Fewer than a quarter of central government procurement managers who spend 15 billion pounds each year have a professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply. They buy goods and services, ranging from equipment, information technology, research, and consultancy advice to postal services, travel and stationery for central departments, agencies and other public bodies. 

Chancellor Gordon Brown in his Budget speech tomorrow is likely to accept the recommendations of Sir Michael Lyons for 20,000 civil servants to move out of London and the South East and for pay rates in the new locations to be aligned with the ‘going rates’ in those areas. Sir Michael has proposed that there should be decentralisation of public sector activities out of London as a means for improving public service efficiency, regional competitiveness, and devolution. 

By John WilsonSince its election in 1997, the Labour Government in the UK has emphasised the need to improve the quality of public services. In the case of local government, this emphasis has led to the introduction of Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). This article considers the merits of actual and intended CPA strategy within the wider context of public service performance measurement.