APSE: Councils are capable of change
Author: Laura Sharman, The MJ |
Business acumen and entrepreneurship are ‘flourishing’ in local government, according to new research from the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE).
Municipal Entrepreneurship aims to challenge the perception that local government is bureaucratic and incapable of change by showcasing local authorities that are developing a commercial culture amongst their staff.
APSE’s chief executive, Paul O’Brien, said: ‘Local authorities have been unfairly characterised as lacking the spirit of innovation. This report challenges such preconceptions by providing clear evidence that municipal entrepreneurship is alive and well in councils across the UK.
This is increasingly important in delivering high quality public services as budget cuts bite.’
The publication features case studies including how shared services across boundaries in Tayside has led to 14.5m surpluses being returned to three local authorities, and West Lindsey’s transformation of the local authority into an ‘Entrepreneurial Council’ has delivered efficiency savings of 2.13m.