Archives for February 2003

LOCAL DEMOCRACY UNDER THREAT

Headlines, PublicNet: 25 February, 2003

The local council sphere of influence is under threat from two directions and if proposed measures are accepted, power will move to other bodies, some of which are unelected. Sir Jeremy Beecham, Chair of the Local Government Association has labeled proposals for regional government and planning, currently being debated in the House of Lords, as “old centralism managed by a regional office”. Department of Health proposals for partly elected Boards of Governors to run the new foundation hospitals would add to the erosion of influence.The Planning and compulsory Purchase Bill proposes that planning powers should be taken from county councils and given to regional planning bodies. The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill will allow for referendums to discover whether people want a directly elected assemble in their region. For those regions that do not opt for an elected regional assembly, control of planning will be removed from the directly elected county councils and handed to appointed regional bodies.

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THE ROLE OF INFORMATION IN E-GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTATION

Features, PublicNet: 25 February, 2003

By Thomas B Riley. Information can now be distributed, exchanged, formalized, used, and networked at speeds never before known. We have moved from the Information Age to a new age we have yet to fully define. The author argues that we are in a period of a seismic change with a potential for change at work which we have not witnessed since the emergence of printing in the 15th century. He makes the case for governments to develop tools to use their information resources currently lying in the nooks and crannies of their agencies to contribute to the rapid evolution of knowledge.

RADICAL RE-THINK OF E-GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT

Headlines, PublicNet: 24 February, 2003

The Office for Government Commerce has launched a new approach in a search for better, quicker and cheaper ways for the public sector to procure goods and services. The two pronged thrust for solutions to the high cost and long timescale weaknesses of current arrangements will involve a complete review of processes and the creation of an electronic procurement system. This new thinking results from repeated failures to provide electronic solutions for procurement. The target for central departments and agencies to procure 90% of low value goods electronically by March 2001 has still not been achieved.The OGC will join forces with the Regulatory Impact Unit’s Public Sector Team in the Cabinet Office. The Team, which is made up of secondees from private sector telecommunications, financial services and manufacturing companies, comes fresh from its success tackling red tape in the chemicals and retail sectors.

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PARTNERSHIPS SHIFTING POWER BALANCE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Headlines, PublicNet: 24 February, 2003

Local strategic partnerships are changing the power structure of local government. Research into how the partnerships have progressed since they were launched two years ago shows that councillors feel a loss of power. The research was carried out by the universities of Warwick, West of England, Liverpool John Moores and the Office for Public ManagementThe partnerships bring together at a local level the different parts of the public sector including councils, the health service, central departments as well as the private, community and voluntary sectors. Up to 40 public bodies may be providing services in any one locality and the partnerships have to find ways to bring them together so that people receive a seamless service.

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THE ETHICS CHALLENGE IN PUBLIC SERVICE

Book News, PublicNet: 24 February, 2003

By Carol W. LewisEthics in public service is a hot topic in today’s headlines. This detailed guide provides public managers with the practical tools and techniques they need to make ethical choices in the ambiguous pressured world of public service. It shows how applying ethical principles can be a powerful means of clarifying and resolving complex problems in an even more complex world.

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DOCTORS WARN PLANS COULD END CONSULTANTS’ ‘GOLD STANDARD’

Headlines, PublicNet: 21 February, 2003

Junior doctors are warning that draft proposals from the Department of Health will mean the abandonment of the gold standard of UK consultant training and might risk future consultants’ ability to deliver comprehensive patient care.The Junior Doctors’ Committee of the British Medical Association has learned that plans are being developed to cut by almost half the time it takes to train as a consultant. This would mean doctors reaching consultant status at an average age of 27 instead of 37. At the moment a consultant typically has between nine and 12 years postgraduate experience but this would fall to between five and seven under plans to be unveiled later this month. The committee believes that this, when combined with the reductions in junior doctors’ hours under the European Working Time Directive, will mean a newly-appointed consultant would have just 13,000 hours experience instead of the current average of 25,000 hours.

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PRIVATE SECTOR TEAM HELPS GOVERNMENT CUT RED TAPE

Headlines, PublicNet: 21 February, 2003

Staff from private sector telecommunications, financial services and manufacturing companies have been working with government to tackle the burden of unnecessary regulations on the business community. In a report on its first year’s work, The Business Regulation Team, based in the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact Unit, says it has concentrated on tackling red tape in the chemicals and retail sectors.The report details the steps the government has taken in response to the team’s initiatives,including a major review of operational enforcement in the chemicals manufacturing industry, a national scheme for accrediting proof-of-age cards, reform of the administrative requirements of the Sunday Trading Act and a review of the Poisons Act, including the need for a licence to sell everyday household products such as kettle descaler.

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DELIVERING PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT FROM THE CENTRE

Features, PublicNet: 21 February, 2003

By Peter Illsley, Jim Knox and Neil Amos. Reproduced by permission of the Public Management and Policy Association. Translating policy into improved performance at the sharp end has not previously had so much attention lavished on it. The authors describe the different models used to achieve delivery and argue that civil servants at the center need to widen their approach to change management if they are to succeed.

JOINT FUND WILL HELP COUNCILS IMPROVE

Headlines, PublicNet: 20 February, 2003

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Local Government Association have unveiled a 27 million pound joint fund to help councils deliver continuous improvement in local services. The announcement is seen as underpinning the government’s commitment to providing support for officers and members in all councils to enable them to develop and strengthen their corporate capacity to deliver improvements to their communitiesThe scheme includes incentives for high-performing local authorities to advise and support weaker councils, extra assistance for poor performing councils, the expansion of graduate recruitment and specific support to tackle recognised skills shortages.

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AUDIT OFFICE CALLS FOR STEPS TO AVOID DANGERS OF A ‘DIGITAL DIVIDE’

Headlines, PublicNet: 20 February, 2003

More needs to be done to encourage older people to use government e-services if those services are to provide value for money, according to the National Audit Office which is warning of the dangers of a digital divide.In a report today the head of the NAO, Sir John Bourn, says while steps have been taken to encourage sections of society, such as older people, to make greater use of e-services, government departments and agencies need to be more proactive.

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