By Pauline Jas and Chris SkelcherPublic sector performance is currently a significant issue for management practice and policy, and especially the turnaround of those organizations delivering less than acceptable results. Theories of organizational failure and turnaround derive largely from the business sector and require adaptation to the public service. The performance of public organizations is more complex to measure, is related to institutional norms, and the idea of ‘failure’ is problematic. Empirical findings from a study of poorly performing English local authorities are used to develop an initial theory of performance failure and turnaround suited to public organizations.

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Senior councillors are being given an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the management of finance, people, assets, technology and suppliers. The initiative from the IDeA and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountancy is designed to equip councillors with strategies to improve value for money and its place within Comprehensive Performance Assessment system.The two day programme, designed for council leaders and their deputies, finance and resource portfolio holders, scrutiny chairs and scrutiny committee members, will look at three main areas starting with the key resource management and efficiency issues facing councils over the next three-to-five years and how these will ‘fit’ with the wider agenda for local government. The initiative will also examine the key roles councillors will need to develop to respond to those issues and finally at the skills, attitudes and behaviours members will need to demonstrate if they are to deliver the changing requirements of their key roles.

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A grim picture of finances in National Health Service trusts is painted by the results available so far from a survey of medical directors in England. The responses so far show that three out of four NHS trusts are facing a funding shortfall and a third say they will have to reduce services because of their debt crises.Questionnaires were sent to 530 medical directors by the British Medical Association. The interim results are based on 120 responses, which show predicted shortfalls on funding ranging from a quarter of a million pounds to 25 million and an average predicted shortfall of 6.2 million pounds.

Read more on DOCTORS WANT JOINED UP THINKING TO EASE NHS FUNDING PROBLEMS…