Publications
How to avoid the pitfalls of open public services
31st August 2012
This publication examines the difficulties of ‘opening up’ public services through choice and competition and identifies some possible remedies.
Learning from history
31st August 2012
This publication is based on sessions reviewing attempts to create markets in public services in four key areas – welfare-to-work, social care, health care and local government.
A brief guide to government reshuffles
31st August 2012
This short paper attempts to address why and how the prime minister should reshuffle his ministerial team.
Commitment device, political gesture or constitutional outrage?
16th August 2012
In July the Institute for Government held a private roundtable to look at the implications of enshrining policy targets in law. This briefing paper records the main points of that discussion.
The Centre for Management and Policy Studies, 1999-2005
19th July 2012
The Centre for Management and Policy Studies was a Cabinet Office body which attempted to be both a hub for thinking in Whitehall and a body overseeing and providing direction to civil service learning and development. This case study examines why it was set up and why it did not achieve what was hoped.
The story of the Health and Social Care Act 2012
12th July 2012
‘Never Again?’ tells the story of how and why the Health and Social Care Act 2012 – by far the most controversial piece of NHS legislation in more than two decades – became law.
12th July 2012
Nicholas Timmins’ case study of the National Health Service (NHS) reforms draws out 10 specific lessons from the story of the Health and Social Care Act.
A case study of the National Planning Policy Framework and other models of more open policy making
5th July 2012
The civil service reform plan recognised the need to improve the quality of policy making. One of the ways it proposed to do this was by making open policy making "the default”.
The first year of the Government’s ICT strategy
25th June 2012
This report examines the first year of the Government’s ICT strategy.
Our verdict on the new reform plan
19th June 2012
The Civil Service Reform Plan has now been published. We have set out seven key tests to evaluate whether the plan is a significant step towards a programme that will transform the Civil Service, or just another white paper style bubble that quickly bursts.