This report published jointly by the Audit Commission and the Improvement and
Development Agency sets out the tough choices now facing local government on a
range of governance, operational and financial issues. It shows that
opportunities exist to make distinctive choices for their people and places they
serve. The existence of councils is rooted in understanding what their locality,
and the people and communities within it, specifically require. Without this
understanding they will deliver poorer solutions and ultimately risk seeing
their democratic legitimacy wither as they either fail or become no different
from non-democratic service delivery organisations.

Read more on FITNESS FOR PURPOSE IN THE 21st CENTURY…

All charities and voluntary organisations will be asked to sign up today to a new set of principles aimed at ensuring the highest possible standards of governance are set for the voluntary and community sector.

Read more on NEW CODE SETS STANDARDS FOR GOVERNANCE IN VOLUNTARY SECTOR…

Government hopes of seeing local government led by strong, highly visible and
outward-looking elected mayors have met with only partial success according to a
report published today. The study finds that while community leadership has been
a priority for some elected mayors, others have put more emphasis on negotiating
political support.

Read more on SUCCESS OF NEW LOCAL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES ‘ONLY PARTIAL’ SAYS STUDY…