A report published today shows most people want to have a say in how the country is run but many of them doubt that political participation is the best way to do so. The second annual Audit of Political Engagement from the Electoral Commission and the Hansard Society shows, though, that last June’s local council elections saw a sharp rise in interest in politics.The report finds that two-thirds of people aspire to having a say in how the country is governed and managed, but only 27 per cent currently feel that they do have any impact. Voter frustration revealed in a MORI survey for the ‘Audit’ is reflected in the survey’s findings that less than half of people – 45 per cent – believe they know a fair amount or more better about politics and only slightly more than half – 53 per cent – find it of any interest.

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Fifteen years after the Cadbury Report changed the course of governance in the private sector, Sir Adrian Cadbury called for a display of missionary zeal to achieve excellence in public service governance. He was addressing a conference to promote the recently published good governance standards. It was attended by chairs, governors and top executive of local councils, health trusts, police authorities, probation boards, universities and colleges, the National Audit Office and the Audit Commission.A report from the Office for Public Management in 2003 showed severe weaknesses in the governance of public bodies with many governors unsure about the process of governance and confused about their responsibilities. Following the report the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and OPM set up an independent commission to devise good governance standards for the public sector.

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The report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows employers how diversity can help their organisations achieve word-class results and compete in the quest for talent. Organisations who do not take diversity seriously could face difficulties attracting the best candidates to fill vacancies and risk damaging efforts to achieve their own business objectives.The report highlights a number of key issues. Organisations need older workers and employers are starting to benefit from the rewards of having a workforce made up of different age groups. Training is key in order to tap into the diverse talent pool. The majority of employers now train interviewers in diversity issues and monitor diversity. However, more can be done with only 29 per cent of organisations advertising beyond traditional means to target under-represented groups. The CIPD research shows the benefits a diverse mix of people can bring to an organisation and the importance of providing training for line managers in order to demonstrate the business case behind diversity because they can help make the change. Changing mindsets and developing good practices also helps organisations retain knowledge and experience and widens the recruitment base.

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