Good practice links

Introduction

The aim of this page is to help raise the quality of public services by  providing links to sites that provide good practice information (mainly on public service delivery) on the Internet. If your organisation, or one that you know, produces good practice information on the Internet, please tell us by e-mailing their web address(es) to Kobir Hussain.

Contents

The links below take you to the relevant part of the page.

Awards and Quality Initiatives

International Benchmarking Network - (OECD) - the objectives of the International Benchmarking Network are to disseminate information about and monitor and evaluate developments in public sector benchmarking with a particular focus on international benchmarking.

Public Sector Excellence Programme (formerly the Benchmarking Project) - This brochure lists the services and materials available as part of the UK Public Sector Benchmarking Project to assist bodies in the wider public sector undertake self-assessment against the EFQM Excellence Model^® and obtain maximum benefit for performance improvement.

Public Servant Of The Year Award - An award scheme that celebrates individual public servants successes and achievements.

Towards Best Practice - An evaluation the first two years of the Public Sector Benchmarking project 1996-98 ( 360kb).

ritish Quality Foundation - Information on the EFQM Excellence Model^®.

European Foundation for Quality Management - Information on the EFQM Excellence Model^®.

UK Accreditation Service - (UKAS) is recognised by the British Government as the UK national body responsible for assessing and accrediting the competence of organisations in the fields of calibration, measurement, testing, inspection and the certification of systems, personnel and products.

ideas.uk (UK Association of Staff Suggestion Schemes) - is the only professional body in the UK dedicated to supporting the development and growth of efficient and effective Ideas Programmes and Employee Involvement Programmes.

British Standards Institution (BSI) - is concerned with the development, publication, application and promotion of British Standards in the interests of the UK community.

Charter Mark  - is the Government's award scheme for recognising and encouraging excellence in public service. It is unique among quality schemes in the way it concentrates on results - the service the customer actually receives. If you reach the Charter Mark standard, it shows your organisation puts its users first, and is delivering a first-class service

Investors in People - is the national standard which sets a level of good practice for training and development of people to achieve business goals.

TNT Modernising Government Partnership Award - is designed to encourage innovation and best practice in the public sector by increasing both the use of the EFQM Excellence Model and partnership working. 

International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) - is a world-wide federation of national standards bodies from some 130 countries, one from each country (see BSI).

Plain English Campaign - is an independent UK-based organisation which fights to promote the use of plain English and to stamp out all forms of gobbledegook - legalese, small print and bureaucratic language.

Plain Language Action Network (PLAN) - USA - established by the National Performance Review a government-wide group working to improve communications from the federal government to the public. This web site contains lots of resources (including a list of links to international sites)  to help writers achieve the goal of clear communication.   

The Word Center - Success through plain English - This site is dedicated to encouraging the spread of plain English. Plain English can change the way you communicate with your customers, and this will transform the way they see you. If you talk about customer care, you have to practise what you preach. By writing to your customers in plain English you will show them that you value them.

Business

UK Accreditation Service - UKAS is recognised by the British Government as the UK national body responsible for assessing and accrediting the competence of organisations in the fields of calibration, measurement, testing, inspection and the certification of systems, personnel and products.

UK Benchmarking Index - The United Kingdom Benchmarking Index is the first truly national benchmarking service specially designed for small firms, which has been developed for the DTI.

Business Support (DTI) - Sources of advice, technical support for innovation, management and industry best practice, and export services.

Construction Best Practice Programme - The Construction Best Practice Programme raises awareness of the benefits of best practice and provides guidance and advice to UK construction and client organisations so that they have the knowledge and skills required to implement change. The main focus is transformation of outmoded management practices and business cultures. The Programme is supported by the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions and the Construction Industry Board (DETR and CIB).

Direct Access Government - provides information about a wide range of government regulations. It also gives you many of the forms commonly needed by business

Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme - provides UK companies with free advice and guidance to help improve profits by minimising waste and using cost-effective cleaner technologies. Throughout UK industry and commerce there are significant savings for the taking. It produces audited case studies of a wide range of companies which have already reduced wastes and saved money - use these to help you!

