9939posts
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An introduction to the Local Skills Dashboard, by Frank Bowley
Skills England is data-driven, bringing together the right evidence to understand and respond to the nation’s skills needs. An important part of this work is supporting our partners across the country to access and use this evidence in a local …
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Successful local plan development: Working together and preparing better
Andrew Megginson is Head of Service for Local Plans at the Planning Inspectorate where he leads the operational delivery of local plan examinations across England. Together with Simon Berkeley, Professional Lead for Local Plans, they recently delivered a comprehensive webinar on preparing local plans for successful examination.
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Working Together to Protect Harbour Porpoise
For those who work at sea, Harbour porpoises are a familiar sight around our coast. They have a wide diet, feeding mostly on fish, including sandeels, herring and whiting, as well as on squid and crustaceans. As predators they help …
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Celebrating Excellence: HMCTS National Awards Showcase Innovation, Compassion and Justice in Action
The annual HMCTS National Awards celebrate staff who exemplify our values through innovation, crisis response and commitment to putting people first.
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Introducing the GOV Reuse Library
The GOV Reuse Library is a new cross-government initiative designed to help teams work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively by reusing proven digital service components. Developed by the Ministry of Justice, in partnership with the Government Digital Service and the …
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DataConnect25: How public sector data delivers real benefits for users
Next month DataConnect is back again for a fifth year. This year’s ‘for the community, by the community’ event is for the first time themed around using data to deliver benefits for users.
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Nature Recovery Projects – next steps for growing collaborative action that drives nature recovery
Acting for nature recovery at scale Defra and Natural England invested £7.4 million to initiate twelve landscape-scale Nature Recovery Projects (NRPs) across the country, over the three years of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2022/23-2024/25. Covering over 319,480ha, these projects were …
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Designing a user-centred intranet to help our staff work more effectively
An intranet is an essential digital platform that connects employees within an organisation, giving them easy access to internal news and resources. Sian, content designer, shares how user-centred design transformed our department's intranet, streamlining communication, knowledge sharing and accessibility to help our UK-wide staff work more productively and efficiently.
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Winter farm preparation: a guide for farmers after a dry season
As autumn begins, many farmers are still feeling the effects of prolonged dry weather and drought despite recent rainfall. Here the Environment Agency provides advice on how to prepare for winter challenges such as flooding, slurry storage, and reservoir refilling.
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Building our product management community: from sceptics to superfans
James Corbett is a Product Manager for Delivering Sustainable Futures at Defra and Helen McMullan is a Lead Product Manager for Regulatory Services at Defra. In this blog they reflect on how formalising a product community has unleashed the power of shared ownership, collective growth, and fostered sense of belonging
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From Insight to Interface: My summer in Digital Design at UKEF
Izzy tells us about her experience as an intern in UKEF DDAT
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Safety of Nitrates and Nitrites as Food Additives
Our role at the FSA is to put people first. That means being transparent about the risks in our food, and providing you with clear, science-based information to help you make informed choices about foods you eat. A good example …
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More than half of all English local authorities are now using the new Appeal a Planning Decision Service
With the introduction of the new Appeal A Planning Decision Service, the Appeals Casework Portal closure will be happening by April 2026. What does this mean for appellants and LPAs?
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Ready to grow your digital skills? Get Tech Certified this Autumn
This Autumn, Get Tech Certified offers an opportunity to gain free, recognised digital qualifications to help sharpen your skills and boost your career.
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UK–Australia Space Bridge strengthens ties at International Astronautical Congress
The UK Space Agency and the Australian Space Agency have renewed their Space Bridge partnership today at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney.
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Working together on user research
As a Fast Streamer, I spent six months at the Department for Education (DfE) working as a user researcher on our internal digital platform for reporting IT issues. The research, commissioned by leadership, aimed to understand how users experience the …
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Numbers of nesting hen harriers in England have risen slightly in 2025
By Matthew Heard, National Delivery Director Numbers of nesting hen harriers in England have risen slightly this year, according to data collected by Natural England and partners. Breeding figures and regional breakdown In 2025, Natural England and partners recorded a …
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Register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer directly online at GOV.UK
If you transport waste or buy, sell or dispose of waste - or arrange for someone else to do so - you must register with the Environment Agency.
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Fisheries activity mapping: Reports and data published
In summer 2023 we engaged with the fishing industry on fisheries mapping carried out by the MMO Marine Planning Team. We’ve now incorporated stakeholder feedback through an update to the fisheries mapping work. Amongst some of the key points you …
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What’s changing - applying for patents
We're publishing a series of blogs to guide you through the changes and ensure you have everything you need for a smooth transition to our new service.
