Innovation and Efficiency

LG mutual mooted to reduce £650m a year council insurance costs

20.07.17: The Local Government Association (LGA) has today announced that it is “exploring options” to set up a local government mutual to reduce the huge amounts that councils currently spend on insurance. The mutual would support author...

Innovation in commissioning services

26.06.17: Malcolm Harbour CBE, who wrote Parliament’s first report on innovation in public procurement in 2008 and now chairs the LGA expert group on this subject, justifies the need to integrate commissioning into innovative procurement and identif...

Putting digital at the heart of service delivery

28.04.17: Following the recent Smart Essex Digital Summit, which was hosted by Essex County Council, David Wilde, executive director and chief information officer at the local authority, tells PSE why, in order to prepare for the challenges of the future...

Wigan Council: embracing digital transformation

25.04.17: Alison McKenzie-Folan, deputy chief executive, director customer transformation at Wigan Council, explains why local authorities, as digital leaders, must set a positive example and demonstrate what can be achieved when you embed trust in the wo...

London councils join Design Council scheme to address major social issues

22.03.17: Councils in London will work with design experts as part of a new programme aiming to help authorities address problems with homelessness, homecare and help for looked-after children, amongst other social issues. The Design Council programm...

The challenges for innovative procurement

27.02.17: Malcolm Harbour CBE, who wrote Parliament’s first report on innovation in public procurement in 2008 and now chairs the LGA Task and Finish Group on this subject, considers how the new Industrial Strategy is a great opportunity for local g...

Oxfordshire councils branded ‘fickle’ for U-turn over unitary reform plans

07.02.17: Oxfordshire County Council’s pursuit of a single unitary authority for the region is looking more likely after two district councils which previously opposed the idea have made a U-turn, coming out in support of the proposal. Last mon...

Dorset councils agree to proceed with unitary reforms

01.02.17: Dorset councils have obtained a mandate to go ahead with their proposals to change the county’s local government structure. The plans, which would see Dorset’s current nine councils replaced with two new unitary authorities, hav...

Unlocking smart capabilities for local authorities

04.01.17: Matthew Evans, executive director of techUK’s SmarterUK programme, discusses the need for the government to deliver a coherent digital strategy that demonstrates the importance of smart cities that local government and the technology indus...

Social action as an organising principle for public services

28.12.16: Carrie Deacon, programme manager in Nesta’s Innovation Lab, explains how commissioners can move people power from the periphery to the heart of service design. Many are now convinced that the public services we inherited from our gran...

Wandsworth and Richmond pension fund merger authorised

22.12.16: The government has confirmed that it will lay regulations to enable Wandsworth and Richmond Upon Thames councils’ proposal to merge their pension funds as part of a cost-saving measure. The two London boroughs announced in January 201...

Putting innovation at the heart of public procurement

22.12.16: Malcolm Harbour CBE, who wrote Parliament’s first report on innovation in public procurement in 2008 and now chairs the LGA Task and Finish Group on this issue, outlines how public bodies can embed innovation in spite of tight budgets. ...

Connected cities mission to India

22.12.16: Niraj Saraf, Connected Cities Mission lead for Innovate UK, explains how learning from the UK is helping other countries, including India, develop their smart city programmes. The global need for radical solutions to city challenges is beco...

Cornwall councils launch collaborative CCTV project

20.12.16: Eight West Cornwall town councils are working together with the region’s rescue and police services to launch a ‘groundbreaking’ CCTV project to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. The brainchild of Hayle Town Council...

Smart cities: At a crossroads

20.12.16: Professor Simon Joss FRSA is co-director of the International Eco-Cities Initiative at the University of Westminster, which provides research and consultancy on urban innovation. He explains why smart cities are at a crossroads between technolog...