College Building, Middlesex University,

The Burroughs, Hendon, London NW4 4BT

Seminar Workshop Series - Corporate Social Responsibility and Development”

This seminar workshop will explore the boundaries of CSR by looking at the relationship between CSR and Development in its widest sense, given the many recent policy discussions/calls for a contribution of the private sector towards “international development”. The linking of CSR to development goals is hugely significant, in that firms are not simply expected to act responsibly in their operations, but to play a role in public interventions such as the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.  To what extent can companies fulfil such roles? What areas should they focus on? What is the role of other actors?

Speakers include:

Thomas Dodds
Corporate Social Responsibility Team of the European Commission in Brussels

Peter Utting
Deputy Director, United Nations Research Institute for Social Development in Geneva

Edward Bickham
Group Head, External Relations, Anglo American plc

Beverly Hall
International Development Coordinator, trade union Prospect

The seminar workshop series is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

The organisers include:
Professor George Frynas (Middlesex University), Prof. Michael Blowfield (University of Cambridge and University of Oxford), Prof. Rhys Jenkins and Prof. Peter Newell University of East Anglia, David Fig University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa and consultancy firm Article 13/Wheelhouse.

If you would like to attend, please email the registration form to Denise Arden d.arden@mdx.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8411 4975, to reserve a place.

Productivity
Productivity growth falls

Whole economy productivity and unit wage costs, Annual growth

In the first quarter of 2008, whole economy productivity growth (measured by output per worker) was 0.6 per cent compared with the same quarter a year ago, down from a growth of 1.6 per cent in the previous quarter. The fall in annual productivity growth was due to a decrease in the growth rate of output and an increase in the growth rate of whole economy workers.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, productivity decreased by 0.1 per cent in the first quarter, down from a flat movement in the previous quarter.

The alternative measure of productivity, output per hour worked, showed that whole economy hourly productivity grew by 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 compared with the same quarter a year ago, down from 2.1 per cent in the previous quarter.

In the first quarter of 2008, manufacturing productivity, on an output per job basis, was 2.6 per cent higher than the same quarter of 2007, up from a growth of 2.1 per cent in the previous quarter. This increase in the growth rate of quarterly productivity was due to an increase in the growth rate of manufacturing output, partially offset by a decrease in the contraction rate of manufacturing jobs.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, manufacturing productivity increased by 1.0 per cent in the first quarter of 2008, compared with the previous quarter, up from a growth of 0.3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2007. This increase in the growth rate of quarterly productivity was due to an increase in manufacturing output growth and an increase in the quarter-on-quarter contraction rate of manufacturing jobs.

Whole economy unit wage costs in the first quarter of 2008 were 2.6 per cent higher than the same quarter a year earlier, up from an increase of 2.1 per cent in the previous quarter. This is due to a decrease in the growth rate of output per worker.

Overall manufacturing unit wage costs in the first quarter of 2008 grew by 1.2 per cent compared with the same quarter a year earlier, the same as in the previous quarter.

But will the United States’ run continue? In 1989, Japan seemed firmly in the number one position with the US in third. By 1994, however, the US took over leadership, a position it has held ever since. The downfall of Japan in competitiveness bears some similarities with the present situation. Will the US follow the same path?

THE TOP 20 IN 2008 (OUT OF 55)					20 YEARS AGO IN 1989!
Score 2008	Country	Rank 2008	Rank 2007		OECD Countries	Rank 1989	Score 1989
100.0	USA	1	1		Japan	1	100.0
99.3	Singapore	2	2		Switzerland	2	98.5
95.0	Hong Kong	3	3		USA	3	92.7
89.7	Switzerland	4	6		Canada	4	87.3
84.4	Luxembourg	5	4		Germany (FRG)	5	85.0
83.9	Denmark	6	5		Finland	6	81.5
83.5	Australia	7	12		Netherlands	7	81.2
82.9	Canada	8	10		Sweden	8	80.5
82.5	Sweden	9	9		Norway	9	79.2
80.5	Netherlands	10	8		Australia	10	77.7
79.5	Norway	11	13		NON-OECD Countries	Rank 1989	Score 1989
77.6	Ireland	12	14
77.4	Taiwan	13	18		Singapore	1	100.0
75.0	Austria	14	11		Hong Kong	2	91.5
75.0	Finland	15	17		Taiwan	3	90.0
74.7	Germany	16	16		S. Korea	4	75.7
73.8	China Mainland	17	15		Malaysia	5	73.5
73.4	New Zealand	18	19		Thailand	6	63.9
73.2	Malaysia	19	23		India	7	55.3
72.4	Israel	20	21		Brazil	8	52.6

(NB: The Scores are actually indices - 0 to 100 - generated for the unique purpose of constructing charts and graphics)

The rankings for 2008 are not comparable to those of 1989 because nations were then split into industrialized and emerging economies.