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The NDA Group Graduate Programme: more than a job
The NDA group graduate scheme offers far more than just a stepping stone into the nuclear industry; it’s a chance to grow professionally, explore new places, and become part of a supportive community. Nuala Ledward, Assurance and Performance Graduate, shares …
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Welcome to the Operational Delivery Profession: Delivering excellence every day
300,000 civil servants work on the front line in operational and delivery roles. Sir Peter Schofield, Head of the Government Operational Delivery Profession, tells us more about his work.
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Data Strategy in practice - Introduction and strategic ambitions
Reflections on research by the Digital, Data and Technology team in May 2025 with 15 organisations. This is the first in a series of blog posts on the topic.
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Behind the scenes with the UK NSC’s Research and Methodology Group
The UK NSC’s Research and Methodology Group has advised on a wide range of screening research projects since its launch.
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HydroGNSS mission lands in California
The UK-built HydroGNSS mission, which will investigate the Earth’s water cycle, has landed in California and is ready to start preparations for launch.
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How Defra is leading the way in sustainable technology
Edd Parry, Director of Group Infrastructure and Operations in Defra Digital Data Technology and Security, reflects on our journey to reimagine how we procure IT services, focusing on sustainability and improving the end user experience.
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10 years of Protecting the World’s Ocean: Reflections from Blue Belt Programme Leads
Since its initiation in 2016, the UK Government’s Blue Belt Programme has been at the forefront of global marine protection, working closely with the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) to establish and manage one of the largest networks of marine protected …
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Celebrating five years of the People and Nature Surveys: What we’ve learned about England’s love for the outdoors
By Sheldon Allen, Project Manager, Natural England’s People and Nature Survey Team Nature and happiness – what's the connection? What makes you feel happy? For most people in England, it’s time spent outdoors. Our People and Nature Survey for England (PaNS) …
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GP Contract: What you need to know
From Wednesday 1 October, every GP practice in England must keep their online booking open all day during working hours (8am-6:30pm) - no more closing these systems and forcing everyone onto jammed phone lines. This delivers on our manifesto promise …
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Wildfires: Nature’s role in resisting the spark
Updated (3 October 2025) By Sallie Bailey, Natural England’s Chief Scientist This year we have witnessed wildfires ravaging England’s uplands and heaths on a historic scale, with prolonged hot and dry weather providing the ideal conditions for blazes lasting weeks. …
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Revaluation 2026 – everything you need to know
In this blog, you'll find everything you need to know about Revaluation 2026.
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From seed to sapling: why seed collection is fundamental to future forest resilience
Lorenza Pozzi, the Forestry Commission’s Nurseries Data, Insights and Liaison Officer, explores the intricacies of seed selection across England and the importance of careful seed selection and collection for future forest resilience.
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APHA’s role in the global fight against rabies
Every nine minutes, rabies claims a life, yet it is entirely preventable. Read more about APHA’s long-standing commitment to end dog-mediated human rabies by 2030.
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Exploring career journeys
Civil servants joining the Science and Engineering Fast Stream Are you a current civil servant with a background in science or engineering and want to accelerate your career through leadership development? The Science and Engineering Fast Stream could be the …
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From pitch to progress
In October 2024, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) hosted a series of ground-breaking Reverse Pitch events in Leeds, London and Manchester, welcoming over 200 innovators from 34 small businesses.
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Milestone for MicroCarb: First Earth Observations
On 28 August, the MicroCarb satellite captured its first view of Earth, marking a major milestone following its 25 July launch.
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Pride in Place coverage
This week the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced the Pride in Place Programme, a landmark £5 billion initiative that will see money handed to communities to invest in their priorities and revitalise high streets over the …
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Introducing the Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector
Alan Laidlaw has been appointed as England’s first Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector. In this guest post, he shares his background, his ambitions for the role, and how he plans to work with the sector to strengthen relationships and collaboration between tenant farmers, landlords, and advisers.
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Should we be worried about the current COVID-19 variants?
Rates of COVID-19 continue to fluctuate throughout the year, and people have asked how the most common current lineages - or groups of genetically similar viruses - compare to previous COVID-19 variants.
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GSE Leadership Values Masterclass: Leading through change
Over 150 members of the Government Science and Engineering (GSE) community gathered on 4 September, for a masterclass to explore how science and engineering leaders can lead through change. It was facilitated by Sophie Boldon, Deputy Director in the Government …