Project summary
There has been a strong emphasis on the use of good practice in local authorities by central government. However, there is still a lot that we do not know about how knowledge is shared between practitioners and used for innovation and improvement. Despite a high level of demand for 'good practice' and examples from others, in reality there are many concerns and some cynicism about the transferability and usability of good practice.
Our previous research on good practice in community safety and regeneration found that large numbers of local authorities in England found best practice difficult to put in place and implement successfully. The most important reasons cited were the difficulty in assessing whether what is advertised as best practice actually is best practice, and whether best practice is appropriate in the context of their own local authority. This research also showed that best practice and innovation are separate concepts, and that more innovative local authorities engage in more use of best practice.
There are several issues raised by the survey, and we are now following up on these questions in this project. We will select four North West case study authorities from the survey respondents to explore the following outstanding questions in depth:
- What are the key drivers of innovation at an organisational level, how does good practice enhance capacity for innovation, and how does innovation enhance capacity to make use of good practice?
- In so far as good practice contributes to innovation, how do the case study authorities hear about good practice, what are the most effective transmission mechanisms?
- How do authorities select and assess the quality and applicability of good practice?
- How is good practice adapted for use in specific contexts?
We would select a series of contrasting cases, in order to explore differences, and inconsistencies in inputs and performance.
Project investigators
- Peter John
- Tessa Brannan
- Catherine Durose
- Kristina Turner
Relevant links
- Knowledge Creation and Transfer Programme
- The Use and Effectiveness of Best Practice in English Local Government
Publications
The executive summary for this and the 'Achieving innovation in local authority organisations' project is now available for download.