It is ironic that a government that has striven to court business over the years has apparently missed one of the commercial sector's principal lessons always keep a sharp eye on the bottom line.
Poorly performing schools are being targeted by both the government and Opposition and failure is not an option. Conor Ryan examines the various solutions on offer
Public sector organisations around the world are endlessly number-crunching their performance targets. But to what purpose? Bernard Marr spells out the ABCs of good and bad practice
East Belfast MP Peter Robinson is to take over from Ian Paisley as Northern Ireland's first minister when Paisley retires in May. Robinson, Paisley's long-time deputy in the Democratic Unionist Party...
Last summer's floods were caused less by rivers bursting their banks and more by our inadequate drainage systems. The current system of myriad responsibilities and little liaison needs urgent reform
Public service targets often have adverse effects on the outcomes they are designed to improve. By contrast, a 'systems thinking' approach leads to faster and better services, as many councils have...
The two main parties are slugging it out for control of London on May 1, and both have everything to play for. A Boris Johnson win would show that the Tories are electable again, a Ken Livingstone...
Anti-nuclear campaigners have seized on a parliamentary report that highlights the parlous state of funding for nuclear decommissioning to attack the government's plans for nuclear expansion.
The Housing and Regeneration Bill has been amended to ensure that the new social housing regulator will have to consult the Charity Commission before it imposes compulsory standards on charities that...
The idea of 'lifetime homes' designed to meet the needs of older or disabled residents is fast catching on. But how about the costs to developers and first-time buyers? Neil Merrick investigates
Around 6,000 civil servants at all levels this week heard Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell outline a renewed drive for Whitehall reform and a skills strategy for department staff.
A green neighbourhoods initiative launched by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has been criticised as a 'piecemeal' attempt to tackle climate change from a department with little clout.
Despite the billions of pounds spent on low-income neighbourhoods, inequality continues to rise, according to a report by the New Economics Foundation.
Many large councils will soon be involved in carbon trading schemes as part of efforts to combat climate change. But they will need to raise awareness and improve communications if the initiative is...
The legal framework for flood risk management is 'a mess', with gaps that make it hard to establish who is responsible for what, Sir Michael Pitt, who is carrying out a review of last summer's floods...
Town hall leaders have hit back angrily after ministers pledged this week to 'bust red tape' and 'weed out bureaucracy' to speed up the sluggish planning regime.
People living in the most deprived areas of the country are 'acutely disadvantaged by the problems and frustrations of everyday life', according to research.
Two-thirds of government departments are unlikely to meet the target of reducing carbon emissions from offices by 12.5% by 2010, according to a report by the Sustainable Development Commission.
Over the next two years, nine new English unitary authorities will be created out of 44 existing district and county councils. Paul O'Brien discusses how to take the pain out of the process
