#government-scheme-performance

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UK politics
fromIndependent
2 hours ago

Fionnan Sheahan: The Dail reform dorks are coming after your TD - beware of geeks bearing grift

Capping the number of TDs may undermine essential elements of the political system.
Privacy professionals
fromIndependent
1 day ago

Gearoid O'Sullivan: Would you be happy to have details of your tax affairs paraded in public?

New rules threaten taxpayer privacy by limiting the right to private hearings in the appeals process.
fromInvestigative Post
2 days ago

Investigative Post event on reforming Buffalo and NY government.

John Kaehny has written and successfully lobbied for the passage of state and New York City laws related to government transparency and accountability, including the first open data law in the world in 2012.
NYC politics
Washington DC
fromNextgov.com
2 days ago

Civilian agencies face 10% cuts in Trump's 2027 budget

President Trump proposed a $2.2 trillion fiscal 2027 budget with increased defense spending and cuts to non-defense agencies.
New York City
fromwww.amny.com
3 days ago

Op-ed | A responsible path forward for New York City's budget | amNewYork

New York City's budget process is a complex negotiation that impacts community investment and addresses fiscal challenges.
Business intelligence
fromNextgov.com
4 days ago

Survey: Human capital is a key barrier to government AI adoption

Federal leaders view AI as essential for improving agency efficiency, but many initiatives remain in early stages due to various implementation barriers.
#corruption
fromSFGATE
5 days ago
Non-profit organizations

Former executive director of San Francisco city department arrested

fromSFGATE
5 days ago
Non-profit organizations

Former executive director of San Francisco city department arrested

London politics
fromwww.bbc.com
5 days ago

New bin rules begin in England but not all councils are ready

New rules mandate weekly food waste collections in England, but many councils are unprepared to meet the deadline.
Canada news
fromThe Walrus
5 days ago

Why Does Ottawa Keep Funding Fake Canadian Companies? | The Walrus

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency fines stores for misleadingly labeling imported products as 'Canadian' to protect consumer trust.
SF politics
fromPadailypost
5 days ago

Candidate defends party registration

Jim Irizarry claims he mistakenly registered with a far-right party, while opponent David Canepa argues it was intentional and questions Irizarry's qualifications.
fromAllthingssmitty
1 week ago

You probably don't need to lift state - Matt Smith

Keep state as close as possible to where it's actually used. Lift it when multiple components need it or you need to coordinate behavior between components.
React
#irs
NYC parents
fromNextgov.com
6 days ago

IRS' move away from paper checks has delayed tax refunds for nearly 1.5 million Americans

Over one million taxpayers face delays in refunds as IRS phases out paper checks in favor of direct deposit.
NYC parents
fromNextgov.com
6 days ago

IRS' move away from paper checks has delayed tax refunds for nearly 1.5 million Americans

Over one million taxpayers face delays in refunds as IRS phases out paper checks in favor of direct deposit.
UK news
fromwww.bbc.com
6 days ago

Councils pressed to use universal parking app to cut 'unfair' fines

The government is promoting a nationwide parking payment app to reduce fines and simplify payments for drivers across England.
EU data protection
fromComputerWeekly.com
1 week ago

UK government lacks ambition to fight tax fraud, says PAC | Computer Weekly

The UK's PAC criticizes the government for failing to modernize technology to combat tax fraud and error, costing taxpayers billions annually.
#reform-uk
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago
UK politics

Drip feed of Reform UK controversies puts party's policy drive in shade

Reform UK faces significant internal issues, including high attrition rates and controversial statements from candidates.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago
UK politics

Reform UK's Kent council faces extreme risk' after passing first budget

Reform UK-led Kent council raised council tax 3.99%, leaving reserves low and exposing the authority to £411m of immediate financial risk.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 days ago

Drip feed of Reform UK controversies puts party's policy drive in shade

Reform UK faces significant internal issues, including high attrition rates and controversial statements from candidates.
fromNextgov.com
1 week ago

Agency data leads worry about staff capacity to tackle statutory requirements, survey finds

Among the 189 CDO and other data leader respondents to the annual survey conducted by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Data Foundation, about 40% said they had lost six or more employees last year.
EU data protection
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
4 days ago

MP rejects Palantir's claims that criticism of NHS England deal is ideologically motivated'

Concerns over Palantir's NHS contract focus on transparency, data security, and value for money, not just ideological motivations.
fromwww.bbc.com
1 week ago

Campaigners celebrate after new town plans dropped

Campaigner Aysha Hawcutt stated that residents were 'not anti-homes', but believed the Adlington plan was 'the wrong proposal in the wrong place'. She expressed pride in the community's resilience against the development threats.
London politics
New York City
fromwww.amny.com
1 week ago

NYC BUDGET: City Hall approves first round of savings after Mamdani told agencies to tighten belts | amNewYork

Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration identified over $1.7 billion in savings to address NYC's budget gap through various efficiency measures.
US news
fromThe Washington Post
3 weeks ago

Did Trump cuts slow access to public records? We found 26 cases that say yes.

