Subscribe to continue reading
Subscribe to get access to the rest of this post and other subscriber-only content.
265 – Professor Joseph Drew – Myth Buster and Paradigm Shifter.
Tag Archives: politics
261 – Reinventing Local Government
600 words (7 minutes reading time) by Lancing Farrell
I recently acquired a ‘new’ copy of the 1992 book ‘Reinventing Government – How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector‘ by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler, a work that wielded significant influence globally in its time.
The impact of Osborne and Gaebler on world leaders can be discerned through the timing of policy changes, public declarations, and the alignment of advocated principles with the reform initiatives undertaken by these leaders. Some explicitly referenced the book in speeches, policy documents, or interviews, revealing its profound effect on their perspectives. In other instances, reforms closely mirroring the book’s principles suggest a potential influence. The book’s impact must be viewed within the broader context of prevailing ideas and reforms during that period.
Continue reading260 – Ministerial Interventions in Local Government
600 words (7 minutes reading time) by Lancing Farrell
The two previous posts on model collapse and local government have prompted me to think about what has happened in the sector in the last few years. The sudden increase in Ministerial interventions does seem to indicate that something has changed. It may be more than just the introduction of rate capping in 2016.
I started asking colleagues what they think is happening. Unsurprisingly, several had views on what has happened, although no one was definitive. Everyone has anecdotal information from their council. I will have a go at describing the views told to me.
The first colleague reiterated the view put forward by Tim Whistler, that Covid prevented councillors building relationships with each other. It also affected the induction for newly elected councillors, which can be important in clarifying the responsibilities of a councillor, the Council, and the CEO and staff. Roles and responsibilities are cited in Ministerial Terms of Reference in almost all interventions.
Continue reading
Local Government Utopia 