There was insufficient time to test a new IT system which has proved “unstable” whhen it went live,the report by the National Audit Office said.

Transport department staff told the audit office that people were being recorded as sick when they were not and the information being recorded was “garbage”

THe head of the audit office, Tim Burr said “it is disappointing to see a programme which aimed to improve efficiency and effectiveness leaving it - on current projections- some £80million worse off”.

The DIT had said that the programme would cost £55million and achieve gross savings of £112million.

However the audit office said the programme is forcast to cost £120million against the gross savings identified of “40million over its lifetime to March 2015.

A 12 month efficiency  drive with reviews into different areas of Government spending headed by senior private sector figures has been outlined by. Yvette Cooper, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury  who said.  “We need continual improvements to make sure the taxpayer is getting the best possible value for money. Public Sector efficiency has improved significantly in recent years, but we need to keep doing more”

The four areas identified for cost-cutting are:-

• Buying in bulk by government departments.
• Using government property more efficiently.
• Changing the management of government asserts, possibly through greater private sector involvement.
• Merging back office and IT functions

Dr. Joseph M. Juran, an American industrial engineer and philanthropist, has died from a stroke on February 28 at the age of 103.

He was born on December 24, 1904 in Braila, Romania. In 1924, with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Minnesota (he would later earn a law degree), Juran joined Western Electric at the Hawthorne Works. His first job was in the inspection branch.

Juran was promoted to a managerial position in 1928, and the following year became a division chief. He would publish his first quality related article in Mechanical Engineering in 1935. In 1937 he moved to Western Electric/AT&T’s headquarters in New York City.

After World War II, Japan was experiencing a crisis in mass manufactured product quality. Japanese goods were thought to be inexpensive, however, easily broken and in general poor quality. The Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE) recognized these issues and invited Juran to Japan in 1954.

Juran is survived by his wife Sadie Shapiro, 3 sons and 1 daughter.

Article Dated: 12 Mar 2008

Reacting to the Chancellor’s Budget speech, Richard Lambert, director-general of the CBI, said:

“The Chancellor didn’t set the Thames alight, but then he didn’t have anything to set it alight with.

“On the surface there are no nasty surprises, but his growth assumptions are optimistic and leave him with no room for manoeuvre should things take a turn for the worse.

“Borrowing also looks set to rise by a further £20 billion over the next four years, which is a cause for concern. And by 2010/11, the impact of this Budget will be to raise total tax take by nearly £1.9 billion.

“The government has much to do if it is to win back its enterprise credentials, but the measures announced today are a credible first step on the road. Although the anger over capital gains tax is still simmering, entrepreneurs and smaller businesses will recognise that the government has made an attempt to listen.

“For business, although there may have been no further big shocks in today’s speech, we mustn’t lose sight of the whole raft of tax rises announced in the previous Budget and the Pre-Budget Report. These are scheduled to kick in from April, putting a further squeeze on firms at this already turbulent economic time.

On tax complexity, Mr Lambert said:
“107 new technical tax proposals don’t support the Chancellor’s claims to be moving towards a simpler tax system.”

Non-doms
“The Chancellor has made some worthwhile changes to core aspects of the non-doms proposals, notably leaving alone gains and income from assets in trusts kept offshore, and pledging to avoid double taxation issues. All this will soften the impact. However damage has been done to the UK’s reputation for tax stability and as a country which actively wants to attract talent and capital.

“When the legislation is finalised over the coming weeks it must be crystal clear, especially in relation to double taxation, in order to rebuild confidence in the system. This is particularly important if the welcome assurance that the regime will not be changed for several years is to have its desired effect of delivering certainty. Then it will be a case of waiting and seeing what the fall-out of the whole process and final proposals will be.”

Enterprise white paper
“The decision to delay income-shifting legislation is welcome. As drafted it would have been a tax raid on family-run businesses and would have placed an intolerable burden on the wider SME community.

“The promised radical measures to cap Whitehall departments’ ability to impose new regulations is greatly welcome. However to date this government’s delivery has fallen short of its regulatory promises so this pledge needs to be followed through in practice.

