Councils ‘becoming more receptive to collaborative working’
Author: Odgers Berndtson |
Local councils are set to revolutionise their operations with a more open approach to collaboration, according to a leading thinktank.
A report from Localis has revealed that more than one-third of council leaders and chief executives believe there are no local services that could not be effectively delivered by a third party, whether a private or voluntary sector body.
Moreover, it was shown that more than two-thirds of council chiefs say making use of external expertise and skills was a key reason for working with partners.
As such, councils are looking at a number of new business models to meet savings targets while retaining service quality, including cooperative and mutual setups, shared services and trading ventures.
Alex Thomson, chief executive of Localis, said: “I’m confident that if everyone is willing to play their part … then we’ve got a decent shot at continuing to enjoy high-quality public services in the years to come.”
Earlier this month, a survey from ComRes and Willmott Dixon revealed that many local councillors believe more private investment is necessary to ensure the success of the government’s Local Enterprise Partnership scheme.