Balancing the different sectors of the economy

This project is about finding the right level of involvement for different sectors to create locally resilient economies. During challenging economic periods, it also explores some of the difficult decisions that the public sector has to make, especially during economic downturns or in the face of major public service reforms. A recognition of uniqueness and identity of different places is crucial.

39 Articles

Changing the system from 'command and control' - [Localis In The News, Mar 24, 2010]

Last week saw the launch of the latest book from John Seddon’s stable, Systems Thinking in the Public Sector: Case studies delivering public services that work. It is a volume of case studies showing how local authorities using his ideas have made massive improvements in service in conjunction with dramatic reductions in costs.

Meeting the Funding Challenge in Local Gov. - [Events, Mar 16, 2010]

Host: City & Financial. Venue: Copthorne Tara Hotel London. Date: Tuesday 16th March. Tom Shakespeare of Localis speaking.

Total Place - Carpe diem! - [Localis In The News, Mar 15, 2010]

Total Place is a big opportunity to radically shake-up public services, but we face a missed opportunity if the Treasury cannot be persuaded soon that the radical option is a political reality.

Can social innovation be solved by big government? - [Localis In The News, Mar 9, 2010]

James Morris discusses whether social innovation around issues such as housing, health and deprivation can be solved just by big central and local government?

Community ownership - watch this space - [Localis In The News, Mar 8, 2010]

Recent thinking on co-operatives is about continued public service improvements, and a failure of the state – not just a rejection of ‘casino capitalism’. But there are still many challenges to overcome.

Taking public health issues seriously - [Localis In The News, Feb 11, 2010]

Last week at a Localis debate about the future of local government regulation, shadow local government secretary Caroline Spelman played down concerns about localism in health leading to postcode lottery accusations.

The Guardian Public Services Summit 2010 - [Events, Feb 4, 2010]

The Grove, Hertfordshire 4 & 5 February

Dealing With The Local Government Recession - [Localis In The News, Dec 7, 2009]

In our recently launched report “The Bottom Line” KPMG - together with the Think Tank Localis – discuss 5 actions for local government that are essential for success in the current and emerging situation" writes Iain Hasdell

Call for councils to become "procurement hubs" - [Localis In The News, Nov 26, 2009]

Local authorities should seriously consider moving beyond their current role as service providers towards becoming commissioning and procurement hubs, a study by accountants KPMG and thinktank Localis has claimed.

Tough Choices Require Innovative Responses - [Localis In The News, Nov 23, 2009]

Localis and KPMG have last week produced a new report, called The Bottom Line: A vision for local government. James Morris, Chief Executive of Localis, discusses the report as he urges for a stronger local government

Local government - avoid the snip - [Localis In The News, Nov 19, 2009]

There is still a place for shared services in helping local government avoid having to make swingeing cuts to both staff and services, says Paul Bettison in Accountancy Age

Councils will need to find 20% spending cuts - [Localis In The News, Nov 14, 2009]

Localis has produced a paper with KPMG, The Bottom Line, suggesting an approach Councils should take to achieve savings of 20%. This ambition is based on what may well prove a requirement if the Institute of Fiscal Studies interpretation of the 2009 Budget figures that Local Government will face spending cuts in Government grant of 7% a year for three years from 2011.

‘Big government’ under attack - [Localis In The News, Nov 12, 2009]

It has been recommended that councils cull spending by 20% by 2011 through doing less, outsourcing more and becoming more financially innovative

Privatise to survive councils advised - [Localis In The News, Nov 9, 2009]

Councils - rather than Whitehall - should commission new partnerships, argues a new report. These should focus on mutual interests along with pre-determined meaningful outcomes - which can be achieved through the use of fluid budgets.

Fresh calls for fundamental rethink - [Localis In The News, Nov 9, 2009]

A sweeping programme of self-imposed cuts, reforms and contracting out of services by Scottish councils is recommended in a report by KPMG and Localis.

Why tough choices need tough responses - [Localis In The News, Nov 9, 2009]

A new report this week from think-tank Localis and KPMG says local government needs to reconsider what services it intends to carry on delivering to accommodate spending cuts of 20% over the next two years. James Morris outlines its conclusions.

Press Release: The Bottom Line - [Localis News, Nov 9, 2009]

Councils are advised to reassess their priorities against cost and innovate if they are to achieve much needed expenditure reductions of around 20% by 2011, according to a new report from KPMG and think tank Localis. Entitled “The Bottom Line – a vision for local government”, it suggests that many services, such as libraries and swimming pools, are costly and could be run more effectively by the private and third sectors.

