The new Labour Government elected in the UK in 1997 has a declared commitment to the modernisation of local government and has proposed radical change to the way councils plan and deliver local services through best value in service delivery. Best value emphasises the role of sound management as...

The best value initiative has been designated as the key framework for improving service quality and effectiveness in UK local government. In support of the framework a number of measures have been introduced to measure effectiveness. However, there are problems with using comparative...

The study examines the management of competitive funding by UK local authorities. This funding, which is additional to core funding, is seen by authorities to be worth securing because it gives them the ability to provide services over and above those that must be provided to meet legislative...

Local authorities in the UK have lagged behind other sectors in developing a sector‐wide approach to the risk management aspects of corporate governance. The governance framework published in 2001, however, goes further than the private sector combined code in its reporting requirements. This...

Purpose – Aims to unpack the development and subsequent growth in the UK of so‐called new localism concepts and policies post‐1997. Design/methodology/approach – Highlights both the political rhetoric and the practical applications of such policies. In this context, introduces the...

Purpose – Seeks to analyse the complexity of current practices surrounding the management and governance of urban regeneration activities in the UK. In particular, aims to focus on the potential of initiatives decentralised to the sub‐local level that have been designed both to effectively...

Purpose – This paper aims to put forward for consideration new insights into the creation of “second order” change in local government. Design/methodology/approach – In‐depth interviews were carried out in five local authorities to investigate risk management (RM) processes....

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider hierarchical control as a mode of governance, and analyses the extent of control exhibited by central government over local government through the best value (BV) and comprehensive performance assessment (CPA) performance regimes....

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a picture of (local) e‐government impact and development philosophy in China, New Zealand, Oman, and the UK. Design/methodology/approach – A survey instrument was used to collect data from policymakers in 114 civil service organisations in...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the back office efficiency savings made by English councils during the 2004 Spending Review (SR04) period in order to consider the relationship between service delivery, audit and inspection and, efficiency programmes in local government. It...