Enterprisezone - is a gateway to business information for small and medium enterprises. It narrows down the mass of information available on the Internet to that which is the most relevant, providing a single point of access to useful information

Envirowise - The ETBPP aims to help UK companies work out the true cost of waste and take action to reduce it. By taking action, companies will not only reduce costs but will also improve their environmental performance.

Euro - the Government's official web site for the Euro, contains information for UK businesses.

Fit for the Future (CBI/DTI) - Sharing experience, knowledge and ways of working can help businesses become more competitive. Fit for the Future aims to help make this happen and arose from a desire to make the UK more productive and globally competitive. It encourages an open exchange of ideas and expertise in order to help companies improve the way they work. Fit for the Future operates through a partnership network of companies and organisations that believes in the value of best practice. It signposts companies to valuable sources of information and advice.

Inside UK Enterprise - business to business best practice  exchange programme. Inside UK Enterprise offers a unique programme of one-day visits to UK companies committed to improving the performance of their businesses through best practice implementation.

Management Best Practice (DTI) - provides access to a range of information and services designed to help companies improve their business performance through management best practices, techniques and technologies.

Parents At Work - helps children, working parents and their employers find a better balance between responsibilities at home and work.

UK Online For Business   (DTI) - helps small businesses in the UK to exploit the business benefits of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) - a major driver of competitiveness. The site offers an extensive library of online literature as well as useful information on various business related topics (e.g. E-Commerce, marketing and benchmarking).

Consumer Advice

AdviceGuide - gives basic advice and information on your rights. It gives a broad outline of where you stand and what you can do.

The Consumer Gateway - This site provides on line access to information and advice for consumers. It links to websites containing consumer information and advice run by Government departments, consumer organisations and others.

Consumer Information Wales - 'One-stop-shop' gateway for both professionals and the public providing contact information in Wales for all trading standards services; community health councils; CAB offices; and other consumer advice organisations.

Customers in the Driving Seat? - Controller of the Audit Commission, reviews the quality of customer service in three of the large transport agencies.  His report sets out a number of practical recommendations that would be of interest to all public sector organisations that want to improve their front-line services to customers.

General Consumer Council for Northern Ireland - As the leading consumer body for Northern Ireland, the aim of the General Consumer Council is to promote and safeguard the interests of consumers and to campaign for the best possible standards of service and protection

National Association of Citizen's Advice Bureaux - providing advice on every subject in 700 bureaux in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 55 bureaux in Scotland. The Service draws on its experience of clients' problems to show where services and policies are failing.

Scottish Consumer Council (SCC) - was set up by the government in 1975 to promote the interests of consumers, particularly those who experience disadvantage in society.

Trading Standards Central - One-stop shop for consumer protection information in the UK

Welsh Consumer Council - works to represent the interests of domestic buyers and users of goods and services in Wales. The council carries out research on behalf of consumers.

British Association for Open Learning (BAOL) - exists to promote quality and best practice in open, flexible and distance forms of learning throughout the education and training sectors of the UK, Europe and internationally

British Educational Communications and Technology Agency - Becta's remit is to ensure that technology supports the DfEE's drive to raise educational standards, and in particular to provide the professional expertise the DfEE requires to support the future development of the National Grid for Learning.

BECTA/Guardian UK School and College Web Site Awards 2000 - These awards showcase the best of school and college Web publishing and encourage schools and colleges to contribute to the National Grid for Learning.

Best practice for increasing bus use for journeys to school (DETR)

Careers and Information Division (DfEE) - is the Division within DfEE responsible for developing and implementing Government Policy on careers information, education and guidance in England.

Childcare Link - The Childcare Information Systems Development Project (CISDP) has been developed to support Welfare-To-Work initiatives and the National Childcare Strategy.

Creating a Work-Life Balance - a good practice guide for employers

Disability Information Systems in Higher Education - Here you will find sources of  information on Disability and Information Systems in Higher Education. These include Teaching Everyone - Disability and new technology - a guide for lecturers; Technology for Everyone - How Computer and Information Technology can be used to provide support for staff and students with disabilities; Guidelines for accessible courseware - The purpose of this guide is to provide designers and developers with information that will help them to design and develop courseware which will be usable by as wide a variety of the population as possible.