The Bottom Line - [Publications, Nov 9, 2009]

A joint KPMG and Localis publication looking to outline a vision for local government in the context of significant cuts across the public sector. The document has five key areas which we explore and suggest that local government should be looking at in the coming years.

Westminster, Creating a council organisation to deliver - [Toolkits, Oct 19, 2009]

From the 1st of October 2009, Westminster Council will introduce a new operating model, reducing headcount by 10%, delivering nearly £12m annual savings and improving services.

Innovation and Incentives - [Localis In The News, Oct 16, 2009]

London’s boroughs have long been pioneers of service innovation and in developing new income streams. The recession and the nation’s deteriorating finances, however, require us to radically rethink how we provide public services in the capital.

Conservative Conference: Localism and Economic Resilience - [Events, Oct 6, 2009]

Manchester Town Hall 6.00pm

Labour Conference: Localism and Economic Resilience - [Events, Sep 30, 2009]

Old Ship Inn, Brighton Evening

Lib Dem Conference: Localism and Economic Resilience - [Events, Sep 22, 2009]

Premier Inn Central, Bournemouth 6.15pm

The Wandsworth guide to value for money - [Localis In The News, 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.

James Morris at CLES Summit - [Events, Jul 14, 2009]

James Morris spoke on the theme of 'What makes local economies resilient?' on 14th July at the CLES Summit held at The University of Manchester

Financial Pressures on Local Government - [Publications - Discussion Note, Jun 25, 2009]

This is a note following a roundtable discussion hosted by Localis and the Audit Commission looking at the financial pressures on local government and the associated themes for how to deal with the effects of the recession. Steve Bundred, Chief Executive of the Audit Commission introduced and concluded the session, with a wide ranging discussion in between.

Financial Support to Socially Excluded Citizens - [Toolkits, Jun 15, 2009]

Scotcash offers affordable loans and a range of financial services for socially and financially excluded citizens which meet the financial and social plans of the Council.

Districts sceptical over efficiency targets - [Localis In The News, May 28, 2009]

Almost 60% of lower-tier authorities felt the government’s new target for local government to make £5.5bn of efficiency savings by the end of 2010-11 was unachievable, according Localis

Councils say Budget was bad for local government - [Localis In The News, May 22, 2009]

More than three-quarters of councils surveyed thought Alistair Darling’s Budget was bad for local government.

Press Release: Councils not impressed by the Budget - [Localis News, May 21, 2009]

78% of Councils thought the Budget was “bad” for local government, according to a survey carried out by Localis, the local government and localist think-tank.

Financial Pressures on Local Government - [Events, May 14, 2009]

The roundtable looked to assess the reduced income and the increased spending pressures on local authorities, how they are responding and what they should do over the short and medium term.

The future role for local government in strengthening local economies - [Publications - Discussion Note, Apr 29, 2009]

Paper outlines key issues discussed during roundtable held

Preview of the Budget: Comment - [Localis In The News, Apr 22, 2009]

Current Picture of Council Reserves - [Publications - Snapshot, Apr 1, 2009]

We surveyed 80 representatives of Councils on the current status of their reservees

What Tory councils could learn from Mayor Bloomberg on tackling dependency - [Localis In The News, Mar 27, 2009]

Discussion of our report, entitled 'Mitigating Economic Crisis Impact through Local Government Initiatives'

Innovation is the key to success - [Localis In The News, Mar 4, 2009]

Councils need greater freedom to innovate, if they are to deliver the very best services for local people, says James Morris

Mitigating Economic Crisis Impact through Local Government Initiatives - [Publications - Discussion Note, Feb 27, 2009]

Councils have to continue to tighten their belts and also think how we can help people through these difficult and uncertain economic times. This short paper on the economic initiatives carried out by Mayor Bloomberg may help

The Strategic Role of Local Authorities in Driving Local Economic Development - [Events, Feb 4, 2009]

We held a joint roundtable in conjunction with CLES - The Centre for Local Economic Strategies

Council heads for commissioning role - [Localis In The News, Dec 11, 2008]

James Morris - "While the last 10 to 15 years in local government have been about performance management, the next wave will be about innovation"

Related Local Government News Articles

42 Related Local Government News Articles

25,000 jobs may go in councils - [Local Government News, Mar 1, 2010]

At least 25,000 council jobs in England will be under threat in the next three to five years, a BBC survey suggests. The forecast is based on answers from 49 councils with a combined workforce of 256,000, suggesting cuts of 10%.

Libraries may shut in wave of cuts - [Local Government News, Feb 9, 2010]

The Government believes that the spread of the internet and other social changes may mean that councils should be free to close libraries. Libraries account for more expenditure than other cultural or sporting projects funded by local councils.