Federal workforce reductions have severely impaired agencies' ability to comply with Freedom of Information Act requests, with at least 13 agencies citing staffing cuts as reasons for missing FOIA deadlines in court.
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
1 week ago

Ministers hope red tape cuts will speed-up decision making

The government aims to expedite decision-making by eliminating outdated regulations and overlapping consultations to reduce red tape.
New York City
fromFOX 5 New York
1 week ago

NYC Council launches public dashboards for budget expenses, projected revenue

The city council launched public budget dashboards to enhance transparency in budget expenses and revenue expectations.
fromTheregister
1 week ago

Wales used Copilot to justify axing publicly funded body

I was alarmed and made a point to the board that the review refers to Microsoft Copilot as being used to evaluate the returns. I don't think you can rely on artificial intelligence to do that. It's just wrong.
UK politics
fromNextgov.com
3 weeks ago

Vought takes aim at GAO in new guidance

Doing so has failed to prioritize agency internal control processes to adequately protect American taxpayer dollars, leading to documented examples of widespread abuse. Prior versions of OMB's guidance have overly deferred to the direction and priorities of external entities whose views are not binding on the Executive Branch, such as the Government Accountability Office.
Washington DC
NYC politics
fromNBC New York
3 weeks ago

Mamdani pledged a 'culture of transparency.' But he's not ready to hand over these gov't records.

Mayor Mamdani promised transparency and accountability but delayed releasing AI program records, citing FOIL request backlogs similar to his predecessor's approach.
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
1 week ago

Council tax claim could 'mislead' residents - UKSA

Wandsworth Council's claim of freezing council tax for four years may mislead taxpayers due to a rise in social care precept.
EU data protection
fromTheregister
3 weeks ago

UK's Shared Services Strategy is entering the danger zone

The UK government's Shared Services Strategy faces legal challenges and implementation risks as it pursues a £1.7 billion consolidation of 17 departments into five cloud-based shared services centers by 2028.
New York City
fromwww.amny.com
2 weeks ago

Editorial | NYC spends too much money. It's time to get things under control. | amNewYork

New York City faces a $7.3 billion budget deficit over two fiscal years due to chronic overspending relative to revenue, with structural imbalances threatening municipal bond ratings.
fromwww.bbc.com
2 weeks ago

Reform-led council approves councillor wage rise

Members of Kent County Council voted 45 in favor of a 3.8% increase in allowances, with 22 against and five abstentions, despite concerns over timing and optics.
UK politics
fromThe Verge
1 month ago

Democrats to introduce bill aimed at resurrecting IRS Direct File

According to Sen. Warren, TurboTax parent company Intuit donated more than $1 million to Trump's inauguration and has lobbied heavily against the program. (Companies like TurboTax offer similar tax filing services, but for a fee.)
US politics
#local-government
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
2 weeks ago

Reform council leader survives no confidence vote

Reform UK council leader George Finch survived a no-confidence vote by one vote at Warwickshire County Council, with 27 voting against removal and 26 voting for it.
UK politics
fromBusiness Matters
2 weeks ago

HMRC interest 'double standards' branded unfair as taxpayers face higher charges than rebates

HMRC charges taxpayers 7.75% interest on late payments but pays only 2.75% on refunds, creating a structurally unfair system with no equivalent penalties for HMRC delays.
London politics
fromwww.standard.co.uk
1 month ago

The scandal of London councils' spending black holes

Local government councils raise council tax without demonstrating clear value or exploring efficiency improvements that private sector organizations routinely implement.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Inquiry launched into HMRC anti-fraud scheme that wrongly cut child benefits

The UK's National Audit Office is investigating an HMRC anti-fraud scheme that wrongly stripped 23,794 families of child benefit payments using flawed Home Office travel records that failed to document return journeys.
#civil-service-reform
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Reform UK government would replace top civil servants with policy believers'

Reform UK plans to dismiss permanent secretaries across all government departments and replace them with outsiders or officials deemed more aligned with party priorities, risking civil service politicization and loss of institutional expertise.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
3 weeks ago

Reform UK government would replace top civil servants with policy believers'

Reform UK plans to dismiss permanent secretaries across all government departments and replace them with outsiders or officials deemed more aligned with party priorities, risking civil service politicization and loss of institutional expertise.
Artificial intelligence
fromTheregister
1 month ago

