Special adviser resources

During our research on special advisers, one heartfelt plea was for better induction and training materials. This cache of resource material aims to help meet that demand.

For more information about these resources, please contact Professor Robert Hazell.

Publications

Spad Handbook

Understanding Whitehall

Spad videos

In a series of eight short videos, Spads and others from across the political spectrum share their collective wisdom on how to maximise your impact as a Spad, how to harness the Whitehall machine and how to survive in departments and at the centre of government.

Additional resources

Codes of conduct and other useful guidance

• Special advisers’ code of conduct
• Civil Service code
• Ministerial Code

Other resources

• Special Advisers: Who they are, what they do and why they matter by Ben Yong and Robert Hazell (Hart, 2014)
• ’Inside Out: In Defence of Special Advisers: Lessons from Personal Experience’ by Nick Hillman (Institute for Government, March 2014)
• Special Advisers, by Lucinda Maer and Ray McCaffrey (House of Commons Library Briefing 3813, March 2018)
• Special Advisers and the Johnson Government, by Tim Durrant et al (Institute for Government, October 2020)
• ’Special advisers in the thick of it’, House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee (Sixth Report of Session 2012–13)
• ’Special advisers and ministerial effectiveness’ by Zoe Gruhn, Felicity Slater (Institute for Government, October 2012)
• ’Working with Ministers: A practical handbook on advising, briefing & drafting’ (UK Government, November 2014)
• How to Be A Minister: A 21st Century Guide by John Hutton and Leigh Lewis (Biteback, 2014)
• Chief of Staff: Notes from Downing Street by Gavin Barwell (Atlantic, 2021)
• The Blunders of our Governments by Anthony King and Ivor Crewe (Oneworld, 2013)
• Instruction to Deliver by Michael Barber (Politico’s, 2007)