Sharpening up local authorities

The Government has been raising the pressure on local authorities in advance of the launch of its Best Value scheme early next year. A recent conference focused on the lessons learned in pilot studies, and Local Government Minister Hilary Armstrong has been urging authorities to take those to heart.

Best Value puts a duty on local authorities to aim for continuous improvement in service delivery, focusing on economy, efficiency and effectiveness. Formation of partnerships is cited as a key element.

The CBI has joined in, too, suggesting that local government adopt four priorities:

• develop a culture of innovation, drawing on best private sector practice

• modernise the approach to procurement and open the doors to outsourcing

• motivate the workforce and ensure it has the necessary skills and authority, as well as a customer focus

• ensure new systems are coordinated, transparent and in proportion to the goals.

The CBI says the private sector is ready to help.

Elliott Chase