Following consultation the Audit Commission has devised a stiffer test for assessing the performance of the larger councils. The aim of the new test is to measure how well councils are delivering services for local people and communities, taking into account the Commission’s strategic approach to regulation and consequent reduction in the regulatory burden. The test is made up from a complex set of judgments on councils and the services that they provide and combined into one simply understood rating. The strength of CPA is that it looks at performance from various perspectives which provide a more complete picture and a better understanding of where to focus activities to secure improvement.Over the last three years, council services have improved significantly, and CPA is acknowledged to be one of the catalysts for this. CPA has also been a lever for reducing inspection and regulation in better performing councils and focusing support for others. The new test which raises the bar considerably, will be `more rigorous than in previous years.

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A survey by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has revealed the influential role of chief finance officers in local councils. 92% of CFOs carry out the role of finance director and over four fifths are members of their authority’s corporate management team. Just over three quarters report directly to the chief executive.These findings show that in most cases the CFO is at the heart of the council’s decision making process and is able to exercise influence within the top team and throughout the organization. This allows the CFO to help the team to maintain an effective grip on the organisation’s finances and its underlying financial management practices and arrangements.

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The survey is based on a one month sample taken in August 2005 of 51% of NHS trusts that use a specific common payroll system. The average annual basic salary for all directly employed NHS staff as at August 2005 was 22,300 pounds. Average total earnings, including allowances, were 26,300 pounds.The average basic salary for all qualified nurses was 22,700 pounds with average total earnings of 26,400 pounds. The lowest paid staff group surveyed were Ancillary with an average salary of 10,900 pounds. Ancillary workers make up 4.5% of staff sampled.

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This status report from the ODPM, based on December 2004 data, shows that a 21% national increase in enablement is required in the current year in order to reach the 100% target for December 2005. While some interactions, such as providing information and collecting revenue, are strongly e-enabled, councils are still facing challenges around the e-enablement of regulatory activities. There has also been much less progress with higher level of difficulty areas such as Customer Relationship Management systems and back office integration.Projected figures for channel take-up suggest that service demand management and access issues in the context of e-government have not been a strategic priority for councils to date. Additional support for councils to help them develop channel management strategies that promote increased public awareness and take-up of e-enabled services is required. Booking Venues, Resources and Courses are currently 64% e-enabled and considerable effort will be needed to achieve the end of year target.

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This first interim report on the Agreements prepared by the Office for Public Management and the Universities of West of England and Cardiff, shows that the initiative has been welcomed by local authorities, but central departments are less enthusiastic. The attractions at the local level are the ability to influence the focus of effort and the reward for achieving targets. The report recognizes that negotiating a dozen or so targets covering policies owned by eight central departments with each of 130 local authorities over a three year period was a hugely ambitious undertaking, and it is not surprising that the process did not always go smoothly and was sometimes characterised by confusion and delay.Aims vary widely between and within authorities, are generally mixed, not always made explicit and often not shared between the leadership and those responsible for delivery. At corporate level delivering improvements in relation to strategic goals is the main driver, with reward grant as a powerful incentive. At service delivery level the emphasis is more on sustained improvement in outcomes. Lack of a coherent shared ‘story’ about the rationale for the LPSA and specific targets leaves progress very vulnerable to changes in personnel.

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This audit used by Sefton Council in Merseyside measured performance against the 11 standards of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services. It provided a robust framework of actions across organizations. The audit tool, produced by joint-funded local authority and Primary Care Trust staff, was sent out to all the major providers of children’s services, and was then subsequently analysed. It gave clear indicators of gaps across services either statutory or nonstatutory. The audit tool has also been widely circulated throughout the local strategic health authority, as well as being used by other organisations including Acute Trusts.The audit results are being used strategically to evidence good practice, reveal gaps and inform the Single Children and Young Person’s Plan of priorities, within the local health economy. Information in the audit had the added bonus of identifying pockets of good practice as well as perceived gaps. The timescale for the audit and implementation plan was less than one year.

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By George A. BoyneProblems of public service ‘failure’ are high on the political agenda in the UK, and many national and local organizations are searching for effective turnaround strategies. Although little research on turnaround in the public sector has been undertaken, there are a substantial number of studies of decline and recovery in private firms. Evidence from these studies suggests that turnaround is more likely in companies that pursue retrenchment, repositioning and reorganization. The relevance of this ‘3Rs’ strategy to the public sector is analysed, and the potential consequences for public service improvement are evaluated. This article will help managers to think more clearly about turnaround strategies that could work in their organizations.

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This case study from the IDeA outlines the different approaches two local authorities in Staffordshire have taken to delivering services through one-stop shops. A one-stop shop can be defined as the physical location where citizens can visit and access a range of local authority and partner organisation’s services in one place and in a seamless, convenient and integrated way. The layout and range of services offered by these shops varies from council to council. For Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, community-run one-stop shops deliver some of its services. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, on the other hand, sets up its one-stop shops in partnership with the County Council. Both councils work with a range of partners – the police, Citizens Advice, Pension Service etc. – delivering their services either through surgeries or on their behalf.The key message emanating from this comparative study is: there is no single best approach to one-stop shops. A good understanding of local needs, the best use of available resources, and effective joining-up with local partners are a good basis from which to start.

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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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A cohesive community is one that is in a state of well-being, harmony and stability. To support local councils in facilitating community cohesion, through listening to communities, engaging residents and assisting interaction between communities, the IDeA has published this practical approach to community cohesion work with young people. This community toolkit has been drawn up with Blackburn and Darwen Borough Council and Unison.It deals with the ‘blind spot’ consultation work – examining project methodology and giving hints and advice for consulting with young people. The toolkit recognises that there are no quick fix solutions to strengthening community cohesion. Instead it focuses on sustainable, long-term goals such as promoting citizenship, a common understanding of the future and engaging young people in democracy. It contains a DVD, with footage of the outcomes of the project and supporting documentation.

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