About research and campaigns
APSE carries out independent research for other organisations as well as researching and writing publications for use by local authorities.
The Ensuring Council; governance neighbourhoods and service delivery
APSE’s latest research report 'The Ensuring Council; governance neighbourhoods and service delivery' draws upon the concept of an ‘ensuring council’ as being one that is able to balance macro imperatives against micro dynamics that exist in local neighbourhoods. The report explores the paradoxes and trade-offs that local authorities need to address and in difficult times - balancing the tensions between local engagement and strategic need.
Neighbourhood working helps achieve better citizen engagement and community empowerment and can deliver on things that really matter to local residents, such as refuse collection, street cleansing and tackling anti-social behaviour. However as the report explains in detail this must be carefully balanced with both national and council-wide priorities. The need for strategic approaches has become more urgent in light of the pressing demands of combating climate change, achieving efficiencies and supporting the local economy but an ‘ensuring council’ can balance tensions between neighbourhoods and strategic priorities.
Click here to read the full APSE press release and here to order a copy of the ensuring council . £20 for APSE members and £40 for non members
An elected member guide to performance management
'An elected member guide to performance management’ forms the latest APSE research guide. This new pamphlet provides a no jargon approach to issues of performance management and includes useful reference charts setting out key stages when reviewing services and how they have performed in a handy A5 size format. Click here to download order the form.
Insourcing: A guide to bringing local authority services back in-house
APSE’s latest research ‘Insourcing: A guide to bringing local authority services back in-house’ explores the growing trend of local authorities insourcing services that have previously been outsourced. Looking at the pragmatic reasons that councils have taken to return services to in-house provision this publication looks at a number of issues. It demonstrates the benefits that can be achieved from insourcing. These include: better performance; increased public satisfaction; greater value for money; efficiency savings; responding positively to changing policies and challenges; joining up services coherently at neighbourhood level; helping meet strategic goals, such as tackling climate change; and boosting local employment and economic development. To purchase a copy download the order form here. APSE members £20.00 + VAT and non members £40.00 +VAT
Creating resilient local economies: exploring the economic footprint of public services’
APSE has recently launched a new piece of very timely research, coming as it does when many local councils are doing all they can to protect local jobs and services and support local businesses. Our research has received extensive media coverage in the local government press including The MJ, Public Servant and others. A recent article in Public Servant said:
“APSE research ‘Creating resilient local economies: exploring the economic footprint of public services’ provides a useful insight into spending by local councils..... A buoyant public sector can help to provide much needed customer stability within turbulent times, supporting local businesses, particularly small to medium enterprises.”
APSE member authorities are able to order copies of this new publication at the special APSE member rate of £20.00. To order please download the order form here or email your name, address and invoicing details to Wai Lee.
APSE’s umbrella campaign in Local Services: Local Solutions
We have produced our opening pamphlet on 'What's the * * * * * * * council ever done for me?' can be downloaded free of charge by clicking here.
APSE has also produced a range of publications over the past twelve months about cutting edge issues in local government. These research publications have been produced by our research partnership which includes APSE, INLOGOV ( the Institute for Local Government studies at Birmingham University) and CLES (Centre for Local Economic Strategies). Our research publications include:
- ‘Towards a future for public employment’ which explores the critical role of public employment in a transforming public sector
- ‘Governance, neighbourhoods and service delivery’ which explores the concept of neighbourhoods as a panacea in the current policy context of public service transformation
- ‘Creating resilient local economies: exploring the economic footprint of public services’ which looks at how council spending and employment of local people can help provide a beneficial economic return to the local economy.
You can order the research publications which are heavily discounted for member authorities by downloading an order form here or by emailing enquiries@apse.org.uk.
For details on bulk purchases ( 10 or more copies) for management groups or trade unions please email Mo Baines on mbaines@apse.org.uk
If you are interested in commissioning research from APSE please email mbaines@apse.org.uk. APSE and CLES are also able to offer a new service to local authorities looking at how they are able to explore the economic footprint of the local authority within their own area, using the methodology adopted within our research publication on ‘Creating resilient local economies’. For details of this new service please email Mark Bramah on mbramah@apse.org.uk