Early Years Development and Childcare - A DfEE initiative to improve childcare services and early development.

EASEA project - will test the potential to eliminate largely paper based administrative communication with schools and LEAs. The DfEE currently sends publications to schools and Local Education Authorities in a monthly batch. In response to requests from schools and LEAs the EASEA pilot project will give you the option to receive many of these publications over the Internet.

Higher Education Funding Council For England - The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) promotes and funds high-quality, cost-effective teaching and research in universities and colleges in England.

HERO - This new internet portal will be one of the easiest and most effective ways to explore higher education and research in the UK. It will be linked to all Britain's universities and higher education colleges, plus many further education colleges and academic research organisations. 

Institute of Personnel and Development - the Institute of Personnel and Development is the professional body for all those concerned with people management and development.

Joint Information Systems Committee - Funded by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Department of Education Northern Ireland. The mission of the JISC is: 'To stimulate and enable the cost-effective exploitation of information systems and to provide a high quality national network infrastructure for the UK higher education and research councils communities'

Lifelong learning -the UK's official website for the encouragement, promotion and development of lifelong learning.

Mailbase - Provides discussion lists for the UK Higher Education Community.

National College for School Leadership - the government established the NCSL to act as a major new partner in national education, it plays a key part of the modernisation of the teaching profession and has an important role to play in raising school standards.

National Grid for Learning (NGfL)- is the government's national focal point for learning on the Internet.

National Training Organisations (NTOs) -are the nationally recognised voice of employers in each sector. They work with government and partners to develop education and training to equip young people and employees with the skills and competence employers in every sector need to be at the cutting-edge of their industry.

Office for Standards in Education - OFSTED's remit is to improve standards of achievement and quality of education through regular independent inspection, public reporting and informed independent advice.

Opportunity Links - is a voluntary organisation that provides information, via the internet, to those who have a need to find out about jobs, training and childcare facilities in Cambridgeshire.

Parents At Work - helps children, working parents and their employers find a better balance between responsibilities at home and work.

Road Safety Education in Schools - It is recommended that the guidelines should be adopted by local authorities and that Road Safety Officers should co-ordinate the other involved agencies to develop in-service training (INSET). The schools guidelines are intended for distribution through INSET rather than to schools directly or unsolicited.

School Governors' site (DFEE)

School Grounds UK - LTL's mission is one that sees children and young people throughout the UK enjoying the many unique opportunities and experiences which well designed, managed and used school grounds can provide.

Social Sciences Gateway (SOSIG) - can help you locate high quality sites on the Internet, which are relevant to social science education and research.

Skills and Enterprise Network (DfEE) - The Skills And Enterprise Network is one of the Department for Education and Skills' main channels for improving the flow of up-to-date and relevant information to decision makers in training, education and enterprise.

TeacherNet - DfEE's gateway to the world of education online. They aim to provide easy access to the full range of government information and services that are relevant to you as a teacher.

The Standards site (DfEE) -Government Internet site disseminating practical guidance and examples of good practice in schools in England to help raise standards, particularly in literacy and numeracy.

Virtual Teacher Centre - The current prototype contains a wide range of materials to support teachers and school managers. In the coming months the range and quality of these resources will be expanded to help raise standards.

Virtual Teacher Centre (Scotland)

Virtual Teacher Centre (Wales) - The site is available in either Welsh or English language.

Teacher Training Agency - The purpose of the TTA is to raise standards in schools by improving the quality of teacher training, teaching and school leadership, and by raising the status and esteem of the teaching profession.

TeacherNet -A national web-based resource for teachers (Independent teachers' organisation)

Good Practice: Making it happen (Scotland) - The Quality Initiative in Scottish Schools (QISS) promotes school self-evaluation, in particular, through the publication How good is our school?

Links between How good is our school? And the EFQM Excellence model

A Route to Equality and Fairness - Self evaluation using performance indicators

Advice for schools and education authorities on school-based standards and quality reports

Making it happen using performance indicators

Raising Quality and Achievement - This site helps colleges improve quality standards and students' achievements

Special Education Needs - provides a wide range of advice and materials for teachers, parents and others interested in or working with children with special educational needs.

