Innovation is the name of the game in local government at present. One only has to look at former local government minister Nick Raynsford's article in The MJ last week (page 11, 18 October) to understand that innovation is the only way to beat the meagre budgets. Earlier this year, Demos published a pamphlet on how to reform public services by taking innovations from the frontline. Unlocking Innovation, is a collection of case studies and articles edited by Sophia Parker and Simon Parker. Launching the collection, local government minister, John Healey, warned central government could be a barrier to innovation, and local authorities must look to the frontline. Said Simon: ‘Our public services are in danger of being out of step with the everyday experiences of the people they serve, creating a damaging paradox where services improve but satisfaction declines.' He added: ‘The message is clear. Whitehall cannot have a monopoly on innovation.' Now the Innovation Forum and The MJ are giving you the chance to tell us about your frontline innovations. What has your council done to improve services from the bottom up? Send us 700 words on how you tackled a problem head on, and you could win some of our top prizes, including a £400 holiday voucher, or a bottle of Champagne, courtesy of the Innovations Forum. Better still, your innovation could be published in The MJ, and you could help spread best practice in the sector. Paul Rigg, chief executive of the forum, explained: ‘Innovation has never been more important for local government. ‘We need to invest in more radical kinds of innovation, capable of challenging existing paradigms. It is only through doing so that local government will be in a position to meet tomorrow's challenges, as well as those of today. ‘The forum welcomes this competition initiative, since we believe that the best ideas come from within the sector, and we wish to encourage creativity and to take all opportunities to provide it with the profile and rewards it deserves.' Send your entries to: mjfeatures@hgluk.com, marked ‘Unlocking Innovation' to reach us by 20 December, at the latest. About the Innovation Forum The Innovation Forum was set up to reward councils for being ‘excellent'. There were originally 22 members, but now that has risen to 98 – and it embraces contributions from the whole sector. Unlocking Innovation: Why citizens hold the key to public service reform by Simon Parker and Sophia Parker is available from Demos, www.demos.co.uk n
