I have complained in numerous places [*] that the most recent “efficiency movement” in government, which started with the Gershon Review in 2004, was built on faulty concepts and analysis and that reported ‘savings were often a mirage. Continue reading “Lies, Damned Lies and Efficiency Savings – Yet Again: NAO reports on ‘Shared Services’ Fiasco”
Author: Prof. Colin R Talbot
Professor of Government (Emeritus), University of Manchester
Visiting Fellow, University of Cambridge Judge Business School
Localism: ‘It’s like letting go of your toddler’s bike’ says Mandarin
Dame Helen Ghosh DCB is, I’m sure, a very fine civil servant in may ways, but sensitive to others perspectives she’s clearly not.
Speaking at the NAO Conference on Performance yesterday (22 Feb 2012) Dame Helen was explaining how the Home office was attempting to devolve more powers to police forces, when she came up with an interesting insight into how Whitehall sees ‘localism’ Continue reading “Localism: ‘It’s like letting go of your toddler’s bike’ says Mandarin”
Re(Dis)Organization of Britain’s Border Agencies
Theresa May, Home Secretary, has announced the dismantling of the UK Borders Agency just a few months before the London Olympics. This is just the latest twist in a saga that goes back years during which Ministers (and senior civil servants) have tinkered with the organization of Britain’s border controls without ever solving the underlying problems. Continue reading “Re(Dis)Organization of Britain’s Border Agencies”
Lies, Damned Lies, and Government ‘Efficiency’ Savings (Again)
It is nice to see that the new lot are just the same as the old lot, at least when it comes to reporting so-called “efficiency” or “waste” savings. Today Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude was telling anyone who would listen that the Government anticipates £5 billion in cash savings this year.
Despite the spin, these are of course not efficiency savings and the official documents are careful to just refer to them as “cash savings” and “waste” – which anyone would be justified in thinking meant ‘efficiency’ savings. And indeed it all comes under the programme called “Efficiency” on the Cabinet Office website. Continue reading “Lies, Damned Lies, and Government ‘Efficiency’ Savings (Again)”
No Way to Run a Railway: HS2 and Policy-Making (Michael Ward)
Michael Ward kindly sent me this short paper about HS2 and the “policy-making” process surrounding it. Whilst I personally do not agree with his conclusions, his critique of the process is well worth reading. CT
The case for High Speed Rail: a regional, social and economic perspective Continue reading “No Way to Run a Railway: HS2 and Policy-Making (Michael Ward)”
Greece again
with Greece in the news again, those who haven’t already might want to read my analysis of the background to their fiscal crisis here.
The Work Programme: individual versus systemic outcomes
The government is very proud of its Work Programme. It is especially proud of the fact that the WPs private sector providers are only paid on the basis of individual outcomes – do the participants get a “long term” job. Continue reading “The Work Programme: individual versus systemic outcomes”
Spending Review 2012 – maybe
With most economists now forecasting that Britain will officially re-enter recession in Q1 2012, the Chancellor will be under immense pressure by the time of the Budget on 21st March to at least be seen to be doing ‘something’ about the economy. Continue reading “Spending Review 2012 – maybe”
The Evolution of Intellectual Freedom
I thought this was worth sharing……..
Re-Centering the State? Pulling Arms-Length Bodies back into the Centre
A new report from the National Audit Office examines the British governments attempts to reorganise “arms-length bodies” in the UK. One of the central conclusions is that the reorganisation is dragging many of the functions of these bodies back to the ‘centre’ and closer to political control – in other words a big shift from quasi-autonomy back to hierarchical control. This is being achieved by either abolishing bodies and absorbing functions back into Ministries, or changing the status of the bodies. I reprint below the NAO’s own short summary of their findings, but the whole report is worth reading.
One final note: the Report contains nothing about the abolition of the NAO’s “sister” body the Audit Commission (as David Walker has pointed out). A very curious omission. Continue reading “Re-Centering the State? Pulling Arms-Length Bodies back into the Centre”
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