Ten projects designed by local authorities and other public bodies to cut energy bills and to combat greenhouse gases and fuel poverty are getting a five million pound boost from the government.The energy-saving schemes to heat low-income households and public buildings including – for the first time – a hospital, are the latest to bid successfully for cash from the Community Energy programme. The projects, which will cost around 23 million pounds in total, will share 5.2 million pounds of grants. It is estimated that together they will cut carbon emissions by four thousand tones a year.

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The government has signed what it sees as a groundbreaking deal to work with the Oracle Corporation to develop standardised IT systems for the public sector which will cut costs, end wasteful duplication of effort and deliver more effective systems.The strategic partnership agreement has been announced by Peter Gershon, Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce. Transparency and standardisation measures built into the deal should mean departments will be able to secure the best possible prices and terms on Oracle technology products.

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By Julian Walker Reproduced by permission of the Centre for Management and Policy Studies Policy delivery has become a key issue for the Civil Service, which is noted for excellence in developing policy, but weak in delivering it. In a move to overcome this weakness the Office of Public Services Reform developed a package of measures to improve programme and project delivery. Julian Walker describes how a package of structures, skills and tools has been put together to help departments to improve policy delivery.