Rob Sykes is confident local government can rise to the efficiency challenge thrown down by the White Paper A casual browse through press coverage of the White Paper might lead you to conclude that efficiency was little more than a footnote in the document. Comment and analysis has focused on subjects such as structure, governance, performance, city regions, leadership and the rebalancing of the central-local relationship. Efficiency, meanwhile, appeared to receive little more than a passing mention. But take a closer look at the White Paper, and you'll see that efficiency is a major theme – whether expressed explicitly or implicitly – which underpins large parts of its rationale, analysis and direction. The Government is consciously and carefully preparing the way to enable local government to meet the challenges which lie ahead. Efficiency has got its own chapter in the White Paper – and a thoughtful chapter it is too. But I would like to start by looking at how the theme is being addressed by the rest of the document. Perhaps, first and foremost, the White Paper acknowledges that efficiency and service improvement are two sides of the same coin – that local services can be transformed by a variety of measures, not all of them badged ‘efficiency'. Second, it recognises that efficiency must be embedded within other policy areas. For example, the White Paper emphasises partnership working. It recognises that the silo approach to improvement and efficiency is no longer valid and says local government must ‘overcome confusion, duplication and inefficiency'. So, it calls for more working across organisational and geographical boundaries, and the proposals for Multi Area Agreements, Local Area Agreements and stronger Local Strategic Partnerships will be the vehicles for embedding efficiency measures and setting targets within future partnership working. Its ambition is that ‘every local authority, working with its partners, will be able to radically improve local services'. This is something I feel strongly about. Only through a truly joined-up approach will we be able to tackle complex social, environmental and economic issues in efficient ways. But these ambitions won't see the light of day without strong local leadership and new governance arrangements – points recognised by the White Paper. It sets out proposals for leaders who have the ability to bring together local partners to improve services, and advocates the duty for named partners to collaborate. In terms of governance, those who make bids for unitary status will argue that it will overcome duplication and inefficiency. Where the case is not made for unitary status, the White Paper expects to see greater co-operation between the tiers of local government, including sharing back-office functions or delivery mechanisms. In the chapter on a new performance framework, the White Paper advocates a national improvement strategy to make sure local authorities and their partners receive a co-ordinated source of support measures. Already, in all regions, the regional centres of excellence and regional improvement partnerships are working closer together. The White Paper suggests this approach should go still further. Whether it's place shaping, stronger city regions, or measuring efficiency under the proposed Comprehensive Area Assessment, the efficient use of public money is a recurring theme. And, just in case you had failed to pick this up, the White Paper makes numerous references to next year's Comprehensive Spending Review and the need to make large efficiency gains. The White Paper is generous in acknowledging the progress made by local government. But to deliver transformed services in ways which meet forthcoming financial challenges, it couldn't be any plainer. Councils will need to challenge traditional methods of structure and delivery, they must root out waste, and work with other public bodies to share assets, systems, data, skills and knowledge more effectively. Efficiency isn't about making savings. It's about making better use of our resources to improve peoples' lives. It is time for local government to rise to the challenge the White Paper has thrown down. Rob Sykes is chair of the Chief Executives' Task Force, and chief executive of Worcestershire CC
