Here's a link to notes from the recent SOLACE conference SOLACE 2010 conference notes
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Exercise Watermark
Exercise Watermark is a national emergency planning exercise based on a flooding scenario. It will take place 4th - 11th March 2011. Lincolnshire will be a contributor to the exercise and we are getting ready for it. I have added a link to the Exercise Watermark web site.
Sunday, 17 October 2010
skills and characteristics for the future
Rob Whiteman MD of Local Government Improvement and Development (LGID) Has been to both Norfolk and Lincolnshire delivering a message to elected members and officers on the skills and characteristics that individuals and organisations will need to lead in the new world of local government . Here are some of the points I made a note of from his presentation:
• Confident to act without being given direction
• Passionate about doing more for less ( this is not the era when skills of developing cases for more investment will be in great demand)
• Create time and space for innovation
• Passionate for listening to and being accountable to the public
• Influencing skills
• Market making and brokering
• Collaborating to succeed not competing
• More political leadership and less managerialist
• Staff with a “sunny disposition” – optimistic, “can do” attitude
• “walk the talk” around values
• Take a look in the mirror – organisations reflect the people who lead them
• Act quickly and do things that make appositive difference to the citizen
• Professionals “on tap” not “on top”
• Confident to act without being given direction
• Passionate about doing more for less ( this is not the era when skills of developing cases for more investment will be in great demand)
• Create time and space for innovation
• Passionate for listening to and being accountable to the public
• Influencing skills
• Market making and brokering
• Collaborating to succeed not competing
• More political leadership and less managerialist
• Staff with a “sunny disposition” – optimistic, “can do” attitude
• “walk the talk” around values
• Take a look in the mirror – organisations reflect the people who lead them
• Act quickly and do things that make appositive difference to the citizen
• Professionals “on tap” not “on top”
Monday, 4 October 2010
Beyond Sharing
Beyond sharing, post public sector reform and with the "Big Society" operating what will the new sustainable model of local government in district councils look like? What's the end game? Where are we aiming to get to? The LGID assembled a small group of district council chief executives to explore both how we are preparing for the immediate future but also the longer term. Here are some of the issues we touched on:
The LGID are preparing a pamphlet, based upon interviews with us and covering some of the transformational things that are happening now, which they hope to publish shortly.
As always I'd like to hear views - please post your comments particularly on what you think district councils will be like in 10 years time.
- Opportunities to generate income (including return on investment of funds)
- Creating a culture of innovation
- What is / will be the acceptable cost of democracy
- Creating "super" districts - by agreement , hostile takeovers
- How far can we / do we want to move towards self service on line - "Amazon Council"
- Workforce planning for this new vision for districts
- "Franchise Council "
The LGID are preparing a pamphlet, based upon interviews with us and covering some of the transformational things that are happening now, which they hope to publish shortly.
As always I'd like to hear views - please post your comments particularly on what you think district councils will be like in 10 years time.
Monday, 20 September 2010
Social Productivity
An interesting weekend as I got to reading the report from the public services trust which was published earlier in the week -"From social security to social productivity: a vision for 2020 Public Services" . I then attended the chairman's civic service and the bishop of Grantham preached a message which supported many of the ideas and views emerging from the report.
The report calls for a complete reconfiguring of public services around the needs and capabilities of citizens, based on the principle of social productivity. It argues that our public services are increasingly unsustainable. The Commission calls for a new deal between citizens and the state, based on social productivity - greater social responsibility and more intelligent collaboration between citizens and public services.
2010 Public Services are described as too centralised, too prescriptive, too narrow, too passive, too static, too opaque and too patchy. The commission argues for public services which engage others to to create better social and economic outcomes - leading to social productivity.
It's well worth a read.
The report calls for a complete reconfiguring of public services around the needs and capabilities of citizens, based on the principle of social productivity. It argues that our public services are increasingly unsustainable. The Commission calls for a new deal between citizens and the state, based on social productivity - greater social responsibility and more intelligent collaboration between citizens and public services.
2010 Public Services are described as too centralised, too prescriptive, too narrow, too passive, too static, too opaque and too patchy. The commission argues for public services which engage others to to create better social and economic outcomes - leading to social productivity.
It's well worth a read.
Wednesday, 15 September 2010
Acknowledged by Minister
Local Government Minister Bob Neill told Local Authorities thinking creatively will help them do more for less at a conference hosted by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) . In his presentation he made reference to the work which we at Breckland and South Holland are doing. It's always pleasing to get acknowledgement. This is what he said ....
" frontline services could be protected as finances get tighter if councils start to rethink procurement, sharing services and being more transparent to get value for money.
The new Government is putting councils and communities back in control of their own destinies by pushing power away from the centre. With their new freedoms councils can be more innovative and radical than ever before about the way they deliver services.
Mr Neill highlighted councils that were already leading the way. Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham Councils are planning to merge their education departments saving a total of £4 million. Already there are 11 shared chiefs in place and twenty other district councils are discussing whether to share their chief executive and senior management teams. South Holland and Breckland district councils are poised to establish the first cross-county shared chief executive post between two authorities that do not share a border.
