Tag Archives: Reinventing Government

272 – What is the big deal about the Wigan Deal?

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1200 words (13 minutes reading time) by Lancing Farrell

In his post on the Victorian local government enquiry, Colin Weatherby mentioned the Wigan Deal as an example of how councils can avoid the politics of sacrifice – i.e. being forced to give up what you have today – and instead move to the politics of transition – i.e. finding better ways in the future. It seems like a no brainer to me and I am sure every elected representative would agree that this would be better politics. Unfortunately, they are not necessarily getting to make the decision – or, if they are, they are being given limited options by their bureaucracy about the decision they can make.

Strategic versus operational decisions

As an aside, this has been a point of contention in Victoria where the Local Government Act restricts councillors to making ‘strategic decisions’, while the CEO and staff make ‘operational decisions’. The definition of each type of decision seems to be quite flexible. For anyone wanting to see how this plays out, watch the Mornington peninsula Shire Council meeting on the 28 May 2024 at the 4 hour and 25 minute mark. Fascinating.

In contrast, the Wigan Deal was created and implemented with the commitment and direction of both elected representatives and the organisational leaders.

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261 – Reinventing Local Government

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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.

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