The Wandsworth guide to value for money
Author: ConservativeHome - Sep 12, 2009
Cllr Edward Lister, the Conservative leader of Wandsworth Council will present a report to Hammersmith and Fulham Council's Value for Money Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday. Here is a sneak preview.
Wandsworth Council has a long and continuous record of pursuing value for money for its services. In fact this goes back for some 30 years: the majority control of the Council changed from Labour to Conservative in 1978, and some key policies, such as the pursuit of value for money and efficiency, and house sales and diversification of tenure started then. Other specific economy and effectiveness measures soon followed, and the Council was one of the first to experiment with competitive tendering, adopting a general policy of embracing competition for procurement of all its services, where feasible, in 1980. By the late 1980’s and early 1990’s thorough going work on quality monitoring and clear charters with standards for all services were well advanced.
As I therefore have 31 years to cover in a reasonable time and allow questions I will have to be succinct and cover Wandsworth’s case history in a light-touch way. A more detailed summary was presented in the excellent recent Localis booklet “Big Ideas” edited by Stephen Greenhalgh last year. I will cover the Wandsworth story in 3 main sections – achievements, political management and decision taking on policy, and finally our seven main approaches to ensure savings and effectiveness.
Related Pages
Breathing new life into regeneration
Shapps unveils £30 million for self build homes
Give councils freedom to decide housing, say MPs
Breathing new life into regeneration
by Alex Thomson, The MJ
Let the local authority clamour for more devolved power begin
by Steven Howell (in the Guardian, Public Leaders Network)
Local regeneration is about economic and social wellbeing
by Alex Thomson (in the Guardian, Local Government Network)
England's new mayors prove a force for good
by Alex Thomson (in The MJ)
Crossing the border
Posted in Structures, Collaborations and Working Across Borders
What can elected mayors do for our cities?
Posted in Local Government Management and Organisation
Credit Where Credit's Due
Posted in Local Government Finance
A New Era for Council Housing?
Posted in Planning, Housing and Economic Development
Pensions: Infrastructure Investment Conference
[Jun 26, 2012]
Report Launch: Grow Your Own Way
[May 23, 2012]
Report Launch: Credit Where Credit's Due
[Mar 5, 2012]
Blue Labour and the Politics of Place
[Feb 9, 2012]
- "Localis is fast gaining a reputation for pre-empting the localist agenda, producing thought provoking research and practical policy ideas"Anthony Seldon, author and political commentator
- "Localis’ commitment to decentralisation crosses party boundaries, and their research illuminates policy problems with new practical thinking"Prof George Jones, LSE
- "Localis offers a great blend of a passion for innovation, grounded practical ideas and unswerving belief in the possibilities of local governance"Derek Myers, Chief Executive, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