Chatbots can be too chatty for government queries

AI chatbots answering government service questions often produce verbose, inconsistent, and inaccurate responses, and instructing them to be concise can reduce accuracy.
Public health
fromNextgov.com
1 month ago

Targeted AI adoption can drive change, current and former officials say

Federal agencies must adopt AI strategically, managing implementation and expectations to improve services like veteran healthcare enrollment and clinical support.
fromTheregister
3 weeks ago

Watchdog: Capita's pension 'fiasco', now a 370M DWP gig

The chair of the Public Accounts Committee sought reassurance that the Cabinet Office had shared details of Capita's performance on the CSPS before the DWP made its award to the outsourcing firm to provide HR, finance, and payroll services to the DWP, the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
UK politics
fromEntrepreneur
2 months ago

How to Win Big With Public-Sector Partners

Understanding the difference in purpose Unlike private businesses, which exist to make a profit, public institutions are designed to create impact - especially social and economic outcomes that benefit everyone, not just paying customers. A public agency doesn't measure its success in revenue or margins, but in how much it improves lives, builds equity and maintains public trust. This doesn't mean budgets and spending don't matter - they absolutely do - but money is not the goal. It's the tool.
World politics
Retirement
fromwww.bbc.com
1 month ago

Civil service pension backlog 'overwhelmed' Capita, boss says

Capita's takeover of the Civil Service Pension Scheme created a growing backlog that left thousands of retired civil servants without timely pension payments.
Miscellaneous
fromIndependent
2 months ago

Revenue told Government not to tell public about lucrative tax loophole

A tax loophole enabling wealthy individuals to transfer valuable life assurance policies tax-free was quietly closed during last year's budget.
Philosophy
fromFast Company
1 month ago

Are you morally obligated to pay taxes?

Obeying laws and paying taxes is morally justified by civic duty, tacit consent, prevention of social harm, and benefits received from legal order.
Education
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
1 month ago

SEND crisis: Vast majority of councils warn of insolvency and call for reform amid huge deficits - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Eight in ten councils expect insolvency by 2028/29 due to rising SEND high-needs deficits unless the Government writes off deficits and reforms the system.
fromThe Mercury News
2 months ago

Letters: Fight over gate raises questions of government service

The spat over 1,000 feet of Morrison Canyon Road reflects a question that applies at all levels of government: Do elected officials serve voters broadly or a few wealthy donors? The current issue is whether Fremont controls the road that the Alameda County Board of Supervisors ceded to Christopher George, who has now blocked access with a gate. But it is part of a longer battle that has included the board considering George's request for the land after his company
East Bay real estate
Business
fromBusiness Matters
2 months ago

Shammas Tax: Fairness, Simplicity, and a Human Touch

Shammas Tax simplifies taxes and budgeting for local small business owners and families, providing clear, fair, and compassionate financial guidance.
Fundraising
fromBusiness Matters
2 months ago

Which Grant Management Tools Are Best for Government Agencies?

Cloud-based grant management software helps government agencies organize workflows, track metrics, run reports, improve recordkeeping, and support implementation through configurable products and vendor support.
fromThe Atlantic
2 months ago

Purge the Public Servants

In this new season, I'm asking how the Trump White House is rewriting the rules of U.S. politics, and talking to Americans whose lives have been changed as a result. Today's episode examines the destruction of the civil service: the removal of professionals, and their replacement with loyalists. I've seen this kind of transformation before, in other failing democracies. Everyone suffers from the degradation of public services.
US politics
UK news
fromLondon Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com
1 month ago

Emergency government bailouts needed by third of councils over next three years - London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Over a third of councils and nearly half of social care councils are likely to need emergency government bailout agreements to set budgets within three years.
Canada news
fromwww.cbc.ca
1 month ago

City staff stealing packages, working other jobs on sick leave: What Toronto's auditor uncovered in 2025 | CBC News

Employee fraud, mismanagement, and attempted multimillion-dollar scams caused financial loss, damaged morale, and led to disciplinary bans from Toronto's workforce.
Public health
fromwww.bbc.com
1 month ago

Health grant of 1.8m misused by council

Barking and Dagenham Council discovered about £1.8m of its public health grant had been used outside the ringfence and must reallocate equivalent funds to health spending.
Fundraising
fromNature
1 month ago

The funding system needs fixing - but it's not a 'waste of time and money'

A single Horizon Europe funding call consumed more researcher and funder time than the awarded funds, creating a net drain on scientific resources.
US politics
fromThe Atlantic
2 months ago

I Tried to Be the Government. It Did Not Go Well.

