Bill McAnenyArgues that management skills training does not work – instead you end up with something like Frankenstein’s monster, a bunch of ill fitting parts, rather than a complete and coherent person. Leadership must come from within and managers must learn to understand themselves and those around them before meaningful change can occur. Refreshing and challenging ideas for anyone looking for lasting continuous and transformational development in their organisations.

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Ministerial committees, Whitehall departments working together and collaboration between Whitehall and local councils have failed to deliver joined up public services. Disillusionment within Government about the ineffective top down, command and control management model has become clear with the announcement of a new model for implementing the Neighbourhood Renewal Action Plan.The new approach involves a transfer of power from Whitehall to the frontline. Local strategic partnerships made up from representatives of the local council, health education and police services, other public agencies and the voluntary sector, will have the prime responsibility for devising and implementing strategies to address local issues. The partnerships will be given a framework of aims and broad targets.

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The Government has launched the Neighbourhood Renewal Action Plan to turn around the fortunes of England’s most deprived neighbourhoods, with the aim of making them places where people will want to live and work. The Plan, with a 10 – 20 year horizon is based on the work of 18 Policy Action Teams and has been drawn up by the Social Exclusion Unit following more than two years of consultation. This contrasts with the NHS 10 year plan which was put together in about 5 months with one month for consultation.The Plan will kick-start a far reaching programme to reverse the 20 year spiral of decline in the poorest parts of the country. It aims to improve peoples’ lives in the 900 most deprived neighbourhoods. Targets with deadlines between 2004 and 2010 have been set for improvements in housing, crime, health, employment, education and environment. Housing, which was not in the draft plan, has been added as a result of representations from the National Housing Federation representing social landlords, and others.

Read more on PLAN TO FIGHT DEPRIVATION…