www.opm.co.uk

Good governance through turbulent times

13 October 2010

Judith Smyth

Director - Office for Public Management

jsmyth@opm.co.uk

The purpose of this session

• Refresh your understanding of the fundamentals of good governance of schools

• An opportunity to discuss current changes in public policy and the wider environment in which you work

• Time to consider the future of schools, of local authorities and of governor services

• Set you up to work together for the rest of the conference

How we will work together

• My role? Short presentation – but please interrupt me for questions and comments,

• Followed by facilitation, support and some challenge

• You? Embrace change? Acknowledge fears, Think out of the box, do not ASS-U-ME, check for understanding, think about school governance from the wider perspective of the public interest if you can, challenge each other to do so

Some shared vocabulary

• The public interest• Public services • Public sector • Voluntary sector/ third sector/not for profit • Private sector (distinguish PLCs from the rest)

• What are schools in this? And in the future?• What are ‘school improvement and support

services in this? And in the future?

The Coalition government – what do we know?

• Cuts – and the inadequacy of ‘salamis slicing’• Development of ‘total place’ approach• Reduction of central government control• End of many ‘QUANGOs’• No CPA, no audit commission, fewer compulsory PIs,

Ofsted likely to remain• Changed roles in Health likely• Emphasis on prevention – because it makes economic and

social sense and improves outcomes• Personalisation and individual budgets, think family • Changing governance and funding of schools

• ?

The challenge for local government is

• To lead change – communicating the pressure for change, developing and agreeing the future vision, establishing the capacity for change, agreeing the first steps leading to action

• Work to improve outcomes and in the public interest rather than in the interest of particular services or professions or sectors

• gain public (and staff) support and understanding • know the cost and value of everything • Stop doing what does not add enough value• work very closely with elected Members

It is not all change - we are likely to retain

• The total place approach (renamed)• Partnerships • Co- production (what about co- payment?)• Personalisation • Communications with public and service users

– public services that are popular and well understood

• Strategic commissioning • Good Governance – clarity of roles and

accountabilities

Every Child Matters Outcomes

Public sector

Contracted Private Sector

Voluntary Organisations

Private Sector - shops, jobs, finance, housing

Children

and their Families

Communities

and

Peer Groups

ORGANISATIONS SERVICE USERS

SOCIAL CAPITAL

Big society: Coproduction

Source: ‘Coproduction in Children’s Services’, Clive Miller and Sue Stirling, OPM, 2004

What is commissioning?

• Understand. Plan, Do, Review – the familiar cycle• The activities and processes that lead to decisions

about how best to use public money• Good commissioning is needs led, outcome focussed,

uses evidence of what works, takes into account the views of stakeholders including service users, includes performance measurement and management, contestability (sometimes competition and outsourcing) in a well led and well governed system

• Little point in commissioning if there is no agreed pressure for change and the capacity and appetite to see it through- ‘do’ is the hard part!

How well is public governance working for the 450,000 people who are involved on boards

including schools?

Control or charade – NHF 1994

‘Rubber Stamped?’The expectations and experiences of appointed public

service governors

J Steele, G Parston, OPM 2003

Governors and executives lack clarity and understanding

• Governors who are more reactive than proactive

• Adversarial second-guessing of management

• Lack of effective stewardship or oversight

Many governors

• Do not/cannot hold the executive to account

• Are confused by the mix of stakeholders

• Find it difficult to build relationships to improve accountability

Action required?

• clarifying the purpose of governance and role of the governor

• expanding the supply of governors• improving governor induction and performance• Improving the governor-executive relationship• development of a common code for public

service governance• Which was published in 2006 and reviewed in

2008 (no changes made). It is the foundation for many different governance codes for different public services in all sectors.

Focusing on the organisation’s

purpose and on outcomes for

citizens and users

Engaging stakeholders andmaking accountability real

Promoting values for the whole Organisation and

demonstrating good governance

through behaviour

Performing effectively in clearly defined functions and roles

Taking informed,

transparent decisions and managing risk

Developing the Capacity and capability of the

governanceteam to be

effective

Six core principles

1. Good governance means focusing on the organisation’s purpose and on outcomes for citizens and users.

2. Good governance means performing effectively in clearly defined functions and roles.

3. Good governance means promoting values for the whole organisation and demonstrating the values of good governance through behaviour.

Six core principles

4. Good governance means taking informed, transparent decisions and managing risk.

 5. Good governance means developing the

capacity and capability of the governing body to be effective.

6. Good governance means engaging stakeholders and making accountability real.

Group work - 1

• Given the changes in public policy that we have considered work in your group please list the strategic discussions that school governing bodies should be having. How best can you support them in this?

Group work 2

• Consider the six standards for public governance using the handout provided and consider which of the standards need most attention by school governing bodies at the present time and why?

• Discuss how you might use this approach to support school governors through the turbulent times ahead?

Group work 3

• Consider your own positions – what sort of changes lie ahead and how might you influence these changes in the public interest?

How ready are you for this?

• Your understanding of the journey ahead • Your strategic relationships • Your skills and competencies• Your ability to innovate and think out of the box

Leading through change

Judith Smyth Director commissioning and governance www.opm.co.uk