University for Industry (DFEE) - will be a new kind of public-private partnership which will boost the competitiveness of business and the employability of individuals. Working with businesses, education and training providers, and other organisations, it will use modern technologies to make learning available at a time and place to suit the learner - at home, in the workplace and through a national network of learning centres.

Creating a Work-Life Balance - a good practice guide for employers offering advice on how to set up policies and working practices, which enable their employees to achieve a better work-life balance. The guide features nine detailed case studies from a range of organisations of various sizes, all of which have enjoyed significant business benefits from introducing flexible working practices in their organisation.

Environment,Transport and Regions

Best Practice in Street Works and Highway Works (DETR)

Construction Best Practice Programme (DETR) - The Programme aims to provide advice and assistance to construction industry organisations to improve their performance and competitiveness.

Energy, Environment and Waste - (DETR) - The Energy Environment and Waste Directorate (EEWD) provides a range of free, independent and authoritative advice on energy efficiency, good environmental practice, and sustainable development.

Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme - The Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme (EEBPP) is a UK Government programme designed to help organisations cut their energy bills by 10 - 20%.  It provides independent, authoritative advice and assistance to UK private and public sector organisations.

Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme - Buildings (BRECSU)

Environment Agency of England and Wales

Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) functions to protect the land, the air, the water, the core elements forming the very fabric of our environment. It will do so in partnership with others and in a way which enables Scotland to sustain a strong and diverse economy.

European Environment Agency - was launched by the European Union (EU) in 1993 with a mandate to orchestrate, cross-check and put to strategic use information of relevance to the protection and improvement of Europe’s environment. 

English Partnerships - England’s regeneration and development agency, we help to create quality places to live and work. To achieve maximum benefit from our work, we operate in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations - in particular the new Regional Development Agencies (RDAs)

Envirowise - provides UK companies with free advice and guidance to help improve profits by minimising waste and using cost-effective cleaner technologies. Throughout UK industry and commerce there are significant savings for the taking. Envirowise produces audited case studies of a wide range of companies which have already reduced wastes and saved money - use these to help you!

Envirosearch - A guide to environmental information on the Internet.

'Five Vital Lessons: Successful Partnership with Business' (DfES) - a guide aimed at public agencies wishing to engage better relationships and partnerships with the private sector. Including case studies and tools for improving partnership performance. 

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health - is an entirely independent organisation representing the interests of the environmental health profession. It offers a range of professional, educational and membership services, as well as training courses, events and publications.

Institute of Environmental Management - The Institute is the leading UK membership organisation dedicated to professional development of individuals involved in Environmental Management, whether they be in business, government, consultancy or the regulators.

Scotland Homes  - HomePoint have published the national standards and good practice manual which presents standards for service delivery of housing information and advice. The manual includes a guide to good practice. Training modules related to these standards are currently being developed.

HouseMark - is the only Internet based knowledge management and performance improvement service for the housing sector. A joint initiative by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Arthur Andersen, the HouseMark service  includes the fastest growing benchmarking club in the UK which numbers around 250 subscribers.

Housing Quality Network - On behalf of its local authority and registered social landlord members, the Housing Quality Network examines and evaluates measures that can lead to improvements to the performance, quality and value of housing services.

Housing Corporation   - a public body supporting social housing in England by working with Registered Social Landlords and others to provide good homes for those in housing need.

Housing Corporation - Innovation & Good Practice and Research Database

Housing - Developing Good Practice in Tenant Participation - This guide is intended to help service providers and service users develop a strategy for working together so they can respond creatively and imaginatively to this agenda. Its aim is to help landlords develop an overall framework for partnership with their tenants, which can be supplemented by specific arrangements for Best Value, local Compacts or regeneration partnerships.

The Library and Information Commission (LIC) LIC was set up in 1995, by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is a national source of expertise, advising Government on all issues relating to the library and information sector

National Land Information Service (NLIS) - initiative being proposed to provide national information on land and property. Its potential is far reaching and likely to involve many different data sources, both public and private. It will involve a wide user community using many diverse applications.

Regen.net - has been developed by the Planning Exchange for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.  It offers a gateway to sources of information on regeneration and a means of sharing experience and good practice.

