The survey commissioned by the Society of IT Management (Socitm) shows that the gap between Local Authority ICT staff salaries and those in the private sector is closing. The salary gap at senior management level has narrowed substantially. In previous years salaries of ICT Directors in local government were typically only 60% of their private sector equivalents, ICT Directors in London and the South East are now being paid up to 86% of their equivalents in the private sector. Average salaries in the Police and Fire sectors are showing a particular increase over last year, with Police salaries increasing by 6.8%(1.7% in 2003) and Fire Service salaries increasing by 10.2%(4.4% in 2003). Across the whole sample, salaries have increased by an average of 5.9% compared to 5.1% last year.The survey also shows that recruitment and retention problems have been eased. Whereas 25% of organisations reported retention problems in 2003, the figure has reduced to 17% in 2004. Similarly whilst 34% reported recruitment problems last year, the figure this year is 27%. Recruitment difficulties in the London area are less severe with 27% of organisations reporting problems, compared to over 50% in 2003.
Two new guides have been published to help local councillors and senior local government officers to develop effective performance management. They have been produced jointly by the Audit Commission and the Improvement and Development Agency and draw on the knowledge and experience of both organisations as well as on good practice developed by local authority members and officers.The guides have been shaped by early work carried out under the Performance Management, Measurement and Information project run by the two bodies and aimed at improving performance management in local government.The guide for members outlines the importance of performance management in raising the standards of services and how performance information can be used to scrutinise and challenge services. It includes checklists to help councillors judge their own authority’s progress towards effective performance management. It also points readers to further sources of information.
A new qualification will be launched in the autumn to support those leading joined-up children’s services. The National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership (NPQICL) will be the first national programme designed to meet the needs of leaders in multi-agency, early years settings.The new qualification will be recognised in multi-agency and multi-disciplinary settings across education, health and social services. The NHS Leadership Centre, the Social Care Institute for Excellence and the DfES are acting as advisory partners in the project. It will be launched in September with a 35-place pilot being led by the National College for School Leadership in partnership with Pen Green Leadership Development Centre.
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