There is a school of thought that argues that in a period of austerity and expenditure reductions, local government should be 'managed' rather than 'governed'.
Proponents argue that executives and professional managers should devise technical solutions and take managerial actions to reduce expenditure and balance budgets. In extremis, they even claim that politics and politicians prevent rational decisions and block...
Both ‘Total Place’, initiated through a partnership between the last Labour government and local government, and the current coalition government’s ‘Whole Place Community Budgets’ have much to offer to the debate on future spending choices.
I was the programme director for the Total Place pilot in Worcestershire, where total public expenditure, including welfare and pension transfer payments in the county,...
Heather Jameson recently asked why I had become a councillor 32 years ago – an 'in your face' challenge’ one has to expect from the editor of The MJ! But, it did cause me to draw on deep memories. And, it also made me wonder: knowing what we now know about local government's financial and other challenges, why would...
Successful strategic commissioning by public sector bodies is a complex process, more akin to making music than a purely technical exercise. Ministers should take note
I was delighted to note that Norman Lamb, the social care minister, made some telling points about public sector commissioning recently, when he was speaking at an ACEVO conference.
Amongst other things, he complained that all too often commissioning...
News that the Treasury is looking for even bigger cuts from unprotected Whitehall departments is adding to the public sector gloom. So what is to be done?
‘Bedroom tax’ and housing benefit caps. Council tax benefit changes. Harsh changes to benefits for disabled people. Deep cuts to public services already made or in train; with a call from Treasury ministers for proposals for 10%...
Last week a number of national charity organisations including the NCVO, NAVCA, ACEVO, Compact Voice and the Equality and Diversity Forum jointly wrote to every local authority leader in England. The message was clear: 'when you set your budget, don't cut budgets and funding for the local voluntary and community sector'. There was a further call to council leaders...
The role of boards and their chairs is crucial to the successful performance of organisations in the public sector and beyond. Boards must demonstrate both good governance and good leadership
Over the past few decades I have served on boards and committees across the public, business, third and social sectors. I have been a trustee, non-executive and executive, and have...
Over the last few days I have been one of a team of judges evaluating the entries for the Government Opportunities (GO) National Public Procurement Awards 2013/14. We have seen some fantastic examples of progressive procurement that has enabled local authorities, government departments, NHS trusts and others to secure better outcomes for communities and individual citizens, wider social outcomes...
Two words that we hear less and less, especially by government ministers, are ‘Big Society’. In the 2010 general election, the ‘Big Society’ was one of the prime minister’s major policy initiatives and one of the ways by which society was going to be changed for the better.
Unfortunately and strangely, ‘Big Society’ was never properly defined, supported...
I had a conversation last week with a voluntary and community sector (VCS) leader during which she posed two significant questions. She challenged whether it is right for charities and VCS organisations to bid for contracted public services without considering the implications for their independence, their missions and their ability to promote the interests of their beneficiaries in the...