Catalogue description Records created or inherited by the Civil Service College

Until 1968 the Treasury had general responsibility for the management of the Civil Service, and had taken an increasing interest in service wide training issues as the twentieth century advanced.

Following a recommendation of the committee appointed on 8 February 1966 under the Chairmanship of Lord Fulton"to examine the structure, recruitment and management, including training of the Home Civil Service" the Civil Service Department (CSD) came into existence on 1 November 1968. CSD assumed responsibility from the Treasury for duties relating to personnel, including training.

In November 1965 the Chancellor of the Exchequer had appointed a Working Party on Management Training in the Civil Service under the chairmanship of S P Osmond. The results of the Working Party's investigations were to be made available to the Fulton Committee, and one of its recommendations, submitted to the Committee in its report in January 1967 was for both a non-residential training centre in London and a residential establishment within convenient reach of London. These recommendations were accepted by the Government, and on its establishment in November 1968 the Civil Service Department took over from the Treasury the work on planning for setting up the College on three sites in central London, Edinburgh and Sunningdale. The competition for College principal was held in March 1969 and the College was opened by the Prime Minister on 26 June 1970.

A more detailed history of the setting up of the College including suggestions of the staff college concept for civilian staff within government in the early 1940s will be found in JY 3/3

The Civil Service Department was responsible for the College from 1969 until that Department was dissolved in 1981, when responsibility passed to the Cabinet Office. It was established as an executive agency of the Cabinet Office on 6 June 1989, as part of the 'next steps in government' programme.

The conclusions of a strategy review of the College were presented to the Head of the Home Civil Service early in 1998 and published in July 1998. On 29 July the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a new Centre for Management and Policy Studies. This was launched in summer 1999 comprising four directorates and incorporating the College as the CMPS Civil Service College Directorate.