Local authorities must make bold workforce changes to meet new challenges, according to a public sector report. The study, by business advisory firm, Deloitte and Touche, found the Civil Service and local government organisations had a strong record on policy formation but needed to focus more on implementing it and improving delivery. Mike Turley, head of the public sector practice at Deloitte said: ‘Our research finds that the transformation required by the public sector should be underpinned by better utilisation of the workforce. The effective development of people and the workforce is essential, if public sector organisations are to implement policy and deliver public services efficiently in future.' Interviews conducted by Deloitte revealed that many public sector organisations had either identified poor performers but were prevented from taking action by cultural and procedural barriers, or they had not yet taken steps to identify any poorly-performing individuals or teams. Following on from the interviews with senior figures in local and central government, Deloitte suggested improving skills and capacities in the workforce and focusing on performance management to meet new challenges.