Regeneration (DETR) - provides information on regeneration in England and the Government's regeneration policies, publications and research.

Sustainable Regeneration (DETR)- good practice guide.

Road Safety in Schools  - good practice guidelines

Planning for Sustainable Development (DETR)

Health

British Medical Journal - a general medical journal which contains the full text of all articles published in the weekly BMJ from January 1994 as well as material which is unique to the website.

Carer's website - government website giving support and information to carers, linking them to other sources of advice and help.

Cochrane Collaboration- material relating to the preparing, maintaining and disseminating of systemic reviews of the effects of health care.

Community Care- website from the magazine Community Care with examples of best practice in the social care sector.

Doctor's Guide - a complete guide offering all the latest medical news, webcasts and cases

Drug Prevention Information Service - pilot drug prevention and information service.

Electronic Patient Records (EPR) Web - This site is provided as a resource to facilitate sharing of knowledge and experience, it does not necessarily represent the views of the NHS Executive.

Effective Health Care - NHS website showing ways of disseminating best practice.

Health Education Authority (England)

Health Education Board for Scotland

HealthLinks Net - acts as a command centre for healthcare on the Internet, offering services to facilitate healthcare professionals communicating directly with each other.

Health Promotion Wales

ImpAct - from the 'Bandolier' stable, ImpAct focuses on ways of raising standards and improving the delivery of services to patients. ImpAct is about 'good practice' - and about Implementing change and Action to get there.

The Kings Fund - is an independent charity which aims to improve the health and health care of Londoners. They undertake health policy research and analysis, promote good practice in health and social care, support leadership development and offer grants to London projects.

Good Practice in NHS/Academic Links - A report by the Joint Medical Advisory Committee to the UK higher education funding bodies, Health Services Management Unit, University of Manchester. In 1998 the funding bodies for higher education in the UK commissioned a study of good practice in NHS/university relationships.

Involving Patients (Department of Health) - The overall aim of the document is to promote awareness and to stimulate thinking about appropriate ways to involve patients. The document also provides information and contact names for primary health care teams who are considering how they might involve patients in more systematic ways.

Health on the Net - An international initiative, Health On the Net Foundation (HON) is a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. HON is dedicated to realising the benefits of the Internet and related technologies infields of health and medicine. The purpose of the Foundation is to advance the development and application of new information technologies, notably in the fields of health and medicine.

Department of Health guidance for Business on Regulations

A Template: Industry Guides to Good Hygiene Practice (DOH) - This document gives advice to the food industry on the preparation and development of UK voluntary Industry Guides to compliance with the Food Hygiene Directive and the Regulations implementing the Directive in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Industry Guides to Good Hygiene practices (DoH)    

Baking
Catering
Retail                   

Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence (ISDD) - provides objective, accurate and current information on all aspects of drug misuse for professionals, policy makers and researchers. The site also provides a list of links to drug-related sites.

London Modernisation Board (NHS) - provides a single quick and effective access point to a wide range of innovative practice, local solutions and good advice from across the health and social care community in London.

Medline - the biggest medical database in the world, set up by the National Library of Medicine (USA)

National Electronic Library for Health - In 1998 Information for Health, the Information Strategy of the Department of Health, announced the setting up of a National Electronic Library for Health (NeLH) to provide easy access to best current knowledge; and to help improve health and healthcare, clinical practice, and patient choice.

NHS Beacon Services - Information on services beacons in the NHS provide

NHS Beacons - A best practice programme that offers you new opportunities to learn, share and harness ways to modernise your service.

NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination - Promoting the use of research-based knowledge in health care.

The NHS Confederation - One-stop shop for health information.

NHS Direct - NHS Direct is a new 24 hour nurse led telephone advice and information service and is part of the National Health Service. By calling NHS Direct you and your family have round the clock access to information and advice about health, illness and health services.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) - Working with clinical bodies, NICE will systematically appraise health interventions before they are introduced in the Health Service. It will offer clinicians clear guidelines on which treatments work best for patients, and which do not. This will support doctors, nurses, midwives and other health professionals—those who make the complex decisions about the treatment of individual patients.

