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The Civil Service World Podcast

Civil Service World

Podcast by Civil Service World

government

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00:31:45

The rise of Civic Punks: Can rebels fix government?

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2026/02/20

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

00:15:53

An Extraordinary Week at the Centre: The Sacking of...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2026/02/13

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

00:28:06

How a senior civil servant uses AI day-to-day: In...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2026/01/23

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

00:24:31

It's Personal: How is HMRC improving customer services?

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/11/06

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

00:21:51

Changemakers: How the Ministry of Defence built an AI...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/10/29

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

00:22:42

Inside the Autumn Issue: A behind-the-scenes look at...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/10/17

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

01:02:15

What's the future of workplace learning in the civil...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/10/10

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

00:26:13

It's Personal: Insights for better service delivery...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/09/25

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

00:29:53

Art, railways and the unexpected creativity of the...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/09/17

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

00:13:40

Changemakers: Building an AI-ready department

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/07/25

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.

00:31:45

It's Personal: How do you modernise a department like...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/07/18

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

01:02:18

One year on: what impact has a mission-driven...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/07/14

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

01:01:15

Re-writing the productivity playbook

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/07/09

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

00:29:37

How do we restore trust between ministers and civil...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/06/24

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

00:24:02

It's Personal: Reimagining Public Services Around...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/06/18

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

01:02:09

CSW Events: How to scale AI in government

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/06/03

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

01:02:05

CSW events: Unlocking rehabilitation

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/05/27

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.

00:34:30

Changemakers: Robots and Agentic AI in government

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/05/20

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 –

00:31:54

Changemakers: Fostering innovation in government

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2025/05/12

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

00:23:00

Government commercial chief Gareth Rhys Williams on...

The Civil Service World Podcast ·

2020/10/12

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

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