An article examined the impact of adopting different types of community engagement strategy on local democracy. The relative priority accorded to different types of community engagement was likely to cause local democracy to evolve towards consumer, stakeholder, radical, or citizen-centred democracy.
Source: Rhys Andrews and David Turner, 'Modelling the impact of community engagement on local democracy', Local Economy, Volume 21 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Nov
The government announced an independent review (led by Peter Rogers) of legislation enforced by local authorities, with the aim of producing a more joined-up approach to regulatory inspection and enforcement.
Source: Press release 29 November 2006, Cabinet Office (020 7261 8527)
Links: Cabinet Office press release (1) | Cabinet Office press release (2)
Date: 2006-Nov
A report examined key challenges and opportunities faced by markets in local government services, and identified issues influencing the effectiveness of competition across the sector. It discussed these challenges and issues in relation to a long-term strategy for local government.
Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Developing the Local Government Services Market to Support a Long-term Strategy for Local Government, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only)
Date: 2006-Nov
A report examined the experiences of 'civic pioneer' local authorities, selected to develop their approaches to engaging local people in shaping public policies and services.
Source: MORI Research Institute, Ingredients for Community Engagement: The civic pioneer experience, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Nov
A report summarized the responses to a consultation on how best to promote effective local partnership working and cross-sector planning. There was concern to ensure that any future proposals were appropriate for all types of local strategic partnership (from districts to county councils); were flexible enough to allow individual areas to tailor them to suit their unique characteristics; and were adequately resourced.
Source: Ipsos MORI, Local Strategic Partnerships: Shaping Their Future - An Analysis of Consultation Responses, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report examined the rationale for integrating local authority services, and the key issues and policy context which lay behind the development of 'one-stop shops'. It set out a variety of models for integrated services provision.
Source: Access to Local Services, National Neighbourhood Management Network (020 7756 7616)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report examined what needed to be done to ensure that local government and the voluntary/community sector could work together more effectively to achieve the best outcomes for local people.
Source: Dhara Vyas, How Voluntary and Community Organisations Can Help Transform the Local Relationship, National Council for Voluntary Organisations (0800 279 8798)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report questioned the efficiency gains claimed for unitary, as opposed to two-tier, local authorities.
Source: Michael Chisholm, Local Government Reform? A critique of the April 2006 INLOGOV document - An Independent Review of the Case for Unitary Status, County Councils Network/Local Government Association (020 7664 3011)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report explored the negotiation of second round local area agreements, and early progress in implementing first round agreements. Although very work intensive, LAAs appeared to be supporting goal-sharing, decision-making and performance management between local partners; and round 1 LAAs were developing well. (LAAs were intended as mechanisms for delivering better local service outcomes through improved co-ordination between central government, local authorities, and local authority partners.)
Source: Local Area Agreements Research: Round 2 Negotiations and Early Progress in Round 1, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report evaluated a pilot programme designed to improve partnership working between voluntary/community organizations and local authorities.
Source: Ben Cairns with Sam Brier, Jane Harris, Margaret Harris and Helen Hughes, Making It Real, Improvement and Development Agency (020 7296 6693)
Date: 2006-Sep
A report drew on case study and survey data to determine the extent to which English and Welsh local authorities had utilized well-being powers to deliver discretionary services. There was little evidence of specific corporate approaches to the development and delivery of discretionary activities.
Source: York Consulting, Local Government Service Diversity: Practice, expectations and public attitudes, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Date: 2006-Jul
A study examined the experiences of those involved in local strategic partnerships in England. Community involvement in decision-making could strengthen the hand of service providers petitioning government for more, or more flexible use of, resources.
Source: Kath Maguire and Frances Truscott, Active Governance: The value added by community involvement in governance through local strategic partnerships, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2006-Jul
A review (chaired by Jeremy Beecham) examined local public services in Wales, both devolved and non-devolved, to see how their delivery could be made more effective and responsive to the needs of citizens. It said that Wales could become a model for how services were delivered in small countries: but to achieve this the programme of reform would need to go faster and deeper. It ruled out re-organization of councils as a way forward.
Source: Beyond Boundaries: Citizen-centred local services for Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2080 1384)
Links: Report | WLGA press release | CIPFA press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Jul
An audit report said that community planning partnerships in Scotland had made progress, but needed to do more to show how their work was improving public services. It also said that their complex remit made it difficult for them to achieve their aims, and called on the Scottish Executive to support community planning more effectively.