National Institute for Social Work (NISW) - works throughout the UK, in partnership with users and carers and with organisations that share our visions and values, to promote the social inclusion of service users and carers, to support a skilled and knowledgeable workforce, and to encourage and assist partnership between social care and allied disciplines.

National Library of Medicine (USA) - contains Medline - the biggest medical database in the world.

North Thames - Networking Information for Healthcare - aim to deliver networked access to the knowledge base of healthcare across North Thames.

OMNI : Offers free access to a searchable catalogue of Internet sites covering health and medicine.

Our Healthier Nation Database -  This area of the website is dedicated to developing/exploring the issues of evidence and practice. These issues are controversial but crucial to those seeking to implement the OHN health strategy and achieve the twin aims of improving health and tackling health inequalities.

Patient UK - aim to help non-medical people find information about health issues primarily from UK sources. Health professionals may also find the information useful.

Priory : an extensive library of different medical journals, ranging from Psychiatry to Veterinary, all available online.

Quality Protects - is an initiative run by the Department of Health and its main aim is to ensure effective protection, better quality care and improved life chances for children.  Their site offers access to key documents, newsletters, circulars as well as a good practice database. 

Royal College of Nursing - recognising that nurses deliver 80 per cent of patient care and are closer to patients than any other health professional, RCN works in partnership with patients to improve standards of patient care.

Scottish Health on the Web (SHOW) is sponsored by the Management Executive of the NHS in Scotland, and provides cost effective, readily available health service information to both clinicians and the public.

Sharing Decisions with Patients- article from the January issue of BMJ about  information they recieve from patients.

Teenagers health information website - has up to date information on a wide variety of health topics including drugs, alcohol and mental health. Mind, Body & Soul links to at least 100 other health websites and gives details about a wide range of medical conditions including acne, ME, diabetes, asthma and anaphylaxis.

Growth House Inc.- web site is an international gateway to resources for life-threatening illness and end-of-life care.

World Health Organisation (WHO) - WHO promotes technical co-operation for health among nations, carries out programmes to   control and eradicate disease and strives to improve the quality of human life.

Information Technology

Ability Net - advice about computer technology for people with disabilities.

'Bobby' - 'Bobby' is a web-based tool that analyses web pages for their accessibility to people with disabilities. 

Centre for Applied Special Technology (CAST) offers 'Bobby' as a free public service in order to further its mission to expand opportunities for people with disabilities through the innovative uses of computer technology.

Direct Access to Government - Information about Government Regulations. It also gives you many of the forms commonly needed by business.

Information Society Initiative (ISI) (DTI) aims to encourage businesses to take full advantage of the explosion of new ways to access, use and send information.

Prisma (Providing Innovative Service Models and Assessment): this research project aims to provide a systematic analysis and synthesis of the current and future impacts of new information and communication technologies on government services in Europe.

The Library and Information Commission (LIC) LIC was set up in 1995, by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is a national source of expertise, advising Government on all issues relating to the library and information sector

SOCITM - (Society of Information Technology Management) - The  primary objective of the Society is to promote the effective and efficient use of Information Technology in local government and the public sector.

Web Accessibility Initiative - Information about accessibility for anyone involved in producing web pages.

International

National League of Cities- The National League of Cities official website consists of 49 leagues and a total of 18,000 cities and towns from the state municipal leagues and aims to promote better links and shared knowledge.

National Performance Review (USA) - NPR is the US Government agency responsible for taking forward the Vice President's drive to re-invent government in the US so that it works better, costs less, and gets results Americans care about.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development -  (OECD) - an organisation that provides governments a setting in which to discuss, develop and perfect economic and social policy.

Performance and Planning Exchange (PPX): this is a Canada-based international centre of excellence for learning, sharing and developing expertise in performance and planning - including its measurement, implementation, public reporting and management.

United Nations Centre for Human Settlements - A searchable database demonstrating the practical ways in which communities, governments and the private sector are working together to eradicate poverty, provide shelter, protect the environment and support economic development.

Joined-up working

Better Government for Older people - national Government-led programme which aims to improve public services for older people by better meeting their needs, listening to their views, and encouraging and recognising their contribution.

