This paper outlines how ministers can be effective leaders of public service reform and drive change across the system. Drawing on studies of successful public service reform in the United Kingdom, it explores what effective leadership looks like in public service reform, and the lessons this holds for current and future ministers.

Crises are among the greatest challenges a minister will face while in office. However, ministers often struggle to find the time to reflect on how they respond to them effectively. This report sets out the key leadership roles ministers play during a crisis, and what they can do to prepare for, and learn from, crises.

Trust in the institutions of public life has taken a beating after years of scandal in UK politics. As Ipsos polling commissioned specially for this report shows, there is a sense among the public that people in power do not feel bound by the same rules as them.

Many people outside government talk about the benefits of transparency in opening up the work of government to the public, but there is much less discussion of how transparency can benefit government itself. Based on seven case studies, this report focuses on how taking a more transparent approach can help government achieve its objectives.

This report looks at the increasing use of WhatsApp and other messaging apps in government, and their associated risks and benefits. These apps are useful but need to be used carefully to ensure the downsides – including a lack of transparency, poor communication and poor record keeping – do not outweigh the positives.