“We welcome improved access to finance, with the removal of the five year trading restriction in the Small Firms Loan Guarantee and the injection of new capital for the current year.

“Small businesses will be encouraged by the measures to improve access to public procurement contracts. We also welcome the uplift in thresholds for the Enterprise Investment Scheme which should encourage more investment in growth companies.”

Postponement of the 2p fuel duty increase
“The decision to delay the 2p increase will be a welcome relief to hard-pressed hauliers, businesses and other motorists, particularly since oil has leapt from $60 a barrel when the increase was announced to $104 today. The further half a pence rise from 2010 needs to be kept under review.
“In the longer term the government needs to level out the playing field for UK hauliers to compete with their foreign counterparts who enjoy far cheaper fuel prices.”

Air Passenger Duty
“Air Passenger Duty is a very blunt instrument and is ineffective as a green tax - that is the reason government gave for its decision to consult on an alternative ‘per flight’ tax. Yet today’s announcement that tax revenue from the new duty will increase by 10% in the second full year of operation seems to confirm fears the government sees this as a revenue-raising exercise, rather than as a genuine attempt to change behaviour.”

Green taxes on new cars
“While we welcome the broad approach, the pace and scale of the proposed new car taxes will present a sting in the tale for some manufacturers. The fact that this move will raise £735m will not build confidence in the government’s green measures - we need carrots as well as sticks to change behaviour.”

Zero carbon buildings
“The target that all new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon by 2019 is the right sort of ambition - the CBI’s climate change task force highlighted buildings as major area of potential. Defining what constitutes zero carbon, and how we get there poses major challenges which need to be properly addressed in the consultation.”

Public service reform
“The Budget Report contains a welcome recognition of the importance of competition in delivering better quality public services and improving value for money. The Chancellor’s words on reform, like the prime minister’s earlier in the week, are a good sign but the government will be judged on its actions.

Promotion of science in schools
“Too many companies have serious problems recruiting individuals with science skills. Inspirational teachers are key to encouraging more young people to study science, while high quality careers advice is vital to show them that these subjects open doors to well-paid and interesting careers. So ‘Project Enthuse’ and a £6m campaign to promote science in school will be welcomed by business.”

Extra £60m funding for adult skills
“The expansion of ‘Train to Gain’ and the introduction of skills accounts should ensure public funding follows the needs of employers and employees more closely. The focus must be on developing the economically valuable skills the UK needs to compete – today’s announcement of additional funding for intermediate skills and adult apprenticeships is welcome, as employers’ skills needs are often at these higher levels.”

12 March 2008

Note:

The CBI is the UK’s leading business organisation, speaking for some 240,000 businesses that together employ around a third of the private sector workforce. The organisation is also the UK’s official business representative in the European Union, which generates more than 50 per cent of regulation affecting British firms. With offices across the UK as well as in Brussels, Washington and Beijing, the CBI coordinates British business representation around the world

Alf was born in New Zealand, his father was a fruit importer. From an early age Alf showed an interest in mining,and studied long and hard to achieve this ambition. He soon qualified as a mining engineer. His early years of employment took Alfred to South Africa, South America and Asia. On returning to the UK Alf settled in Kent where the family had a long tradition. He met his wife Betty whilst working at a coal mine in Kent. Betty worked in the administration office. They settled in Sandwich a place they both loved and have spent all their married life.

Alf’s work moved on from mining and he became involved with the motor car industry, working for British Leyland at their Longbridge production line in the Midlands. It was here he became involved in “Method Study” and “Work Measurement”. He gained a PHD, of which he was very proud, his thesis was on “Relaxation Allowances”. This interest motivated Alf to persuade the IMS council of management to consider holding an annual technical conference. This proved to be a great success, and so was born the Institute’s Summer School. It was held at St John’s College, Cambridge, and ran for 27 years. This was perhaps Alf’s legacy to the IMS. Many of you will no doubt have some anecdote about Alf from this wonderful event. My own personal one was, Alf, 65 at the time, wired up, carrying a rucksack on his back, walking on an inclined treadmill for ten minutes, trying to prove the properties of relaxation allowances.

Alf also had interests outside the IMS. He was an avid motor cycle enthusiast. He rode his “Honda Fireblade”(1000cc) regularly. He devised a contraption to fix onto his handlebar to carry the coin for the Dartford Toll Bridge so as to save time passing through the check point.