Invest To Save Budget - ISB is a joint venture between Treasury and Cabinet Office. It is about oiling the wheels of partnership.  It provides funds to encourage two or more public bodies to jointly reconfigure elements of their work or to initiate new processes to provide innovative, or streamlined, or simply better modes of service.

National Children's Bureau - The site contains information good practice among children's service providers in education, health and social work.

Organisations Working Together- Order a copy or view on web a copy of this useful book by Alter C & Hage J

Public Audit Forum - The four national audit agencies have established the Public Audit Forum to provide a focus for developmental thinking in relation to public audit. 

UK Foresight Programme - The purpose of Foresight is to develop visions of the future - looking at possible future needs, opportunities and threats and deciding what should be done now to make sure that we are ready for these challenges; build bridges between business, science and government, bringing together the knowledge and expertise of many people across all areas and activities; in order to increase national wealth and quality of life.

University for Industry (DFEE)- The University for Industry will be a new kind of public-private partnership which will boost the competitiveness of business and the employability of individuals. Working with businesses, education and training providers, and other organisations, it will use modern technologies to make learning available at a time and place to suit the learner - at home, in the workplace and through a national network of learning centres.

Wiring It Up- A report by the Performance and Innovation Unit into how the Government could deal better with cross-cutting issues 

Justice

National Operations Faculty - The NOF is a partnership between the Association of Chief Police Officers and National Police Training. It directly supports those involved in day-to-day policing and offers operational guidelines, examples of good practice and personal contacts with others who have recently been involved in the management of similar situations. 

Policing and Reducing Crime Unit (Home Office) - PRCU publishes work within the Police Research Series,  Crime Detection & Prevention Series (CDPS), and the Crime Prevention Unit  papers as well as other ad hoc publications.

Youth Justice Board - responsible for identifying and spreading good practice in the Youth Justice System, including commissioning research and providing grants for developing best practice. 

Local Government

Association for Direct Labour Organisations (ADLO) - is an important information source for keeping its member authorities informed of developments in best value, best practice and innovations in direct service delivery. It also monitors private sector competition. Through our regular journal Direct News, advice is given on competition developments and direct service issues

Audit Commission - various good practice information for local government.

The Beacon Council Scheme- information on the DETR's beacon scheme.

Best Value - providing information on all policy aspects of Best Value in England as well as the Government's best value publications and research. The objective of this site is to promote best value, to help best value authorities keep up to date, to learn from best practice and encourage closer engagement between local authorities and the people they serve.

Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)

Community Safety (Northern Ireland)  - Community Safety Centre identifies community safety projects and shares that experience through a Directory of existing community safety projects in Northern Ireland.

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) - exists to promote and protect the interests of councils in Scotland by providing a forum for discussion of matters of common concern. COSLA ascertains the views of member councils and communicates these to central government, other bodies and the public. All councils in Scotland are members of COSLA.

EARL - The EARL Consortium of UK public libraries works to promote the role of public libraries in providing library and information services across the network. It offers support to library authority policy-makers, and demonstrates prototype networked services.

Employers' Organisation - supports local authorities and associated organisations in their capacity as employers and to promote high standards of employment practice and employee partnership to underpin high standards of service provision to local communities.

English Partnerships - England’s regeneration and development agency, we help to create quality places to live and work. To achieve maximum benefit from our work, we operate in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations - in particular the new Regional Development Agencies (RDAs).

FireNet - The concept of the FireNet site is to be a central resource for any Fire Service personnel wanting to research fire related subjects and to help businesses and the general public to gain information on Fire Safety.

European Local Government Database (ELGO) -is a unique information source for marketing to 56,000+ decision makers in local and regional government. ELGO now covers 14,079 authorities in 27 countries including Central and Eastern Europe.

HouseMark - HouseMark is a knowledge management and benchmarking service provided by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Arthur Andersen. Its primary objective is to help housing organisations achieve continuous improvement in service delivery.

Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) - The Improvement and Development Agency for local government was formed, together with the Employers' Organisation, out of the reorganisation of the Local Government Management Board.

Institute of Personnel and Development - the Institute of Personnel and Development is the professional body for all those concerned with people management and development.

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) -  is an association of local governments dedicated to the prevention and solution of local, regional, and global environmental problems through local action.

