Reimagining Whitehall

To effectively reimagine the State itself, major change must occur in the behaviours, processes, and structures of central government. 

Both the first and second world wars led to a rewiring of some of the functions of the State, driven by an imperative to ‘build back better’ and an understanding that the effectiveness of the machinery of government would make or break that endeavour. After a decade of deep disruption – entrenching deep public disillusionment – we face a similar task.  

While successive administrations have attempted to modernise the civil service and improve the structure of Whitehall, the same problems recur.

Our research programme will prioritise short, impactful projects that are designed to tackle the pathologies that undermine change.

Read our launch essay, setting out the biases that trouble our system of government - and all efforts to reform it.