Savings which our residents want - [Local Government News, Jan 8, 2010]

Cllr David Parsons, the Leader of Leicestershire County Council, explains how residents were involved in helping to make some tough choices on their budget

DCLG spurn offer to save money - [Local Government News, Nov 29, 2009]

Mark Wallace of the Taxpayers Alliance welcomes a shift from the Local Government Association to asking central Government to cut costs - despite it being spurned by the DCLG

Red tape costing taxpayers £4.5bn - [Local Government News, Nov 20, 2009]

Households in Britain are paying £4.5billion extra in tax so that local authorities can produce paperwork to prove they are hitting centrally-imposed targets, research shows

New economic powers for councils - [Local Government News, Nov 13, 2009]

Councils will have new powers to engineer economic recovery locally, following the Royal Assent of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill.

Quangos offer bad value - [Local Government News, Nov 13, 2009]

Quangos give local people little say over what they do and are failing to provide value for money for the taxpayer, research from the Local Government Association claims

easyCouncil should soon be taking off - [Local Government News, Nov 4, 2009]

In the unlikely event of a film being made about the experience of the public sector over the next four years, we can pretty much assume it will be called There Will Be Cuts

Hammersmith & Fulham is a taste of things - [Local Government News, Nov 2, 2009]

Hammersmith & Fulham Council and its leader, Stephen Greenhalgh, have self-consciously made the case for radicalism within a single local authority. Ever since the Conservatives promised a 3 per cent per year cut in council tax at the time of the 2006 local elections, the council has been in the news.

Barnet unveils its easyBorough model - [Local Government News, Oct 21, 2009]

Barnet LBC is proposing to place half its budget in the hands of residents, reveals a report setting out the latest stage in its groundbreaking plans to personalise all council services.

London Councils' mega audit underway - [Local Government News, Oct 15, 2009]

London Councils has singled out managing chronic care, worklessness and anti-social behaviour as key themes for its Total Place-style mapping exercise of the £73.6bn worth of public expenditure in the capital.

Councils get urgent new powers - [Local Government News, Oct 12, 2009]

Councils are to be given new legislative powers to establish mutual insurance companies in light of the recent London Authorities Mutual Limited (LAML) court judgement, Local Government Minister Rosie Winterton announced today.

Six councils to pool legal teams - [Local Government News, Oct 8, 2009]

A group of London councils are pooling their legal resources in a move which they claim will save millions. The councils, Camden, Harrow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Hillingdon and Hounslow LBCs and Kensington & Chelsea RBC, say the move will eventually save £1.4m a year.

'Local' government must seize the chance - [Local Government News, Sep 30, 2009]

The term "local government", as applied to Britain, must be one of the most misused in our language. Many of us are not governed locally. At best, we depend on a local administration to sweep streets, collect rubbish, provide social care, libraries, schools – although education, arguably, is barely a local service any longer – and maybe housing.

Denham calls for smarter council procurement - [Local Government News, Sep 24, 2009]

Communities secretary John Denham has urged councils to join together to bulk buy goods and services in a bid to slash local government’s £42bn bill for external contracts.

Westminster poised for new structure - [Local Government News, Sep 24, 2009]

Westminster City Council will next week begin operating under its new “strategic commissioning” framework as part of a restructuring programme designed to save £30 million over the next three years.

Billion pound council fund floated - [Local Government News, Sep 21, 2009]

Council chiefs are working up plans for a bespoke multi-billion-pound fund for councils to pool their cash and get better returns on investments. The Local Government Association is in talks with city fund managers to set a council specific money market fund in which councils could invest some of their estimated £30bn worth of short term cash.

Success claimed on Total Place - [Local Government News, Sep 3, 2009]

Jill Stannard, the acting chief executive of Cumbria county council, which was one of the first areas to embrace the concept of Total Place, says it is already making a difference - even if the quantifiable results are modest so far

Councils plan radical cuts - [Local Government News, Aug 12, 2009]

Leading Tory councils are rethinking the provision of local public services, including parks, libraries, and street cleaning, as they confront a severe squeeze on public spending of up to 20 per cent in the years ahead.

Councils’ deficit hits £4bn - [Local Government News, Aug 11, 2009]

Town halls have reported a £4bn financial hole caused by an ongoing ‘perfect storm’ of falling revenues and increasing demand for services, figures from the LGA show.

Birmingham's bank plans hit - [Local Government News, Aug 4, 2009]

Birmingham City Council’s original plans to set up a municipal bank are unworkable due to the legal confusion surrounding councils’ ability to act in the interest of their areas, councillors have claimed.

