Archives for July 1st, 2004

LOCAL PUBLIC SERVICE BOARDS – AN INNOVATION FORUM PROSPECTUS

Abstracts, PublicNet: 1 July, 2004

This paper outlines a set of ideas for improving the delivery of public services and strengthening joined up governance in local areas. The ideas have been developed through a 15 month dialogue amongst councils on the Innovation Forum, and with government and other bodies. The ideas and vision are about ways to produce a gear shift in building on and working through Local Strategic Partnerships.The prospectus looks at ways in which some areas might make their LSPs more effective. The vision describes a number of elements that when brought together could help to achieve that aim and it focuses on changes in roles, relationships, and the processes of government. It also describes how best to achieve such change through transformational leadership at local level through the creation of ‘local partnerships with teeth’ or Local Public Service Boards. Council-led Boards would provide a way of local partners working together as an accountable body to commit resources and capacity to deliver real improvements on targets and services that affect people’s quality of life.

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PROJECT TAKES RADICAL LOOK AT BARRIERS TO JUDICIAL DIVERSITY

Headlines, PublicNet: 1 July, 2004

More flexible working for judges is one of the measures the government is considering in its efforts to increase diversity at the top of the legal profession. A consultation paper to be circulated in the autumn will call for views on this idea and a range of other proposals.The project is being led by Lord Filkin, Diversity Minister at the Department for Constitutional Affairs. He wants there to be a radical look at what is needed to make the pool from which judicial applicants are drawn as wide as possible. One aim is to build on existing initiatives to improve the diversity of the bench. They include the judicial work-shadowing scheme for would-be applicants, changes to age limits, involving independent lay members in sifting and interviewing for office and the publication of an annual judicial appointments report.

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COUNCIL SATISFACTION SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS NEED TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS

Headlines, PublicNet: 1 July, 2004

People generally are less satisfied with the services they get from local government than they were three years ago – but the problem may be that councils need to be better at communicating what they do. Those are the conclusions of the latest Customer Satisfaction Surveys, which are carried out every three years by local government as part of the collection of information on performance indicators.The surveys focus on a number of themes including local transport, environment, waste and cultural services. The Office of the Deputy prime Minister says the latest data – compiled from more than half a million survey responses – indicates that, compared to the previous figures the level of satisfaction in services has declined by 10 per cent. Further analysis of the survey shows, however, that information provision by councils is linked to satisfaction and the problem may lie in local authorities’ communications with their residents.

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