He once arrived at a meeting in Colchester, a “black tie” occassion, clad in a one piece leather riding suit along with a large helmet. The guests were assembled with their G&T’s etc when this figure burst through the door. He calmly stood in a corner, off with his leathers, revealing a smart suit,bow tie and buttonhole rose.(James Bond eat your heart out!)

Alf was a man of very strong principles and was an avid letter writer to Local Councils, Local MP’s. including the Houses of Parliament on matters affecting his community.

Alf was a lover of classical music, particularly choral music. He regularly attended his local church.

Alfred is survived by his wife Betty, and two sons and a daughter. They lost their first born son, and it was Alfreds wish that he be buried in the same grave.

 He will be greatly missed by all whose path he crossed.

Harry Downes.

GDP per Worker

Revised data for 2006 (based on the current purchasing power parity (PPP) approach) continues to show the UK’s productivity performance, on a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per worker basis, as lower than that of the US and France, similar to that of Canada, Germany and Italy, and above that of Japan.

UK productivity in 2006, as measured by GDP per worker, was behind that of the average of the other G7 countries. The USA continues to be the productivity leader with productivity 28 per cent above that of the UK. The productivity performance of Canada, Germany and Italy was the same as that of the UK. Differences of a few percentage points between the productivity estimates for individual countries should not be seen as significant and so the 2006 figures suggest that the UK has similar levels of productivity as that of Canada, Germany and Italy.

Revisions to the data covering the period 1990 to 2005 are also included in this release. The revisions to the G7 countries are larger in magnitude than normal and are mainly the result of revisions to PPP data, caused by the latest round of the OECD-Eurostat triennial benchmarking exercise, revisions to the US implicit GDP deflator and revisions undertaken by Eurostat.

Also published today are estimates of international comparisons of GDP per hour worked. As with GDP per worker, users are advised to allow a margin of error of a few percentage points when making comparisons across countries.

Revised data for 2006 shows that the ranking of countries, on a GDP per hour worked basis, is broadly unchanged. The UK is ahead of Japan, similar to Canada and Italy but behind Germany, the US and France.

Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Karen Dunnell, the National Statistician, said: “The article published today shows that there has been a steady increase in services to patients, but since 2001, the rise in output has not kept pace with the rise in spending, after allowing for inflation. We continue to work with health departments to improve the information which underlies this analysis, particularly on the impact of health care on patients.”
Change in publicly funded health care productivity is estimated by dividing change in the index of health care output (using available measures of quality change) by change in the index of health care inputs (taking account of pay and price changes). The main factors in the rise in output were:
• more patient treatments in hospital and community health services;
• an increase in GP and practice nurse consultations;
• a large increase in drugs prescribed by GPs; and
• a small rise in the quality of health care (based on short term survival, health gain, waiting times and patient experience) from when it is first measured in 2001;
The main factors underlying the (larger) increase in inputs used to deliver health care were:
• increases in the volume of labour, with especially high growth between 2000 and 2004, reflecting the NHS Plan; and

• high growth in the volume of goods and services, particularly in GP prescribed drugs, health care purchased from outside the NHS and other purchased goods and services.
The conclusion that productivity has fallen is broadly consistent with the recent King’s Fund report on NHS funding and performance, which presented evidence of rising unit costs. Sensitivity tests on estimated change in community health services and possible reduction in hours worked by health care staff show that alternative assumptions might reduce the estimated decline in productivity by up to 0.5 per cent a year. Death rates from diseases amenable to medical intervention have fallen considerably over the period, and may suggest that quality improvement might be greater than so far estimated. But none of these uncertainties are sufficiently great to alter the conclusion that productivity has fallen, particularly in the period 2001 to 2005.

1. The health care productivity article is available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/about/data/methodology/specific/PublicSector/output/health.asp

After a career in the  Navy. He joined ICL on Teeside, recruited by the head of the Work Study Department, Russel Curry, as a work study officer,  he rose through the management ranks, becoming commercial director in 1967. He became chairman of the petrochemical division in 1970 and joined the main board in 1973.

In his autobiography he acknowledged that in addition to the concept of work measurement there was also a much more interesting and exciting field of study for the Work Study Officer, which was called method study. This was and remained an extremely valuable management tool, the principles of which, he applied throughout his career.

In the third quarter of 2007, whole economy productivity growth (measured by output per worker) was 2.6 per cent compared with the same quarter a year ago, up from a growth of 2.5 per cent in the previous quarter. The increase in annual productivity growth was due to an increase in output.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, productivity increased by 0.4 per cent in the third quarter, down from a growth of 0.5 per cent in the previous quarter.