Local Authority co-ordinating body on Food and Trading Standards (LACOTS) - The role of LACOTS is to encourage sensible and consistent enforcement of food and trading standards laws and promote best practice by local regulatory authorities.

Local Authority Regulatory Services - A guide to performance management in Local Authority Trading Standards and Environmental Health Enforcement Services

Local Government Association (LGAnet) - provides information on the major issues affecting local government, details of current LGA activities and policies, and provides enhanced distribution of LGA papers. Member authorities have access to a range of added value features in the 'members access' site.

Local Government Association (Wales - WLGA) - This site will include news about the WLGA, facilities to download major publications and details of the individual authorities with links to their own internet sites.

Local Government International Bureau - Functions as the European and international arm of the Local Government Association for England and Wales (LGA). It also represents the Association of Local Authorities in Northern Ireland.

Local Government Information Unit - An independent research and lobbying organisation dedicated to promoting local democracy. Our website brings together information on events, networks and publications produced by the Unit and its partners.

Local Government Management Network - The Network was launched at the annual conference of the Society of Local Government Chief Executives in April 1992. Its purpose is to address the changing needs of local government managers by helping them keep up to date with appropriate skills and knowledge, by raising the profile of management in local government, and by promoting high standards

Local Government Ombudsman - contains guidance on good practice in: complaints systems; good administrative practice; Council Housing Repairs etc.

New Local Government Network - the aim of the network is: to ensure that Best Value evolves from Whitehall policy into local action; to promote a more informed debate on proportional representation for local government;  to promote a vigorous debate about directly elected mayors; and to develop and support new thinking about the Modernising Government agenda.

Social Services Research Group - The network for research, information, planning, evaluation in social, housing & health services.

SOCITM - (Society of Information Technology Management) - The  primary objective of the Society is to promote the effective and efficient use of Information Technology in local government and the public sector.

Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE)  representative body for senior strategic managers working in local government.

Miscellaneous

Australian Family and Domestic Clearing House - provides a central point for the collection and dissemination of Australian domestic and family violence policy, practice and research. The Clearinghouse also provides information on international efforts to end these forms of violence.

Best Practice Club - The Best Practice Club is an international membership organisation. Its principal aim is to promote and develop organisational excellence.

British Official Publications Awareness Service - A database of new British Official Publications and an electronic mail alerting service for new British Official Publications in specific policy areas

Childcare Link - The Childcare Information Systems Development Project (CISDP) has been developed to support Welfare-To-Work initiatives and the National Childcare Strategy.

Compact - 'Getting it right together' - the code of good practice aimed at black and Minority ethnic (BME) voluntary and community organisations. This is a Home office publication that offers a framework of partnership between the government and the BME sector.

Daycare Trust - Daycare Trust is the national childcare charity which has been working since 1980 to promote high quality affordable childcare for all.

Direct Access to Government - Information about Government Regulations. It also gives you many of the forms commonly needed by business.

Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies 1999 Report -The Executive NDPB 1999 Report is the third annual report on the performance of larger executive NDPBs. The first Report in 1997 promised that future editions would develop in authority and significance in line with the Government’s priorities and this third Report builds further in the direction of developments made in the 1998 Report. This has resulted in an increased focus on performance of these bodies including more detailed and descriptive analysis on trends in overall performance and trends.

Interchange - Interchange is a Government initiative which promotes and encourages the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other sectors of the economy. All sectors of the economy are involved:

Modernising Government - Cabinet Office - A vision for transforming the way government works for people.

Next Steps Report 1998 - The 1998 Next Steps Report provides a commentary and database on the progress of 136 out of 138 executive agencies which were operating in the financial year 1997–98 and of HM Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue, which operate on Next Steps lines.

Next Steps Agencies Guidance on Annual Reports - This note provides guidance on the coverage and content of Agency annual reports. It responds to the introduction of resource accounting and to other recently emerging policy priorities. It has been prepared in consultation with the Treasury and supersedes their guidance issued in 1993 at the point when Agencies move to preparing their accounts in accordance with the Resource Accounting Manual.

The Cabinet Office is not responsible for the contents or reliability of the linked web sites and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Listing should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. Although we regularly check the links, we cannot guarantee that they will work all of the time.