In this article Simon Collinson reckons that central government departments are 30 per cent more complex than private companies. He has developed a methodology to measure the level of complexity in an organisation and has come up with the Global Simplicity Index. A certain amount of complexity is inevitable and as an organisation grows it needs systems and procedures to hold it together. But there can come a time when things just get too complicated and over-engineered.

Read more on WHY IS THE PUBLIC SECTOR SO COMPLEX?…

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…

Research commissioned by BIS showed that regular one-to-one sessions with a business adviser are a key component of support to enter self-employment. There should be a single point of contact to build a relationship based on trust.

Read more on WELFARE TO SELF EMPLOYMENT…

This toolkit supports community led re-generation. It provides local communities, councils, business and social enterprises with information to help them come together to agree priorities for their area, and work in partnership to drive forward their plans for regeneration. It is based on all stakeholders working collaboratively with local service providers to improve the lives and opportunities of local people and unlock growth.

Read more on RE-GENERATION TO ENABLE GROWTH…

Contributors to this publication from the Municipal Journal and the Confederation of British Industry argue that the time is right for whole-place community budgets.

Governments have addressed public services and public sector reform from the perspective of the institutional providers rather than client citizens, communities, and business. The consequences of that are now clear for all to see. They are: fragmented services with insufficiently joint planning and action; a failure to share resources for the common good between providers; the enhancement or protection of organisational identity taking precedence over service improvement.

Read more on JOINING UP JOINING IN…

Attitude surveys of public sector employees before and after the Autumn 2011 Spending Review reveal a sharp increase in negative feelings after the Review, although it had no immediate practical impact.

Read more on EMPLOYEE RESPONSES TO PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS…

Most councils are coping with the cuts councils but they will face difficult decisions about how to meet their funding shortfall in the next few years. This is the conclusion of the Audit Commission report Tough Times.

Read more on COUNCILS WILL FIND INCREASING DIFFICULTY IN MANAGING CUTS…

The report demonstrates that older people are already a fundamental part of the government’s Big Society vision and considers how their level of engagement can be maintained and increased. The report was produced by Res Publica in conjunction with Independent Age.

Read more on AGE OF OPPORTUNITY: OLDER PEOPLE, VOLUNTEERING AND THE BIG SOCIETY…

The Department for Transport has set plans for taking forward the alternative transport initiative.

Using alternatives to travel can make good sense for all organisations. They can help to reduce congestion and increase productivity, contributing to economic growth, and can help reduce business travel, saving businesses money. They can help to reduce stress and absenteeism and have the potential to provide a boost to local economies and rural areas. Increased uptake of alternatives to travel can also help reduce carbon by reducing the need for business-related travel.

Read more on ALTERNATIVES TO TRAVEL: NEXT STEPS…

Job Centre Plus Advisers were successfully integrated into the children’s centres and the pilots achieved their main objective.

The flexibility of the Adviser’s role has been key to its success with customers and pilot staff alike. Some advisers did, however, find it difficult to manage the tension of balancing work-focused activities with less structured, ad-hoc engagement and outreach activities.

Read more on WORK-FOCUSED SERVICES IN CHILDREN’S CENTRES…