Five faults and a submission: The case for the local government improvement programme

Abstract

Despite the increasing body of evidence that questions the efficacy of central government performance instruments, there has been a reluctance to learn from mistakes made in the UK and elsewhere. This article examines some key dimensions of performance in the local government sector and suggests that there are at least five faultlines that undermine the Labour government's approach to date. In the context of the above the paper draws on longitudinal research with six local authorities to argue that the Local Government Improvement Programme is a performance management initiative that is best calibrated to both theories of change management and the practice of performance improvement. The paper concludes by identifying a range of determinants that have underpinned improvement in the sample.