The modernising government programme is creating a substantial pool of
learning about what works and what does not work. The problem is that the
learning is held in many puddles across the UK where the initiatives are
taking place. The Local Government Association is seeking to draw the
puddles together through its Supporting the Action Zones scheme.
The scale of the problem is growing daily as new initiatives are launched. 

Radical proposals for reforming post 16 learning have been published in the White Paper Learning to Succeed. It is planned to sweep away much that has been heavily criticised. The principal weaknesses are too few pupils stay on at school after 16; and standards are too variable. Also there is too little clarity, co-ordination and coherence between further education and training, and there are too many layers in contracting and funding. 

By Green S
The International Journal of Public Sector Management, (UK), 1998 Vol 11 No 7. Start page: 536. No of pages: 17
Discusses strategic management and planning (SM/P) and examines the reasons for adoption of SM/P by governments regarding their civil services. Uses a two-part methodology - questionnaire, and personal interviews with senior civil servants (still ongoing) - to elicit this information from England, Japan, USA (3 states), Ireland, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.