Rate deferment scheme starts - [Local Government News, Jul 31, 2009]

From today, businesses in England are able to apply to their local council to defer part of their 2009-10 business rates bills. Councils are sending out a one-page application form with details of how to apply for this scheme and small business rate relief to every ratepayer in England.

Growth incentive fund cut - [Local Government News, Jul 15, 2009]

The government’s flagship scheme for encouraging business growth has been reduced by a third due to the crisis in the public finances - from £150m to just £100m

Council drops wholesale outsourcing - [Local Government News, Jul 9, 2009]

The London Borough of Barnet has dropped proposals for a wholesale outsourcing that would have reduced it to a tiny strategic core. The proposals discussed by the council in December included setting up a joint venture company to commission services as well as a series of ‘service delivery vehicles’.

Quangos 'to be more accountable' - [Local Government News, Jul 6, 2009]

A Conservative Government would make quangos more democratically accountable, David Cameron announced today as he unveiled a review of publicly-funded independent bodies to determine which should be scrapped or slimmed down.

Companies eye wider role - [Local Government News, Jul 3, 2009]

The crisis in the public finances will push back the boundaries of the state, allowing the private sector to bid for contracts in areas as delicate as chemotherapy, kidney dialysis and the supervision of probation and immigration cases, according to several of the government's biggest suppliers

Negligence tag removed from Iceland councils - [Local Government News, Jun 25, 2009]

The Audit Commission has retracted its accusation of negligence levelled at seven local authorities for depositing funds in Icelandic banks shortly before they crashed.

Council chiefs expect more job cuts - [Local Government News, Jun 25, 2009]

More than half of council chief executives believe further job cuts will be necessary over the next 18 months, a new survey from KPMG and Total Politics has found.

Union's equality law warning - [Local Government News, Jun 18, 2009]

Union activists are gearing up to use equalities legislation to fight cash-strapped councils’ efficiency savings proposals and outsourcing deals. Unison, the trade union used their annual conference to make the claims.

Room for improvement - [Local Government News, Jun 17, 2009]

Nine years after its last examination of asset management, the Audit Commission finds that few councils are managing strategically their £250 billion of assets.

Councils rapped over Iceland cash - [Local Government News, Jun 11, 2009]

An all-party group of MPs has criticised councils for not spotting warning signs that Icelandic banks were heading for collapse last October. The Communities and Local Government Select Committee says complacency, lack of expertise and inaction all helped put taxpayers' money at risk.

Reserves dented before recession hit - [Local Government News, Jun 4, 2009]

Councils across England had last year already budgeted to dip deep into their reserves long before the worst of the economic crisis had hit the sector, according to the latest statistics.

Chief exec urges radical thinking - [Local Government News, May 27, 2009]

The chief executive of a London borough says radical new thinking is needed as the authority looks to savings of £50m up to 2014. Brent’s Gareth Daniel told senior managers that the economic outlook for local government was tough as the sector came to the end of an era of year-on-year spending growth. "That particular party is very definitely over, but a harsh financial climate is no excuse for poor services or a lack of ambition.

Kent confident of more than 90% of Iceland cash - [Local Government News, May 19, 2009]

Kent County Council has been advised by the CIPFA that it is likely to get over 90% of its total deposits in Icelandic banks returned.

Fees and charges endorsed - [Local Government News, May 14, 2009]

Cash-starved councils should not be deterred from raising charges and fees during the recession, the Audit Commission has said.

Council redundancies reach 7000 - [Local Government News, May 11, 2009]

A survey published today by the LGA shows that almost 7,000 jobs have been lost over the last six months. It shows that three in five councils have made staff reductions, with the recession having a significant impact on council income.

Pay deal means more jobs cuts - [Local Government News, Mar 4, 2009]

Local government staff were warned of more job cuts last night

Ministers consider revival of local authority mortgages - [Local Government News, Jan 28, 2009]

The government is paving the way for local authorities to offer low-cost mortgages to first-time buyers and others.

Councils start to shed jobs - [Local Government News, Jan 14, 2009]

Tens of thousands of public sector jobs will be lost across Britain this year as councils struggle to cope with the impact of the recession.

Calls for council help increase - [Local Government News, Jan 12, 2009]

One in four councils in England has reported an increase in homelessness and more than half have experienced a rise in housing benefit claimants as the recession bites.

Town hall income dives - [Local Government News, Dec 15, 2008]

Three out of four councils say the money they collect to pay for front-line services has dwindled.

Economic Prosperity - [Local Government News, Oct 1, 2008]

Local authorities can do very little to contribute to economic competitiveness and prosperity.