How to Be a Civil Servant
How to Be a Civil Servant

Author: Martin Stanley

Publisher: Biteback Publishing

Published: 2016-04-19

Total Pages: 123

ISBN-13: 1785900161

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Although it is seldom recognised as such by the public, the civil service is a profession like any other. The UK civil service employs 400,000 people across the country, with over 20,000 students and graduates applying to enter every year through its fast-stream competition alone. Martin Stanley's seminal How to Be a Civil Servant was the first guidebook to the British civil service ever published. It remains the only comprehensive guide on how civil servants should effectively carry out their duties, hone their communication skills and respond to professional, ethical and technical issues relevant to the job. It addresses such questions as: How do you establish yourself with your minister as a trusted adviser? How should you feed the media so they don’t feed on you? What’s the best way to deal with potential conflicts of interest? This fully updated new edition provides the latest advice, and is a must-read for newly appointed civil servants and for those looking to enter the profession – not to mention students, academics, journalists, politicians and anyone with an interest in the inner workings of the British government.

Policy & Management British Civil Servic
Policy & Management British Civil Servic

Author: Geoffrey K. Fry

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-09-25

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 1317903889

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A detailed study of the changes which have taken place in the British Civil Service since 1979. It is intended for political and policy scientists, and sociologists.

The Ideal of Public Service
The Ideal of Public Service

Author: Barry O'Toole

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2006-09-27

Total Pages: 378

ISBN-13: 1135770999

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A close examination of the ethics of higher civil servants in Britain and how they have been undermined by recent developments in public administration. Barry O'Toole tackles key questions such as: how should public servants behave? how should they be encouraged to think ethically? how should they be motivated to do so? Focusing on the role of public service, public duty and the public interest in the twenty-first century, O’Toole answers these important questions and looks at the emergence of ‘new public management’, the increasingly important role of 'special advisers' and the decline of the public service ethos under New Labour. The Ideal of Public Service explores some of the key contributions to the development of ideas about public service in the context of British central administration and provides a discussion of recent trends in administrative practice in the UK. Combining political theory and an analysis of the history and development of the civil service, this timely book will be of strong interest to those researching British Politics, Governance and Public Policy.

The Official History of the British Civil Service
The Official History of the British Civil Service

Author: Rodney Lowe

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-05-07

Total Pages: 430

ISBN-13: 0429894767

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This second volume of The Official History of the British Civil Service explores the radical restructuring of the Civil Service that took place during the Thatcher and Major premierships from 1982 until 1997, after a period of confusion and disagreement about its future direction. The book brings a much-needed historical perspective to the development of the ‘new public management’, in which the UK was a world-leader, and considers difficult questions about the quality of democratic governance in Britain and the constitutional position of its Civil Service. Based on extensive research using government papers and interviews with leading participants, it concentrates on attempts to reform the Civil Service from the centre. In doing so, it has important lessons to offer all those, both inside and outside the UK, seeking to improve the quality, efficiency and accountability of democratic governance. Particular light is shed on the origins of such current concerns as: The role of special advisers The need for a Prime Minister’s Department The search for cost efficiency Accountability to Parliament and its Select Committees Civil Service policy-making capacity and implementation capability. This book will be of much interest to students of British history, government and politics, and public administration.

The Official History of the British Civil Service
The Official History of the British Civil Service

Author: Rodney Lowe

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2011-01-25

Total Pages: 568

ISBN-13: 1136830146

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This first volume of the Official History of the UK Civil Service covers its evolution from the Northcote-Trevelyan Report of 1854 to the first years of Mrs Thatcher’s government in 1981. Despite current concerns with good governance and policy delivery, little serious attention has been paid to the institution vital to both: the Civil Service. This Official History is designed to remedy this by placing present problems in historical context and by providing a helpful structure in which others, and particularly former officials, may contribute to the debate. Starting with the seminal 1854 Northcote-Trevelyan Report, it covers the ‘lost opportunity’ of the 1940s when the Service failed to adapt the needs of ‘big government’ as advocated by Beveridge and Keynes. It then examines, in greater detail, the belated attempts at modernisation in the 1960s, the Service’s vilification in the 1970s and the final destruction of the ‘old order’ during the first years of Mrs Thatcher’s government. Particular light is shed on the origins of such current concerns as the role of special advisers the need for a Prime Minister’s Department the evolution of Parliamentary Select Committees to resolve the potential tension between bureaucracy and Parliamentary democracy. This Official History is based on extensive research into both recently released and unreleased papers as well as interviews with leading participants. It has important lessons to offer all those, both inside and outside the UK, seeking to improve the quality of democratic government. This book will be of great interest to all students of British history, British government and politics, and of public administration in general.

The Blunders of Our Governments
The Blunders of Our Governments

Author: Anthony King

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2014-09-04

Total Pages: 668

ISBN-13: 1780746180

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With unrivalled political savvy and a keen sense of irony, distinguished political scientists Anthony King and Ivor Crewe open our eyes to the worst government horror stories and explain why the British political system is quite so prone to appalling mistakes.

Policy-Making in Britain
Policy-Making in Britain

Author: Maurice Mullard

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2005-08-04

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 1134839618

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The book provides a broad-based introduction to policy-making in Britain, exporing the legacy of the Thatcher era and charting the new context of policy-making in the 1990s. The authors examine the policy process within its ideological, political and economic context, discussing both the influence of Europe and the influence of local government. Having established a broad framework for analysis, the book focuses on a selection of particular policy areas; public expenditure, the NHS, Next Steps, water privatisation, pensions, education and immigration. The aim of the book is to give a sense of the actual dynamics of policy-making and to encourage students to think about the likely outcomes of policy-change, while making the connections between British public policy and the environment in which it is shaped.

International Handbook on Civil Service Systems
International Handbook on Civil Service Systems

Author: A. Massey

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2011-01-01

Total Pages: 393

ISBN-13: 1781001081

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'This Handbook on civil service systems is truly international and comparative. It covers and compares countries from all continents. It also connects historical (Weberian) legacies to contemporary challenges such as coordination, the hollow state, and trust. Massey's Handbook does not avoid difficult issues for civil service systems such as ruined reforms, fiscal retrenchment, and cultural and political system shocks. Therefore this book is exceptionally rich and stimulating.' Geert Bouckaert, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium While there is no universally accepted definition of civil servant and civil service, this authoritative and informative Handbook compares and contrasts various approaches to organising the structure and activities of different civil service systems. Underpinning theories and frameworks provide a disciplinary perspective from which to explore recurring topics and themes, and international comparisons are made via case studies from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and North and South America. The expert contributors consider the historical and theoretical context of public administration and public sector management, encompassing issues such as the Weberian legacy, joined-up government and the hollowed-out state thesis. The debate between Anglo-American influenced systems versus the continental European approach to organising the civil service is also addressed.