Open Public Services and the Voluntary Sector
- Posted on November 22, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk
- by Policy Wonk
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations together with a number of partner organisations have published a collection of think pieces and case studies sharing the voluntary sector’s experiences of the Open Public Services agenda. It is primarily concerned with the payment by results model and with the sector’s role as […]
Continue reading...Heseltine Growth Review – a summary
- Posted on November 1, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk, Uncategorized
- by Policy Wonk
Yesterday, former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine published “No stone unturned in the pursuit of growth”, his personal report on how economic growth can be more effectively encouraged in the UK. Over the 233 pages the report, which was commissioned last March by the Prime Minister, provides a comprehensive plan […]
Continue reading...From Brussels, with Love
- Posted on October 26, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk
- by Policy Wonk
The Communities and Local Government Select Committee concluded in its report on regeneration last November that the Government has “no adequate strategy to address the complex problems faced by England’s most deprived communities” and concludes in its report on the European Regional Development Fund that DCLG “needs to demonstrate greater […]
Continue reading...Lies, damn lies and transparency
- Posted on October 1, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk
- by Policy Wonk
If you were to read between the lines of the Public Accounts Committee’s report on Government transparency (“Implementing the transparency agenda”) you will see a Government which has been chucking out tonnes of data that very few people look at and without a strategy to guide it. But the Government […]
Continue reading...Whose Social Value Is It Anyway?
- Posted on August 30, 2012
- in Uncategorized
- by Policy Wonk
Chris White’s private members’ legislation Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 which is expected to come into effect next January places a duty on local authorities and other public bodies to consider how their public procurement might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of their areas. Its arrival on […]
Continue reading...Central-Local – It’s good to talk
- Posted on July 23, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk, Uncategorized
- by Policy Wonk
The National Audit Office (NAO) recently published “Central Government’s communications and engagement with local government”, a report on the effectiveness of central government’s communications with local government. The report found that communication is very challenging as a consequence of the organisational differences between central and local government. This difference brings […]
Continue reading...If Cameron turns on the charm, he should take care not to blow his opening lines
- Posted on July 20, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk, Uncategorized
- by Policy Wonk
John Lehal, managing director of Insight Public Affairs, last week wrote in an article for the Guardian website (“A Year on, it’s time for a charm offensive on open public services”) that private sector involvement in policing was a key test of the Government’s ambition for public service reform and […]
Continue reading...Where are we on Housing?
- Posted on June 29, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk
- by Policy Wonk
Last month, a joint report from the Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Housing Federation and Shelter (The Housing Report, Edition 2) said the Government is failing to deliver on five out of ten key housing indicators including on housing supply, affordability of the private rented sector and homelessness. This […]
Continue reading...How will the voluntary and community sector fare under a choice based framework for public services?
- Posted on June 4, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk
- by Policy Wonk
Giving users of public services a choice of provider is one of the central pillars of the Government’s ‘Open Public Services’ agenda. The recently published update paper (“Opening Public Services 2012”) set out new measures to increase choice and control for service users. As a minimum the Government will be […]
Continue reading...Reforming the ‘Right to Buy’
- Posted on May 29, 2012
- in The Policy Wonk
- by Policy Wonk
The Government has made significant changes to the Right to Buy scheme (“Reinvigorating Right to Buy and One for One Replacement, Information for Local Authorities”) with the aim of increasing take up and ensuring a ‘one-for-one’ replacement of social housing sold under the scheme. Key features of the changes are: […]
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