By Craig E. Runde and Tim A. Flanagan

Understanding how to cool down, slow down, and engage the naturally occurring conflicts among team members is critical to the ultimate success of a team. This book sets out a comprehensive, thoroughly researched guide to the crucial and inevitable role conflict plays in a team.

Read more on BUILDING CONFLICT COMPETENT TEAMS…

There is new evidence of the growing confidence among local authorities about the Third Sector’s ability to deliver services. Research has found more than half of elected councillors believe charities can deliver public services as cost effectively as councils can.

Read more on STUDY POINTS TO COUNCIL CONFIDENCE IN THIRD SECTOR…

The Government is being counselled against using centralised policies to tackle gang violence and knife crime. A report from the New Local Government Network argues that focusing on Whitehall-driven targets fails to take account of the diverse nature of many gangs and it says local areas should be able to take action based on local factors.

Read more on CALL FOR COUNCIL CONTROL OVER STEPS AGAINST GANG VIOLENCE…

The Department for Children, Schools and Families report on 16-18 year olds shows that 78.7 per cent were in education, training or employment. This is the highest ever rate and an increase of 1.6 percentage points on the previous year. The total number increased by 36,000 to 1.59 million which is also the highest number ever.

Read more on PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT BY 16-18 YEAR OLDS…

Local authorities and other organisations should be doing more to promote the benefits of the programme-led apprenticeship scheme, according to a report today from Ofsted. It found that the
apprenticeships were producing learners who were better prepared for the workplace but that participation in the scheme had declined, leading to concerns that more needed to be done to promote and understand the programme.

Read more on OFTSTED WANTS COUNCILS TO PROMOTE APPRENTICESHIP…

New research has found big gaps in holiday childcare across the country, especially for children with disabilities. The survey by the Daycare Trust, is the first to be carried out since councils in England and Wales had to undertake Childcare Sufficiency Assessments.

Read more on CONCERNS RAISED OVER LACK OF HOLIDAY CHILDCARE PLACES…

By Dominic Swift

Public bodies that have adopted shared services have made substantial gains in efficiency. This success has reinforced the drive from the Treasury for greater efficiency savings from sharing. So if this is a way to cut costs why are organisations slow to get involved? The answers appear to be a lack of resources, workforce opposition and risk-averse organisational cultures. The author suggests a way forward tap into the many opportunities for taking forward the shared services agenda.

Read more on SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE…

Councils are being given back their central role as housing providers in a series of measures to increase the number of available homes. As a first step four Local Housing Companies have been announced and will see local authorities working with the private sector.

Read more on COUNCILS’ CENTRAL ROLE IN NEW MOVES TO INCREASE HOUSING SUPPLY…

Carbon emissions from schools will be included in a carbon trading scheme for local authorities from the Spring of 2010. The move means that energy use in schools buildings will be counted in councils’ total emissions under the mandatory Carbon Reduction Commitment set up to encourage local authorities to reduce emissions.

Read more on EMISSIONS FROM SCHOOLS WILL COUNT TOWARDS CARBON TARGETS…

The first edition of Benchmarking in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors offered public officials and administrators at all levels of government a unique and practical guide to identifying best practices and implementing them in their organizations. Based on the most current research, this new edition of the best-selling guide provides an updated, solution-driven methodology for benchmarking in both sectors.

Read more on BENCHMARKING IN THE PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT SECTORS…