9956posts
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Want to work with the Digital Markets Unit?
The digital markets are continuously growing and the Digital Markets Unit is looking for bright, inquisitive new individuals to join the team.
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When is a clinical trial halt not a clinical trial halt?
As the regulator, the safety of those volunteering to participate in clinical trials is our first priority, and our oversight of trial conduct is informed by trial sponsors efficiently notifying us of safety issues during the conduct of their trial. …
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OBR forecasts and trade remedies: what’s the link?
On 17 November the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) economic forecasts were released alongside the government’s Autumn Statement. The OBR – an executive and non-departmental public body – conducts independent analysis to assess whether the government is likely to meet …
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New partnership-based approach to RPA site visits and mapping improvements: Round-up
During November we have published a series of blogs focussing on the RPA’s new partnership-based approach to site visits and the improvements made to RPA’s geospatial mapping process. You can find below a summary of the content with links to …
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Improving how users search for local information on GOV.UK
We simplified our address finding system using the Ordnance Survey’s Places API. Here’s how we did it and the impact it’s had on GOV.UK and its users.
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Strep A and scarlet fever – what are they and what are the symptoms? Information for parents, schools, colleges and early years providers
We are seeing an increased number of cases of Group A streptococcus (Strep A) compared to normal at this time of year. There is no evidence that a new strain is circulating and the increase is most likely related to …
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What the Butler saw: Britain and the Abadan Crisis, 1950-51
In March 1962 a secret report landed on the desks of senior officials in the Foreign Office. Written by Foreign Office Historian Rohan Butler it was a forensic and critical account of the loss in 1951 of Britain’s single biggest …
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Weevils to the rescue! How a beetle could help win the fight against invasive plants
Trevor Renals is the senior technical advisor on invasive species for the Environment Agency. He started his career working on Japanese knotweed management in his native Cornwall, which led to an interest in biological control solutions, using co-evolved natural …
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Inspecting the initial stages of the early career framework and national professional qualifications
Recruiting, training and retaining high-quality teachers and leaders is fundamentally important. It forms the foundation for giving pupils the very best experience in education. In March, we published our new framework for inspecting lead providers of the early career framework …
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From Roadmap to Reality: Insights from Industry on Advancing AI Assurance
As set out in the Government’s National AI Strategy, the UK aims to establish the most trusted and pro-innovation system for AI governance in the world. A key component of getting this light-touch and pro-innovation governance right, is delivering on …
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Volunteering: Part one - trees and canals
To mark international volunteering day, Defra’s user centred design (UCD) team talk about what inspired them to take part in volunteering days and how they went. This is our first instalment of a two-part blog on volunteering.
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Food supply and food security
Today we are looking at media coverage of NFU comments on food supply and security.
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In Conversation with Ben Holloway, Head of Data and Navy Applications
Ben Holloway, the head of Data and Navy Applications was asked to join the judging panel for the first pan-Defence Hackathon at RAF Henlow. Eighty people from the RAF, Army, Navy, Reserves and Civil Service worked together in cross-functional teams …
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The Civil Service recruitment process, explained: part 2
Recruitment experts, hiring managers and new starters share their tips for technical assessments and overall success!
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Apply for a Slurry Infrastructure grant
A fortnight ago, we made full guidance for the new Slurry Infrastructure grant available on GOV.UK. I said I’d blog again when it was time to apply. I’m pleased to say that the first round is now open for applications and it will stay open until 31 January 2023.
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Using prototypes to test new policy ideas
Prototypes are a key part of how designers and policy designers use their skills to improve policymaking and test new ideas. We wrote about the advantages of a prototyping mindset in 2017, learning lessons from a project at that time …
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Reflecting on a decade of ash dieback response in the UK
Barnaby Wylder is our Plant Health Forestry Lead in the North West of England. In this blog he reflects upon ten years of handling ash dieback cases, and what the future might hold for our ash trees.
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Why your property’s rateable value might change
During a revaluation, property values might increase, decrease, or stay the same. Alan Colston, our Chief Valuer and Head of Surveying Profession, explains why.
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The importance of ocean science and the role it plays in shaping UK Marine Policy
Ocean Science is at the core of our day-to-day activity at the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO). Our world renown experts harness the latest data science innovations and marine data insights to collect, process, verify and share the foundational data that …
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UK pushes for ambitious and effective global plastic treaty at first negotiations meeting
Today we are looking at media coverage of the UK attending the first Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meeting to negotiate the new legally binding treaty on plastic pollution that was held in Uruguay.
