Management
Council should 'build on lessons learned' after critical review
King’s Lynn & West Norfolk BC should ‘build on the lessons learned’ from the construction of a state-of-the-art commercial workspace, the council’s chief executive has said.
New directors help children's services improve
A new senior leadership team has brought ‘drive, energy and focus’ to Croydon LBC’s efforts to improve after an inadequate Ofsted judgement 18 months ago, inspectors have found.
Cost of Dorset redundancies to be recovered in 20 months
Nine proposed senior officer redundancies made as part of the creation of new unitary Dorset Council will pay for themselves in 20 months, it has been announced.
Why we back exec leaders
Cllr Barry Lewis and Cllr Andrew Proctor outline why Derbyshire CC and Norfolk CC have replaced the traditional chief executive position with a system where the council leaders have a more corporate leadership role
Reasons to be cheerful
As Mike Cooke retires from his role as the chief executive of Camden LBC, he explains why he believes we should be optimistic about the future
Four paths to our future workforce
Max Wide looks ahead and asks how local government can avoid ending up as a set of ageing organisations, unable to appeal to and serve a new generation
Putting heads together to deliver healthy places
The Local Government Association Challenge 2019 is underway. Lizzie Nugent and Penny Galvin describe how the team grappled with the task before them in the first round at Cherwell DC.
EXCLUSIVE: Six-figure salary jobs on the rise
The number of council job openings with six-figure salaries has risen in recent years, research by The MJ has found.
Council expects to axe 70 roles
Brighton & Hove City Council is expected to axe 70 roles in an effort to rein in spending over the next year.
Councils bring back joint chief executive role
Two local authorities have reinstated the position of joint chief executive after sector peers said it would ‘drive the councils into the future’.
Helping to deliver positive change
Corey Albone outlines how he and his National Graduate Development Programme colleagues at Luton BC have created a network to get their voices heard and to help tackle some of the big challenges facing the town
Chief's future hangs in balance
The future of South Cambridgeshire DC’s absent chief executive, Beverly Agass, will be discussed behind closed doors at a meeting of the council’s employment committee this afternoon.
Bringing politics into the 21st century
In a round table hosted by Gatenby Sanderson, district council leaders considered the question: ‘The 21st century councillor – what skills do modern members need to equip them for the challenges ahead?’
Empowering the people
Sevenoaks DC has worked hard to embed a leadership culture and has its own masterclass programme to support established and aspiring managers. Jim Carrington-West describes the council’s unique approach
A council’s culture eats its strategies for breakfast, dinner and tea
Rip up all those wordy strategies that hardly anyone even reads. They just don’t work, says Donna Hall. She describes a better way for council chief executives and leaders to spend their time.
Better Times?
The prospect of working somewhere where the aim is more than survival is tempting.But Blair Mcpherson remembers the wise words of his mentor - which prompted a renewed appreciation of the positive aspects of his role.
Local Government: A view from Australia and beyond
As the UK contemplates a post-Brexit future, Bill Taylor argues for local government not to retreat into splendid isolation, but to look outward and build stronger relations with councils across the globe.
The risk paradox
The conflict between ‘traditional’ public sector risk management and the pace required to deliver innovative and sustainable services poses a problem for councils, says Andy Begley.
Preparing tomorrow’s leaders
How do you know what it is like to run a local authority? The MJ is sponsoring a series of regional training events that test council managers with real-life simulation as members of an executive board. Richard Wills of Breckland Training Services describes how the teams are put through their paces
I'm proud to have been a local government chief executive
In her last column for districtview, Sandra Dinneen says she believes that as a sector we underplay the number of truly talented people we have working day in day out to improve outcomes for people and places.