Local government

Normal service will not be resumed

30 April 2012 | Dan Corry

Public services are not going through a temporary little local difficulty. And the knock-on effects for charities and communities will be severe. It’s time to face the financial facts Read more

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Baffled over Scots’ ballot

27 April 2012 | Don Peebles

When Scotland goes to the polls next week, voters may be confused about whether they are deciding on local or national issues.  In some cases the electorate is being asked to vote on manifesto promises that can’t in fact be delivered locally Read more

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New model finance directors

26 April 2012 | Ebony Hughes

Local government FDs have seen the future, and it’s not pretty. So how can they face up to the daunting challenges at a local and community level? Some new research points the way Read more

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Treasury puts the bind on bonds

26 April 2012 | Mark Hellowell

Councils are keen on raising extra cash from the bond markets. But the Budget has undermined local initiatives Read more

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Alexander rules OK?

26 April 2012 | Alan Finch

Plans by the chief secretary to the Treasury to introduce new contingency requirements across Whitehall risk creating unhealthy competition and introducing a blame culture Read more

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Why elected mayors won’t fix it

23 April 2012 | Graham Chapman

Elected mayors are being talked up as the future for local communities. But ahead of the May 3 referendums, it’s worth looking at some of the downsides Read more

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Back to the back-office future

16 April 2012 | Jack Glonek

Shared services have been getting a bad press recently, from the NAO and others. But Birmingham City Council is showing how sharing back-office functions really can make a difference for the public sector Read more

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Farce over ‘facilities time’

12 April 2012 | Colin Talbot

Coalition plans to restrict trade union activities reflect a view that public sector staff are the ‘enemy within’. This is an out-of-date and out-of-touch approach to employee relations Read more

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Social Impact Bonds: what are they good for?

11 April 2012 | Claudia Wood

Social Impact Bonds have been heralded as a magic bullet, and alternatively dismissed as hype. A more modest, realistic, and longer term vision is what we need now  Read more

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Putting the social into productivity

5 April 2012 | Matthew Taylor

Improving services while cutting costs calls for a great leap forward in productivity. Tapping into the public’s reservoir of  abilities is one way to do it Read more

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