Local Government Programme

Part of the Public Services Best Practice Network

The Local Government Programme aims to accelerate innovation by addressing the key issues in local public service delivery. It brings together chief executives, senior practitioners from across the local government, service provider and third sectors.

Why participate in the local government network?

The power of the network derives from the collective experience of its public and private sector participants.

Download summaries from the Local Government discussions 2010

Programme Themes for 2012

  • Planning the local government workforce of the future
  • Building capability and improving performance through insourcing 
  • Property and estates rationalisation 
  • Optimising efficiencies through outsourcing, shared services and partnership models
  • Information management, sharing and security
  • Implementing change programmes and achieving organisational excellence 
  • Generating income and operating more commercially 
  • Everyday innovation - embedding innovation in operational practice 
  • Other themes as determined by network participants 

Programme Benefits

  • Learn with the best - accessing real and usable innovations and best practices 
  • Activities are on an appropriate scale for rich, in-depth exchanges between senior people (often involving no more than 15-20) in an extended board room format, allowing everyone to contribute, unlike conferences
  • Engagements are specifically designed to draw on the knowledge and experience of the particpants, ensuring the group can focus on practical solutions to common issues
  • A skilled facilitator, with experience in both the public and commercial sectors, steers teh sessions carefully for the benefit of participants
  • Operating under the Chatham House rule means that participants are able to express themesleves freely, leading to an open, challenging and high-quality exchange
  • There is no charge for public sector members, who support the programmes by actively contributing their time, expertise and experience
  • Network activities are funded by private sector members who recognise the benefits of having an independent forum where the realities of public service reform can be explored 
  • There are no sales pitches. Everyone is expected to contribute to finding innovative solutions to real business issues 
  • In order to maintain our independence, ITW does not facilitate one-to-one meetings or similar contacts between members. Nor do we sell on any contact information

What does the programme include?

  • Best practice and innovation groups, focused on key operational issues and typically involving participants at Director or Assistant Director level
  • Leaders' groups, which address longer-term issues of public service reform and are attended by Chief Executives or their Deputies

Additional activities:

  • Focus projects, which examine a particular issue in more depth, usually over a period of several months

In each case, we produce written outputs, which are agreed by all the participants before being made available to the wider ITW Network via our online knowledge store.

Programme Details and Forward Calendar

Local Government Transformation Programme

Local Government Transformation Guidelines

Local Government Transformation Example Agenda

Meeting Types

Leaders' discussions (LDs)

Best practice groups (BPGs)

Guideline development groups (GDGs)