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Catchment Sensitive Farming and the River Wye
The River Wye is an iconic river of importance to many people and the local economy. But we know the river’s water quality is being affected by pollution from farming as well as the water industry, home discharges and run-off …
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Ignite Space is coming to Bristol
Ignite Space is coming to Aerospace Bristol on Tuesday 7 March 2023, where companies within the UK space sector will have the chance to network, and showcase services and products beneath the iconic Concorde Alpha Foxtrot.
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How do you solve the Software Developer shortage across Government? Emerging talent!
The DDaT Profession Talent team at CDDO have been developing a variety of talent programmes to support departmental DDaT workforce pipelines across government, and we are now excited to announce the launch of our new Software Developer Graduate Scheme. The scheme signals a step change in how we diversify our graduate offer and directly addresses …
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Designing Libraries
The Director of Designing Libraries, Ayub Khan, writes about library design.
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National Tree Week in the media
Today we are looking at media coverage of our National Tree Week announcements.
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Unlocking potential: digital delivery in the NHS
Innovation as a concept is hard to pin down. Some associate it with ground-breaking inventions. Others think of those small, incremental improvements in how we work day-to-day. Both can give rise to important “knowledge assets”. In my role as a …
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Rabies in the UK: a personal perspective
APHA’s Rabies and Viral Zoonoses workgroup undertake work to reduce the risk of rabies and protect animals and humans in the UK and abroad. In this blog, we hear from Dr. Guanghui Wu as she talks about this important area of work and her passion stemming from an early childhood experience.
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My experience with technology and being autistic
On International Day of Persons with Disabilities Christopher Cotmore reflects on his autism spectrum diagnosis and the impact of technology on the way he works.
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Bathing water sampling
In today’s blog we look at how the Environment Agency carries out its work in monitoring England’s bathing waters.
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From Paralympics to apprenticeship: marking International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 3rd is the United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Former double Paralympic swimmer Amy Marren is a solicitor apprentice and member of IfATE's panel of apprentices. Here, she gives her thoughts as a disabled person in the …
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The night sky in December
December brings the winter solstice towards the end of the month, bringing the shortest day and longest night of the year. This marks the start of astronomical winter – and provides plenty of hours of darkness for stargazing!
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Planning new development in a climate emergency
By Sam Kipling, Senior Advisor on Coast & Development Planning I experienced flooding once. Sort of. The ballcock broke on my header tank and, for some reason, it didn’t have an overflow, so water poured from my attic, down to …
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COP27 – a personal perspective
Another year, another climate change COP! COP27 (Conference of Parties) was my second, having attended COP26 in Glasgow last year. This year’s was distinctly different for me: partly because of the location – Glasgow and Sharm el Sheikh are …
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2022 - A year in FSA science
Professor Robin May, FSA Chief Scientific Adviser reflects on the FSA’s commitment to science and the work delivered throughout 2022.
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Emma reflects on her rewarding volunteering experiences for International Volunteers Day
We celebrate solidarity through volunteering often here, as we have Enterprise Advisors who contribute their time to helping young people with their career choices by expanding their understanding of what it's like to work in an organisation like HMRC. For …
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Vaccination: shared responsibility for Shared Lives carers
As the campaign to encourage more frontline care and health workers to book their COVID-19 booster and flu vaccinations continues, we're delighted to share this message from Shared Lives carer, Mike Jacobs. The Shared Lives model, in which carers and those they care for share a home and community life, makes it even more important …
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Summer Interns - Using my law degree at Government Digital Service
Introduction Every summer we welcome a number of students from diverse backgrounds into our Summer Diversity Internship Programme (SDIP) and this year, unlike for the last two years, we were able to meet them in person in our offices. This …
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Saline incursion on the Norfolk Broads
Fisheries officer, Arnie Warsop, explains what saline incursion is and how the work of the Environment Agency protects up to half a million fish from these incursion events on the Norfolk and Suffolk Broads.
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Developing An Inclusive and Skilled Cyber Security Profession
Highlights from the Government Security Cyber Conference which took place on 16 November 2022.
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My hidden disability story
Ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) Senior User Researcher Clare Hussey reflects on how she discovered that she has dyslexia, and the difference this has made to her working life, and to life outside of work.