The harsh glare of political publicity makes the delivery of change in the public sector even more of a challenge, according to the head of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.CIPD President Lord Richard Wilson said the management of change was a key part of leadership in the public, private and voluntary sectors but leaders in the public services faced the unique challenge of trying to deliver change against the background of political priorities that were not always the same as management priorities.

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Projects chosen as winning bids for the forty million pounds in the Extra Care Housing Fund this year will provide more than nine hundred new homes for older people and adults with learning disabilities across England, the Community Care Minister Stephen Ladyman has announced.A scheme in Hartlepool is the biggest winner under the scheme but in all there were 21 successful bids. For three of them the Housing Corporation has committed an additional 4,623,185 pounds in match funding. Fourteen bids will together provide 979 units of extra care housing in the council areas of Darwen, West Sussex, Wakefield, Cheshire, Bradford, Hartlepool, Darlington, North Yorkshire, Ealing, Derbyshire, Rotherham, Leicester and Plymouth. The other seven successful bids will improve communal facilities in existing sheltered housing and care homes so they can qualify as extra care housing. In all they will provide 259 extra care housing units.

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This 90-minute video/CD programme combines a discussion on the Gershon Review and ways in which local authorities can generate efficiencies and savings. The focus is on procurement modernisation and the savings potential that can be achieved through modernising procurement sourcing and operations. It features interviews with hands on professionals, policy leaders, advisors and private sector suppliers. There are also discussion panels and case studies.The programme can be ordered at: http://www.egovtv.tv/site_scripts/procurement/registration_form.php

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