The Government is to create a new one billion pound private sector-led body to help increase and improve investment in the UK’s public services from private sources. Partnerships UK will employ City experts to help the public sector get the best deal from the Private Finance Initiative and other forms of public-private partnerships. 

A new Office of Government Commerce is being set up as part of a shake up in how Whitehall goes about managing its £13 billion a year procurement budget. The main task of the Office will be to maximise the Government’s buying power. It will deliver over £1 billion of efficiency savings over the next three years while cutting project delays and overruns. 

Grice A
Campaign, (UK), Jan 1999. Start page: 10. No of pages: 1
Reports on how the UK’s Labour Government has increased expenditure on advertising since it took office in 1997. Looks at where the 30% increase has been spent and notices a trend away from trade, industry and crime prevention towards ’social exclusion’ related issues. 

Framework contracts have been awarded to twelve companies to supply Information and Communication Technology to schools. The contracts provide one stop shops for the supply of managed services including computers, local networking, Internet access, software, servicing and technical support, testing and certification of readiness for use as well as training in their use. Prices range from 11,000 pounds to 23,000 pounds spread over three years. 

Joined up inspection of public services is essential in delivering joined up services and the many inspectorates and audit bodies are revising practices and procedures. The best value regime, providing a performance management framework, is due to start in April 2000 and it will boost joined up working across the public sector. In a move to ensure a coherent approach, inspection and audit bodies have joined together to form a Best Value Inspectorate Forum. 

Following an approach to SOLACE International for local government expertise, the UN have selected Sue Charteris, an associate consultant of the company. She will lead a team of three experts in a mission to identify capacity building needs for local government in Kosovo. The project is the first step to rebuilding the institutions of local municipal administration. 

A new agreement between central and local government to encourage close working and innovation in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) he been signed by Ministers and local government representatives. The Concordat is intended to supplement a Framework for Partnership, the collaboration agreement between the Government and the Local Government Association. 

By William Bridges
William Bridges attacks an area of managing change that many not only avoid, but also do not even recognize–the human side of change. Directed at managers and employees in today’s organisations, where change is necessary to revitalize and improve performance, this book addresses the fact that it is people who have to carry out the change.
ISBN 020 1550733. Paperback 130 pages.

The Planning Officers Society has scored a ‘first’ with a website that supports learning about best value. The innovative site at http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/planning/home.html displays four draft chapters of a guide which will be finalised early next year.
The best value regime goes live in eight months and all councils and other authorities such as police and fire brigades will have to comply with statutory requirements. 

A new training course has been launched to give head teachers and senior staff the skills to carry out a ‘do it yourself’ inspection of their own school. The course is built around the role of the OFSTED inspector. It will help course members to evaluate standards and assess the quality of teaching, leadership and management. It is also designed to raise an awareness of strengths and weaknesses so that management strategies can be revised.