A guide to the ESRC's Whitehall Programme, 1994-1999

This article introduces a symposium based on the findings of the ESRC's Whi tehall Programme. It describes the Programme's origins, covering its object ives and themes. It provides a summary of the Programme's activities and pu blications. It allows the Programme Director to identify some of his person al highlights under the headings: from government to governance; publicatio ns; interdisciplinary work; international links and elite seminars. In the conclusions I identify four broad topics for future research: network steer ing, decentralization, anti-foundational epistemology and methods, and comp aring Westminster systems. Finally in Appendix 1, I list all the programme publications so far and, in Appendix 2, I provide a list of projects along with the contact details for the principal investigator.