Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
The old joke that consultants borrow your watch and then charge you if you want to be told the time has finally come true. The UK Treasury has announced it will step in to provide the finance for £8bn worth of PFI (private finance initiative) deals this year, as other sources of finance dry up […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
A new NAO Report – Helping Government Learn – sets out to encourage better policies and practice for ‘organisational learning’ in government.
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
Are we about to enter a new era of public management? There are good reasons to think that this may be the case.
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
Whoever is in power at Westminster, public services are facing hard times over the next few years.
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
One thing that the current financial crisis ought to do is raise a serious debate amongst public policy makers about pay for performance – in the private and public sectors.
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
New NAO study reveals extent of carers contribution and DWPs failure to seek out those not claiming
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
One the NAO’s latest reports points to a small but significant area of inefficiency in Whitehall – recruitment:
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
This book looks at what makes ideas “stick” – why some ideas spread easily whilst others don’t. Being able to communicate effectively has become increasingly important for public managers in democratic states. “A medium-sized ‘butter’ popcorn at a typical neighborhood movie theatre contains more artery-clogging fat than a bacon-and-eggs breakfast, a Big Mac and fries […]
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
In December I appeared as a witness before two Select Committees in the Westminster parliament: the Treasury Committee (TSC) which was responding to the government’s Pre-Budget Report; and the Public Administration Committee (PASC) which was investigating what standards of ‘good government’ might look like.
By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted:
The influential new book “Nudge” (Thaler and Sunstein 2008) comes from the emerging field of behavioral economics, which investigates the non-rational ways in which people make decisions.