The NHS is preparing to change radically the way it procures IT systems to meet the commitment to connect the capabilities of modern IT to the delivery of the ten year NHS plan. 

The top performing councils share a similar approach to achieve success. The Audit Commission has analysed its inspection reports, performance indicator data, reports from Ofsted, the Social Services Inspectorate, Benefits Fraud Inspectorate, and Government departments and found three critical success factors for local government.Staying focused on local priorities tops the list. The best councils are not diverted by short term crises and they choose their new initiatives carefully. 

By David Walker. Reproduced by permission of the Public Management and Policy Association. As the flow of announcements about increased freedom to manage public services locally continues, calls for more freedom go on unabated. David Walker argues that the issue is complex and he quotes the views of leaders in different fields who are concerned about getting the right central-local balance.