Source: Community Planning: An initial review, Audit Scotland for Accounts Commission and Auditor General (0131 477 1234)
Links: Report | Audit Scotland press release | COSLA press release
Date: 2006-Jun
A think-tank report examined ways in which city-regions could contribute to addressing social exclusion - for example through improved and better co-ordinated transport, and by tackling worklessness.
Source: Matthew Jackson and Victoria Bradford, Tackling Social Exclusion: What difference can city regions make?, Centre for Local Economic Strategies (0131 650 9166)
Links: CLES press release
Date: 2006-May
An audit report said that providing more individual choice in local public services could offer substantial benefits, both in terms of quality of services and value for money. But the benefits were not guaranteed: whether choice brought overall benefits depended on the individual services and upon how it was introduced.
Source: Choosing Well: Analysing the costs and benefits of choice in local public services, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report | Audit Commission press release
Date: 2006-May
A report examined the 'demographic deficit' within local government. It highlighted a shortage of people with the skills required to manage an increasingly service-orientated public sector.
Source: Locally Defined Targets: Better performance management, Local Government Information Unit (020 7554 2800)
Links: LGIU press release
Date: 2006-Apr
A report said that the tools and techniques developed for 'e-democracy' (such as the internet) could and should find a wider application at all points where citizens, local councillors and officers interacted.
Source: Deeper and Wider Community Engagement: e-democracy and its benefits for local authorities councillors and communities, Improvement and Development Agency (020 7296 6693)
Date: 2006-Apr
An article examined the extent to which public participation had developed in Scottish councils. It explored the challenges of building both 'consumer' and 'citizenship' consultation processes, and the possible tensions between participative forms of governance and improved strategic and corporate management.
Source: Mark McAteer and Kevin Orr, 'Public participation in Scottish local government: strategic and corporate confusions', Public Money and Management, Volume 26 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Apr
A study examined how non-executive local councillors could contribute effectively to decision-making processes.
Source: Tracy Gardiner, Frontline Councillors and Decision-making: Broadening their involvement, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined consent regimes where local councils had to ask Whitehall for permission to take key decisions on local issues - and made recommendations designed to remove excessive bureaucracy and empower local government.
Source: Consent Regimes: Reducing Unnecessary Bureaucracy, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Cabinet Office press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A joint audit report said that government departments should build stronger partnerships with local bodies, in order to acquire a better understanding of the challenges they faced.
Source: Delivering Efficiently: Strengthening the links in public service delivery chains, HC 940 (Session 2005-06), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522) and Audit Commission
Links: Report | Joint press release
Date: 2006-Mar
Researchers examined the costs to local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales of administering housing and council tax benefit.
Source: Michelle Boath, Ian Dunbar and Helen Wilkinson, Costs of Administering Housing and Council Tax Benefits, Research Report 332, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report said that the practice of flexible working (including working at convenient times, hot-desking , peripatetic working, and working from home) was growing fast in local authorities. At least 26,000 council employees were already formally established as home-based workers.
Source: Modern Public Services: Flexible Working, Society of Information Technology Management (01604 674800)
Links: SOCITM press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined the freedoms and flexibilities aspect of local area agreements to date. It said that the bureaucracy surrounding freedoms and flexibilities was "huge": although the theory of local area agreements and the freedoms and flexibilities was good, there was still too much central government control over the process.
Source: Matthew Jackson and Victoria Bradford, Freedoms and Flexibilities Negotiated in Pilot Local Area Agreements, Centre for Local Economic Strategies (0131 650 9166)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
A think-tank report said that local councils should use mobile phones and information technology to become better organized and more relevant to their local communities.
Source: Michael Cross and James MacGregor, Cutting the Wires: Mobile IT and the transformation of local services and governance, New Local Government Network (020 7357 0051)
Links: NLGN press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined the freedom and flexibility element of local area agreements. Freedoms and flexibilities were mostly decided by the thematic partnerships of the local strategic partnership, based on key barriers to service delivery.
Source: Matthew Jackson and Victoria Bradford, Freedoms and Flexibilities Negotiated in Pilot Local Area Agreements, Centre for Local Economic Strategies (0131 650 9166)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jan
A report said that local strategic partnerships had made good progress, despite variation. It also assessed difficulties and outlined areas for development.
Source: European Institute for Urban Affairs et al., National Evaluation of Local Strategic Partnerships: Formative Evaluation and Action Research Programme 2002-2005 - Final Report, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Date: 2006-Jan