The New Framework for Comprehensive Performance Assessment of Single Tier and County Councils from 2005 to 2008, published by the Audit Commission, outlines its new policy for strategic regulation. The main elements of CPA will be the same, but there will be important differences which will make it a more demanding test. These include an explicit judgement on value for money as part of the use of resources assessment and a new way of judging achievement as part of the corporate assessment. With more reliance on robust performance information and self-assessment, councils in the higher-performing categories will face fewer service inspections. At the same time the priority inspections will be focused on those councils with the weakest services.The audit will continue to focus on improvement, as seen from the perspective of service users, not providers. It will drive value for money in public services to support the interests of taxpayers. It will also deliver value for money regulation, by being targeted and proportionate to risk and need.
The Welsh Assembly has set out ambitious plans to raise standards across the public services. “Delivering the Connections” is being described as a ‘far-reaching programme for change and reform’.The proposals have been drawn up to build on the investment that has been made in public services in Wales. It sets out a five-year programme of action to make services more responsive, more accessible to people and to improve their effectiveness in meeting people’s needs and tackling their problems.
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A report today is calling for a national network of dedicated school buses to address a range of pressing social, environmental and economic challenges. The report, written by the Sutton Trust, and published by the Social Market Foundation and Policy Exchange wants the Government to include the idea in its forthcoming Education Bill.The authors argue that politicians should react to the positive results achieved by a number of local school bus schemes, by rolling out the initiative across the country. They say pilot schemes run by FirstGroup have shown that American-style yellow school buses not only cut congestion but also are popular with students, parents and schools. The report says the buses could also save road users valuable time, lower greenhouse gases, improve safety and reduce truancy.