The Minister stressed councils must work with citizens to decide how to deliver services in a new era of transparency and openness. He pointed to Dartford Council where they held a public poll to decide on whether to keep the weekly rubbish collection. An overwhelming 94.5 per cent voted yes and so the Council developed a plan to share some services with Sevenoaks to cover the cost.
Bob Neill said:
"The most urgent issue facing the country is the need to reduce the deficit, put finances back on a stable footing and ensure economic recovery. To help cope we are transferring more power to councils that will mean more local decisions can be made with greater local flexibility. We are putting councils and communities back in control of their own destinies.
"Many councils are already taking steps to make their own efficiencies through innovative and effective working. I want to see more sharing management, expertise and resources. Incremental changes won't be enough. Councils need to think about how they can radically reconfigure services. I don't for a minute believe that this will be automatically painless. But the sector recognises that there are savings to made to focus resources on the front line through better procurement, greater collaboration and sharing of services.
"There is still waste to be driven out - greater transparency and accountability will help identify this potential. It is vital that we all look at where every penny is spent and that citizens are engaged in making these decisions. This is why we want all spending over £500 published online by January.
"The Chancellor recently met with local government to discuss how we can increase productivity by reducing unnecessary waste and costs on things like reporting to Whitehall and the ring-fencing of grants. We are committed to a phasing out more ring-fenced budgets. We have already cut the centrally-imposed burdens on local government. The Spending Review will drive decentralisation across all areas that fund local government. Departments are considering issues beyond their traditional remits including those that cross administrative boundaries.
"There will be real challenges as we face the future. But there are many things we can do to ensure that frontline services are protected, and that local people are able to hold local government to account. Localism will help local authorities to make the savings necessary to live within the fiscal constraints facing us all free from central government interference. Government's role is in the opening up of public services so they can be locally-driven services and meet local needs."
" frontline services could be protected as finances get tighter if councils start to rethink procurement, sharing services and being more transparent to get value for money.
The new Government is putting councils and communities back in control of their own destinies by pushing power away from the centre. With their new freedoms councils can be more innovative and radical than ever before about the way they deliver services.
Mr Neill highlighted councils that were already leading the way. Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham Councils are planning to merge their education departments saving a total of £4 million. Already there are 11 shared chiefs in place and twenty other district councils are discussing whether to share their chief executive and senior management teams. South Holland and Breckland district councils are poised to establish the first cross-county shared chief executive post between two authorities that do not share a border.
The Minister stressed councils must work with citizens to decide how to deliver services in a new era of transparency and openness. He pointed to Dartford Council where they held a public poll to decide on whether to keep the weekly rubbish collection. An overwhelming 94.5 per cent voted yes and so the Council developed a plan to share some services with Sevenoaks to cover the cost.
Bob Neill said:
"The most urgent issue facing the country is the need to reduce the deficit, put finances back on a stable footing and ensure economic recovery. To help cope we are transferring more power to councils that will mean more local decisions can be made with greater local flexibility. We are putting councils and communities back in control of their own destinies.
"Many councils are already taking steps to make their own efficiencies through innovative and effective working. I want to see more sharing management, expertise and resources. Incremental changes won't be enough. Councils need to think about how they can radically reconfigure services. I don't for a minute believe that this will be automatically painless. But the sector recognises that there are savings to made to focus resources on the front line through better procurement, greater collaboration and sharing of services.
"There is still waste to be driven out - greater transparency and accountability will help identify this potential. It is vital that we all look at where every penny is spent and that citizens are engaged in making these decisions. This is why we want all spending over £500 published online by January.
"The Chancellor recently met with local government to discuss how we can increase productivity by reducing unnecessary waste and costs on things like reporting to Whitehall and the ring-fencing of grants. We are committed to a phasing out more ring-fenced budgets. We have already cut the centrally-imposed burdens on local government. The Spending Review will drive decentralisation across all areas that fund local government. Departments are considering issues beyond their traditional remits including those that cross administrative boundaries.
"There will be real challenges as we face the future. But there are many things we can do to ensure that frontline services are protected, and that local people are able to hold local government to account. Localism will help local authorities to make the savings necessary to live within the fiscal constraints facing us all free from central government interference. Government's role is in the opening up of public services so they can be locally-driven services and meet local needs."
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
street clutter
"Our streets are losing their English character. We are being overrun by scruffy signs, bossy bollards, patchwork paving and railed off roads wasting taxpayers' money that could be better spent on fixing potholes or keeping council tax down. We need to 'cut the clutter'.
"Too many overly cautious townhall officials are citing safety regulations as the reason for cluttering up our streets with an obstacle course when the truth is very little is dictated by law. Common sense tells us uncluttered streets have a fresher, freer authentic feel, which are safer and easier to maintain."
so says Communities Secretary Eric Pickles who is encouraging Councils to get rid of unnecessary clutter in a bid to make streets tidier and less confusing for motorists and pedestrians. This would be a good time to have a look around your community with a fresh pair of eyes and report any bad examples of the kind referred to by Mr Pickles.
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