The thirteen Total Place pilot areas are working in depth on their chosen themes in order to make their final submission to Whitehall on February 5, 2010. Pilots continue to host workshops to share learning and experiences on themes that involve both central and local government, such as children and young people; crime; and drugs and alcohol. These have been well attended by colleagues from across the pilots and Whitehall departments.
The Putting the Frontline First: Smarter Government paper launched in December 2009 was informed in part by Total Place. It commits to overcoming some of the barriers to service transformation, in particular the commitments to reducing numbers of indicators in the National Indicator Set; reviewing and reducing the burden of inspection; further aligning performance frameworks and a commitment to further reduce ring fenced funds. Read more about Total Place in Putting the Frontline First.
The Leadership Centre for Local Government, who are leading the learning strand of Total Place, have commissioned Keith Grint, Professor of Public Leadership and Management at Warwick Business School, to produce a report on how Total Place fits within the broader academic literature on leadership and change. While the final report is not due until the end of May, Professor Grint has prepared an interim report which draws some provisional conclusions based on a study of relevant documents and interviews with key stakeholders and participants. The report is available for download.
Interest in Total Place continues to grow, with at least 80 ‘parallel places’ now undertaking their own Total Place work. The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) is offering a free seminar series on Total Place topics for all areas considering their Total Place ambitions. The seminars are led by the IDeA, but run in partnership with colleagues from NESTA, Cabinet Office, Communities and Local Government, National Policing and Improvement Agency and Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships. Details and booking forms are available from IDeA.
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