Up to 15 pilot community trusts will start up in August 2012 and adult education services and FE colleges have been asked to make bids for funding.

Organisations such as adult education services and FE colleges that are funded from the Skills Funding Agency’s £210 million annual Community Learning budget have been invited to prepare applications in collaboration with local community organisations, businesses and services.

Read more on PILOTS TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY LEARNING TRUSTS…

In this book Timothy M. Franz sets out a framework for understanding and improving team performance.

The author bridges the gap between current research findings on group behavior and real-life practice to optimize the performance of teams in organizations.

Read more on GROUP DYNAMICS AND TEAM INTERVENTIONS…

The town hall rich list published by the Taxpayers Alliance shows a 13per cent increase in staff earning more than £100,000.

Research by the Alliance shows that there were 3097 council employees who received total remuneration in excess of £100,000 in 2010-11. There were 2295 top earners in 2011 and 1250 in 2010.

Read more on TOWN HALL RICH LIST SHOWS TOP PAY BUCKING THE TREND…

The ill fated and often beleaguered Child Support Agency is to close in July 2012. Since its launch in 1993, as the delivery arm of the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission, it has angered many parents and prompted the set up of a CSAhell website. New arrangements will be operated by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Read more on CHILD SUPPORT AGENCY TO CLOSE…

Nurses, midwives and pharmacists are now able to provide faster and more effective pain relief. Changes to regulations mean that they will be able to prescribe controlled drugs like morphine, diamorphine and prescription-strength co-codamol.

Read more on FASTER PAIN RELIEF WITH WIDER PRESCRIBING…

The Government wants more public contracts to be offered to small and medium sized enterprises. But delivering this change across all public sector organisations is difficult. Graeme Young explores the procurement culture which favours the larger companies and he looks at the barriers and risks to doing things differently.

Read more on CHANGING THE CULTURE SO SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES WIN MORE PUBLIC CONTRACTS…

MANAGING THE FUTURE

In this guide to forecasting and strategic planning Stephen M. Millett sets out to help organizations cope with an uncertain future. It is a daunting task and in the midst of dealing with the pressures of today it can seem like an impossible one. But building future planning into everyday practices is not only vital, it’s eminently doable.

Read more on MANAGING THE FUTURE…

A new website has been launched to help councils, charities, retailers, service providers and campaign groups to explore the new opportunities that the digital world offers for engaging and empowering citizens and consumers.

Read more on DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT GETS A BOOST…

Consumer advice has been added to the role of the Citizens Advice service and it has now become a champion for consumer information across a range of sectors. A new Trading Standards Board will co-ordinate enforcement and tackle rouge traders.

Read more on CONSUMER PROTECTION STREAMLINED AND TOUGHENED UP…

This report from the Public Management and Policy Association is made up from papers by academics and practitioners which set out visions of where public services are going and how they might get there.

Read more on MAKING POLICY IN AN AGE OF AUSTERITY…