Government staffing cuts and institutional disruptions have weakened regulatory oversight, prompting individuals to perform personal safety checks such as buying Geiger counters.
fromComputerWeekly.com
2 months ago

UK government kicks off plan to revamp citizen digital interaction | Computer Weekly

This is a new unit within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), led by Tristan Thomas, formerly of Monzo, and Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy. It aims to bring together the best civil service operators alongside leading private sector disruptors and transformation specialists. The plan is to use CustomerFirst expertise to rewire government services, making use of AI and best practices from the private sector.
UK news
fromwww.cbc.ca
1 month ago

Taxpayers complain of long waits for the CRA to fix its errors, deliver refunds | CBC News

As the 2025 tax season approaches, Bill Bisson is stuck in tax limbo, still waiting for the Canada Revenue Agency to resolve a $3,471 penalty stemming from his 2023 return a charge he and his tax adviser say is an obvious CRA error. It's frustrating, it has created a lot of stress for me, said Bisson, who lives in Beaver Bank, N.S., just outside Halifax. It just keeps hanging over my head.
Canada news
UK news
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

HMRC accepted tolerable' risk of harm in child benefit fraud crackdown

HMRC halted thousands of child benefit payments using incomplete Home Office travel data, wrongly suspending many legitimate UK claimants.
US politics
fromwww.aljazeera.com
1 month ago

New Trump administration rule makes it easier to fire career civil servants

OPM will reclassify about 50,000 senior career federal employees as at-will, allowing expedited removal for misconduct or intentionally subverting Presidential directives.
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Treasury calls in Blair thinktank to advise on using AI across public services

These people are exactly who can help us create change across the public sector giving us the hard truths on our approach to AI and advising where we need to prioritise our investment to support real efficiencies, said Murray, who added that their advice will feed into efficiency processes ahead of the next spending review.
UK politics
fromComputerWeekly.com
1 month ago

College of Policing accounts 'disclaimed' by auditor for second year in wake of IT failure | Computer Weekly

The accounting watchdog said that, although there had been no new financial issues, it "disclaimed" the college's latest 2024-25 accounts because of the continuing "fallout" from financial reporting problems that resulted from a problematic IT project. "We were not able to provide a complete opinion on the opening position or in-year transactions for 2024-25, both of which are heavily derived from the closing position of the prior year," it added.
UK news
US politics
fromAxios
1 month ago

Trump admin green lights rule making it easier to fire thousands of federal employees

The new Schedule Policy/Career rule enables faster removal of senior federal employees and shifts whistleblower oversight to agencies, increasing risks of politicization and turnover.
US politics
fromThe Atlantic
2 months ago

Put Humans in Charge Again

Strong executive authority and flexible decision-making enable rapid, large-scale public works, mass hiring, and fast crisis responses when bureaucratic processes are bypassed.
US politics
fromPortland Mercury
2 months ago

Councilors Want City to Move Faster on Enforcement of New Detention Center Fee

Portland councilors demand swift enforcement of a new code banning chemical emissions from detention facilities and investigations into tear gas deployments at the ICE site.
#council-tax
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Ministers must end barking mad' restraints on civil service pay, union leader warns

Civil service pay restraints prevent recruiting and retaining technical and digital specialists, undermining delivery and regulatory performance without competitive pay and sufficient resources.
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
2 months ago

Can a council do five days' work in four?

South Cambridgeshire District Council adopted a 32-hour, four-day week and reports improved retention, higher applicant numbers, agency savings, and maintained or improved most service metrics.
UK politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

Council leader claims local authority bullied' to delay polls for extra funding and powers

Norfolk council leader withdrew from devolution and LGR after government reversed election postponement, accusing ministers of bullying by tying funding and powers to cancelling elections.
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Darren Jones to make it easier to sack senior civil servants under plans to rewire' Whitehall

He said performance indicators for senior officials would be set by ministers and those civil servants not meeting expectations would be shown the door. Instead of the sideways shimmy to another team or department if you fail to perform, I'm afraid you will be sacked, he said, adding that the doers, not the talkers would be in line for promotion.
UK politics
UK politics
fromTheregister
1 month ago

The UK government isn't spending much taxpayer cash on X

Most UK government departments ceased paid spending on X since July 2024, while the Department for Education spent £27,118.
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 months ago

Energy and health optimism help lift civil service morale under Labour

Civil service morale rose slightly after Labour took power in 2024, with the biggest jumps in satisfaction in the energy and health departments, an annual Whitehall monitor report will show. The survey from the Institute for Government (IfG) thinktank, due to be published this week, found that morale rose from 60.7 to 61.2% on the civil service employee engagement index. This is a composite measure that captures civil servants' feelings about how things are done in their organisation, and their pride in where they work.
UK politics
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
2 months ago

Emergency loans offered to civil servants waiting on pensions

Civil servants facing pension-payment delays are offered interest-free hardship loans up to 10,000; urgent cases prioritised and extra staff hired to clear the backlog.
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