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The Institute for Political and Economic Governance (IPEG) at the University of Manchester announces this event as part of a series of seminars for those who are engaged and involved in public policy work and are seeking expert briefings on current issues, workshops on key topics, and the facilitation of structured learning.

Best Practice is a prominent tool in benchmarking performance and stimulating improvement and innovation and is, as such, of significance to all local authorities. Yet there is little research examining its use and effectiveness. This seminar aims to share with you knowledge, experience, evidence and expertise in this field and to explore how to better use Best Practice and generate innovation and improvement.

Professors Peter John (University of Manchester) and Hal Wolman (George Washington University) are leading experts in the field of public policy. They will outline their recent research, based on a national survey of local authorities, on the use of Best Practice and the link between Best Practice and innovation. This survey, supported by the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF), focused on two policy sectors of interest and concern to local and national government: regeneration and community safety.

Dr Peter Kawalek from Manchester Business School will present his Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) research on sharing practice in IT. Professor Jean Hartley, from the University of Warwick Business School, author of a recent DCLG report, ‘Innovation and Its Contribution to Improvement’, will also present her research.

The workshops will provide an opportunity for participants to discuss in smaller groups some of the issues raised by the research, related to regeneration, community safety and IT. These will be facilitated by representatives from the National Community Safety Network and RENEW Northwest, as well as members of the Best Practice research team.

This seminar will be of interest to chief executives and senior local authority officers involved in learning and improvement, as well as service heads and other officers working in regeneration, community engagement and IT.

Papers and presentations

Papers and presentations from this event are available for download via the links below:

• Brannan T., Durose C., John P. & Wolman H. 'Assessing best practice as a means of innovation'. Prepared for presentation at the Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, Montreal, Canada, April 22, 2006
  
  
• Assessing the Practice of Best Practice: Who Uses It, Why, and How Useful Is It? - Tessa Brannan, Catherine Durose, Peter John and Hal Wolman
  
  
• Innovation and improvement in local government - Jean Hartley
  
  
• Best Practice: the media and the message - Peter Kawalek

Programme

• 10:30 - 11:00 Registration and refreshments
  
  
• 11:00 - 11:15 Welcome and introduction
  
  
  • Chair: Professor Gerry Stoker, Co-Director: IPEG
    
    
• 11:15 - 12:00 Best Practice and Innovation in Local Government
  
  
  • Speakers:
  • Professor Hal Wolman, Director Institute of Public Policy, George Washington University
    
    
  • Professor Peter John, Co-Director: IPEG, University of Manchester
    
    
• 12:00 - 12:30 The Media and the Message: Social Computing and Sharing Practice in the Local Government Family
  
  
  • Speaker: Dr Peter Kawalek, Manchester Business School
    
    
• 12:30 - 1:00 Innovation and Improvement in Local Government
  
  
  • Speaker: Professor Jean Hartley, Warwick Business School
    
    
• 1:00 - 2:00 Lunch
  
  
• 2:00 - 3:00 Workshops: sharing experiences and gaining understanding
  
  
  • Facilitators: National Community Safety Network and RENEW Northwest, Tessa Brannan and Catherine Durose (IPEG)
    
    
• 3:00 - 4:00 Feedback and Discussion