Benefits agency staff have been praised for managing to maintain ‘business as usual’ during the introduction of complex new modernisation in their decision-making processes.The annual report of the Chief Adjudication Officer assesses the quality of decisions made about individual benefit claims. The report covers a crucial period last year when both the Benefits Agency and Employment Service were working together to adopt new decision making and appeals processes.

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Measures to ensure that the NHS gives full consideration to the health needs of people from all ethnic communities have been announced.They follow the announcement by the Home Office that race discrimination, both direct and indirect, are to be outlawed by statute across the public sector. (See Publicnet of Friday, January 28, 2000)

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Marsick V J, Watkins K EThe Learning Organization, (UK), 1999 Vol 6 No 5

Start page: 207. No of pages: 5

Points out that organizational learning has the potential to create a workplace that revitalizes employees or one that exploits and dehumanizes them. Reports anecdotal evidence that supports this view. Draws a distinction between organizations that place learning and knowledge development at their core and those that focus on efficiency and profitability. Asks if the concept of the learning organization is being subverted by ‘carpetbaggers’, using this term for consultants who are taking up organizational learning and selling it back to companies as a quick and easy fix for their organizational problems. Argues that becoming a learning organization is a long-term process, involving a critical evaluation of all the organization’s processes and procedures. Sees the value in the concept of the learning organization as lying in the prominence it gives to learning for both organizations and individuals.

Read more on LOOKING AT LEARNING IN THE LEARNING ORGANISATION…

Public service TV will mean much more than the BBC and an annual licence fee in the future.The Government wants the whole public sector to be ready to tap into the opportunity digital TV offers both to open up services to everyone in society and to make them more convenient.

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The Government is to strengthen the Race Relations (Amendment) Bill, currently before the House of Lords. The change will ensure that the Act’s provisions on indirect discrimination apply across the public sector.There will also be a statutory requirement on public bodies to promote race equality. The Government intends to table the amendment when the Bill reaches the Commons.

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The Housing Corporation has set out its framework for staying in step with local councils as they perform to new best value standards of performance.The corporation, a government agency which helps social landlords provide good homes for those on low incomes, has set out proposals for revising its own performance indicators under a best value framework.

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The head of the body that speaks up for water users has cautioned against plans to change consumer representation.Sheila Reiter, chair of the Ofwat National Customer Council, has warned against plans under the new Utilities Bill that could separate the voice of the consumer from that of the regulator.

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Glacel, Barbara Pate / Robert, Emile A.Two consultants in the areas of executive and organizational development for world-renown companies describe what makes teams work, where they work best and what to do to obtain team commitment, synergy, and productivity. The first part of the book narrates the experience of a fictional high-performing corporate team. The latter half provides a concise explanation of the 12 primary skills for learning through team development. Contents include the Tuckman model of development, four principles of leadership and the Light Bulbs for Leaders Workshop.

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Financial service providers have been told to do more to improve women’s understanding of financial products.The Government is concerned that not enough women are making proper financial provision for themselves.

At a meeting at 11 Downing Street, representatives of the financial sector were urged to make more effort to market products at women, improve their financial capability, and provide a better range of products for women at differing stages of their lives.

Read more on CALL FOR FRIENDLIER SAVINGS, PENSIONS AND INVESTMENTS…

A new committee has been set up to offer the Government advice on how tocreate a better work-home balance for employees.Margaret Hodge, Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities, has also announced that the Institute for Economic Research has been commissioned to carry out research on flexible working practices.

Read more on FIRST STEP IN GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN FOR WORK – HOME BALANCE…