Comment – Changing the beat, by Dick Sorabji

Comment – Changing the beat, by Dick Sorabji (PF 7/12/07)

Problem of targets in policing: local issues arise and police need to fight back, but risk penalties if they fail to keep up with national targets. Improve accountability by putting Councillors in charge of police.

Signalling change, by Steve Bundred

Signalling change, by Steve Bundred (PF 30/11/07)

CAA: will look beyond Council performance to what it is like to live in the areas. Aims to reduce assessment burden through joint working with other inspectorates and risk based approach.

Please release me, by Gary Sturgess

Please release me, by Gary Sturgess (PF 23/11/07)

Presents a dynamic contracting model, respecting managerial professionalism, as an alternative to central planning and government targets. Eg. Prisons, where contracting and benchmark competition have been used to raise standards across the sector. Contract make managers more autonomous and more accountable, and make it possible to enforce service standards.

The numbers game, by Tony Travers

The numbers game, by Tony Travers (PF 23/11/07)

Difficulties in measuring public sector output: e.g. putting a teaching assistant in a class causes a fall in productivity, spending more on health has led to a fall in NHS productivity. Are the techniques for measuring productivity really helpful or appropriate? Leads to temptation to make excuses by attacking the numbers.

Whitehall attempts to bring in local targets by the back door

Whitehall attempts to bring in local targets by the back door (PF 23/11/07)

Attempts by departments to add extra targets outside the 198 National Indicators regime.

Star ratings could go in planned local inspection regime

Star ratings could go in planned local inspection regime (PF 23/11/07)

Question of how to present CAA results. In particular, the new Joint Risk Assessment – a single score would disguish varying performance across various local services. A traffic light system could be used to flag areas of concern.

Time to come clean, by Noel Plumridge

Time to come clean, by Noel Plumridge (PF 16/11/07)

NED at Kent Trust where 90 people died from C-difficile: “Patient care was supposed to be the top priority, but in reality external pressure meant that it had to be balanced against achieving government targets and financial balance.” DH accused of running NHS on a command and control basis.

DH reliance on inspection, performance management and fear of punishment has been accompanied by high-profile political interventions.

Reason for success of military hospitals: infection can close a hospital. Keeping hospitals open is critical to military missions, therefore there is clarity that a key goal is infection control.

Some mandarins merely ‘going through the motions on DCRs’

Some mandarins merely ‘going through the motions on DCRs’ (PF 16/11/07)

While DCRs more robust than expected, some departments are not following up on recommendations, with most buying in only selectively. Principal factor is leadership style of Permanent Secretary. If recommendations aren’t delivered, is only measurement, not management.

Outsourced contractors to face star ratings system

Outsourced contractors to face star ratings system (PF 16/11/07)

LDA looking at star ratings for contractors to meet targets for getting people into work. Part of City Strategy Pathfinder projects. Could be useful for placating opponents of welfare privitisation by making performance public.

Audit Commission widens CAA regime

Audit Commission widens CAA regime (PF 9/11/07)

Areas under review are ever widening. The CAA regime will now include environmental sustainability. Will extend current system to look at services across areas