Public sector targets to be scrapped

Public sector targets to be scrapped (GU 18/7/07)

Reduction in PSAs from over 100 to 30. Change to most depending on local decisions by councils and NHS bodies, rather than top-down targets. Evidence of shift to more relational model?

Comment – A case of mistaken identity? By David Pia and Nikki Bridle

Comment – A case of mistaken identity? By David Pia and Nikki Bridle (PF 17/11/06)

Audit Scotland respond to criticism. Principles of performance audit:

- Corporate focus

- Self-assessment

- Local context

- No league tables or simple scores – focus on improvement

- Proportionate approach – collecting evidence from inside and outside councils and minimising burden

- Rigorous moderation

Four key areas:

- Strategic direction

- Organisation and resource management, openness, equal opportunities, sustainability

- Council services

- Areas for improvement

The blame game, by Arthur Midwinter

The blame game, by Arthur Midwinter (PF 27/10/06)

Criticism of Audit Scotland’s approach to performance reporting. Difficulty in defining outcome indicators and linking to budgets – too many outside influences. Hard to link budgets to plans, as in practice budgets are incremental. Too much emphasis on systems and processes. Method of calculation excludes many measures and causes underestimation of the scale of improvement in Scottish LAs.

All in the game

All in the game (PF 6/4/07)

Study finds CPA vulnerable to gaming the system, illusory improvements created by changing admin processes and contradictory goals.

Performance anxiety, by Bernard Marr

Performance anxiety, by Bernard Marr (PF 18/4/08)

Article on general use of performance measures in management systems. E.g. RAF who have linked the performance management system to risk management and use Key Performance Questions to ensure indicators are strategically useful.

E.g. Belfast City Council, who articulate all their strategic goals, enabling activities, outcomes and outputs on a single sheet of paper.

Eg. MOD have dedicated analyst teams to extract insights from the data.

More detailed articles and case studies at http://www.ap-institute.com/resources_academic.asp

A little localist difficulty

A little localist difficult (GU 4/7/07)

Attractions of nationalised policy: 1) Matches current LG financing better. 2) What about minorities in local communities – their needs may be ignored Eg. poor minority in an affluent Tory-council area. 3) Postcode lottery bleating.

More power to the regions

More power to the regions (GU 25/7/07)

Discussion of multi-area agreements and city-regions with minister for local government. Looking for councils to come forward with plans, rather than imposing top-down solutions.

Comment – A devolutionary deal, by Phil Woolas

Comment – A devolutionary deal, by Phil Woolas (PF 4/5/07)

Local Area Agreements give councils more power to set local priorities.

White paper ‘most radical for generations’

White paper ‘most radical for generations’ (PF 27/10/06)

Huge cut in no. PIs; Town halls could create parish council-style neighbourhood bodies; city regional development.

Double or nothing, by Geoff Mulgan and Saffron James

Double or nothing, by Geoff Mulgan and Saffron James (PF 30/6/06)

British LG not very local – average size of lowest tier 120,000 (10x other western countries.) 61% feel they have no influence over decisions in their local area and 73% would like neighbourhoods to have more control.

EG: Steeple Ashton Community Shop (shop, children’s centre and IT training: parish council providing services in rural area); Kent – WyeCycle community recycling changing patterns of consumption, allowing reduction in kerbside collection.