 - Senior Officials Salaries
- 2018 - Ministerial Code (Theresa May's second code)
Books Written by Civil Servants which describe their work
- Martin Stanley - How to be a Civil Servant
- Pauline Curtis - Success at the Heart of Government - Pauline was a scientist and Senior Civil Servant who led policy teams within (what is now) the Business Department
- Chris Benjamin - Strutting on Thin Air - A very detailed (and very personal and opinionated) account of industry sponsorship and export promotion from the late 1950s to the early 1990s - highly critical of successive governments' focus on financial services as representing the future of the British economy.
- Elliot Finer - Killing Power - pure fiction but with some accurate depictions of 'Whitehall'
- Henry Parris wrote a book on 'Whitleyism' in the Civil Service (Whitley Councils etc.) in 1973. It was published by the Royal Institute of Public Administration.