In the News

OFTWe cannot afford to waste this resource - The OFT has issued recommendations designed to encourage increased competition & greater efficiency in the treatment of organic waste. 

In its market study into the treatment of organic waste in England & Wales, the OFT identified a number of barriers to competition related to aspects of economic, environmental & planning regulation, and to the apparent corporate culture of some water & sewerage companies.

The report makes a range of recommendations aimed at promoting competition, hence driving efficiency & innovation in the sector.  At the heart of the recommendations are proposed changes to the economic regulation of water & sewerage companies and recommendations for greater harmonisation of the environmental regimes applicable to sewage sludge and other organic waste.
Press release & links ~ Previous OFT press release  ~ Map of organic waste availability in England ~ What is Anaerobic Digestion? ~ Government Review of Waste Policies in England 2011 ~ Composition of local authority collected waste ~ Defra: Anaerobic Digestion ~ Mayor launches £70 million-plus waste fund ~ Minister’s waste plea to Welsh food industry ~ Going to waste: Making the case for energy from waste ~ FoE: Anaerobic Digestion ~ 'Anaerobic Digestion - Shared Goals' ~ WAG – Waste and Recycling ~ Bioenergy Action Plan for Wales ~ The European Anaerobic Digestion Network ~ EU RENREN  (Renewable ENergy REgions Network) project - Biomass ~ Realising the value of organic waste ~ Business Link: manage your organic waste

PC&PETime for Sir Humphrey to be replaced? - In a new report, the Commons Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) says that ‘unless the government can rapidly develop and implement a comprehensive plan for cross-departmental reform in Whitehall, the Government's wider ambitions for public service reform, the Big Society, localism and decentralisation will fail’.

The analysis & recommendations in the committee’s report, ‘Change in Government: the agenda for leadership’, highlight the lack of specialist expertise and other key skills, institutional inertia & complacency which they say have justified the Prime Minister's complaint about ‘the enemies of enterprise’ within Whitehall.
 
The traditional model of Civil Service reform through gradual change is not sufficient for circumstances where the Government proposes rapid decentralisation and a structural reduction of one-third in departmental budget.
 
 
The committee have set out 6 principles of good governance & change management against which Civil Service reform should be managed over the course of this Parliament.  They will be monitoring Civil Service leadership, performance, accountability, transparency, coherence and engagement as reform programmes are implemented.
Press release ~ Report: Change in Government: the agenda for leadership ~ Strategic thinking in Whitehall ~ Government policy and the capacity for strategic thinking in Whitehall ~ ‘End of Term’ report on Whitehall plans for structural reform ~ Smaller Government: What do Ministers do? ~ A Systems View of NHS reorganisations - the pain and cost of boldly going where we have been before ~ Making & Breaking Whitehall Departments: A guide to machinery of government changes (3.3Mb) ~ ‘We trained Hard’ Petronius (AD 166) quote ~ NSG: The relentless unforeseen: the case for strategy in government ~ NSG: Place Based Innovation ~ NAO: Helping Government Learn ~ NSG Virtual Learning Portal ~ Professional Skills for Government (PSG) ~ Whole Systems Go!: Improving leadership across the whole public service system ~ University of Warwick – Institute of Governance and Public Management ~ Engagement and Aspiration: Reconnecting Policy Making with Front-Line Professionals ~ IDeA: Project, programme and change management toolkit ~ Public Service Leadership (PSL) ~ Change You Can Believe In: The Leadership of Innovation ~ Evidence Based Policy-Making report ~ Financial management e-learning tool ~ Listening to the frontline: Capturing insight and learning lessons in policy making ~ All aboard? Whitehall's new governance challenge ~ Corporate governance in Whitehall departmental boards ~ Six steps to making Whitehall Boards work ~ WAG: Improving public services ~ Good Practice Wales web portal ~ Delivering Beyond Boundaries: Transforming Public Services in Wales ~ ScotGov: Public Services Reform ~ ScotGov: Effective Public Bodies programme ~ Improvement service ~ Simplification Programme ~ NAO: Delivering successful IT-enabled business change ~ Managing staff costs in central government ~ Progress in improving financial management in government ~ Delivering regulatory reform ~ Assessing the impact of proposed new policies ~ Commercial skills for complex government projects ~ Reorganising central government

STFCMotivating the motivators - The STEMNET Awards aim to recognise the UK's most inspirational people for motivating young people in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).  The Science and Technology Facilities Council is supporting the awards with a trip to CERN for the winners! T here is no limit to the number of categories you can nominate in (closing date Monday 3 October 2011).
Press release & links

BIGVillages need to get active to share in lottery cash - Villages across the UK have one month left to apply for a share of £5m Lottery cash to create exciting community enterprises that will help to revitalise their area and meet the needs of local people.  Projects have until 5pm on Thursday 20 October 2011 to apply for up to £30,000 from the Big Lottery Fund’s Village SOS Active competition, which follows hot on the heels of the primetime BBC One series:  Village SOS.
Press release & links

HPATragically several young lives end just as they should be beginning - The Health Protection Agency is reminding students about the importance of receiving the MMR and Men C vaccinations before they return to university campus, where outbreaks can occur.   In a leaflet available on the HPA website, students are also advised on how to spot the early signs of these serious infections.
Press release & links

DirectgovWant to help the country to recover from its current depressed state? - The competition for places in the prestigious Civil Service Fast Stream has now opened.   If you see yourself working at the heart of the issues which shape society, on the front line of service delivery, or helping to change how the Civil Service operates, the Fast Stream offers a unique opportunity to do so.   Applications by 30 November 2011.

Consistently ranked in the top 10 of the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers, the Fast Stream is a talent management programme for graduates with the potential to become the future leaders of the Civil Service.  You could be working in areas such as education, health, justice, employment, defence, transport and many more.
Press release & links

MoDSupport for our troops is welcome, but please use charity route - Generous members of the public who show their support for the Armed Forces by sending welfare parcels to Afghanistan are being urged to stop & think and consider alternative & more effective ways they can back the troops at Christmas time.
Press release & links

NICE:  A chance for professionals to influence the future NHS - NICE is looking for influential professionals such as NHS managers, Trust Chief Executives, Medical & Finance Directors, and GP commissioners to join its prestigious Fellows & Scholars Programme, which aims to foster a network of NHS health professionals committed to improving the quality of patient care within their local health & professional communities, as well as supporting the core values that underpin NICE's work.  If you are interested in applying, please submit your application by Friday 25 November 2011.
Press release & links

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