The alternative measure of productivity, output per hour worked, showed that whole economy hourly productivity grew by 2.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2007 compared with the same quarter a year ago, the same as in the previous quarter.

In the third quarter of 2007, manufacturing productivity, on an output per job basis was 2.8 per cent higher than the same quarter of 2006, down from a growth of 3.3 per cent the previous quarter. This decrease in the growth rate of quarterly productivity was due to a decrease in the growth rate of manufacturing output.

On a quarterly basis, manufacturing productivity increased by 0.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2007, compared with the previous quarter, down from a growth of 1.2 per cent in the second quarter. This decrease in the growth rate of quarterly productivity was due to a decrease in the growth rate of manufacturing output.

Whole economy unit wage costs in the third quarter of 2007 were 1.5 per cent higher than the same quarter a year earlier, up from an increase of 1.4 per cent in the previous quarter. This is due to an increase in the growth rate of average wages and salaries.

Overall manufacturing unit wage costs in the third quarter of 2007 grew by 0.3 per cent compared with the same quarter a year earlier, down from an increase of 0.4 per cent in the previous quarter.

source: Office of National Statistics.

Notes:

$ For people taking time off work.

• Definitions and data reliability
• See Table WDLGORSIG for tests of statistical significance.

Estimated days lost and days lost per worker due to workplace injuries include all those sustained as a result of a non-road traffic accident, not just reportable injuries resulting in over 3 days of absence from work.

For any given region, the sample numbers for illnesses and injuries may not sum to the total, as some cases took time off due to both illnesses and injuries.

• Updated 30.07.07
• © Copyright
• Disclaimer
• Accessibility

From April 2009, employers with 50 or more employees will have to send in-year employee starter and leaver information on forms P45(1), P45(3) and P46 online, along with similar pension information. And all employers - regardless of how many employees they have - will have to send this information online from April 2011.

“Doing it online means HMRC can process your information more quickly. This means more up-to-date employee records and tax codes, and so fewer queries for employers to handle.”

“Online filing is quick, secure and convenient. Employers can send us PAYE information such as P45 forms online, as well their Annual Returns. And employers with fewer than 50 employees will get £100 tax-free if they send their 2007-08 Return online. You can also find out more about filing online by visiting www.hmrc.gov.uk/inyear

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is offering small employers in South East England free help and advice on filing online. series of events will take place across the region in the coming months, ranging from demonstrations of HMRC’s online services to short presentations, at the following locations:

• HMRC, Charter House, St George’s Place, Canterbury CT1 1UG
  Tues 6th November 2007
  Weds 21st November 2007
• HMRC, Medvale House, Mote Road, Maidstone, ME15 6AE
  Fri. 2nd November 2007
• HMRC, Anchorage House, High St, Chatham, ME4 4QG
  Thurs 8th November 2007
  Mon 26th November 2007
• HMRC, Sapphire Plaza, Watlington St, Reading, RG1 4TE
  Fri. 9th November 2007
• HMRC, Crown House, 11 Regent Hill, Brighton, BN1 8LB
  Fri. 2nd November 2007
  Fri, 9th October 2007
• HMRC, Tower Court, Queensway, Horsham, RH13 5AT
  Mon 5th November 2007
  Fri 16th November 2007
• HMRC, Ocean House, London Road, St Leonards on Sea, TN37 6AD
  Tues. 27th November 2007

For further details of current or future events in your area, or to book a place, call 01227 865654. Places are limited, so please book early.

Issued by HM Revenue & Customs Press Office
Press enquiries only please contact:

Maria Finelli HMRC Press Officer for SE England
Tel: 07879 810087
E-mail: maria.finelli@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
Out of hours
Tel: 07860 359544

- working with national and local regulators to ensure they focus on the areas of greatest risk, and providing positive help to businesses seeking to comply with regulation;

- working on the European stage to achieve reduced regulation from the European Union. In March 2007, the European Commission and EU leaders from 27 countries committed to reducing administrative burdens resulting from EU law by 25% over the next five years.

The UK’s agenda on better regulation is widely regarded as being one of the most ambitious in the world. The World Bank ranks us 6th in the world and 1st in the EU for ease of doing business. The Government’s investment in better regulation is focused on keeping it that way.

The reviews will consider capability in the Civil Service in three key areas – leadership, strategy and delivery. Each review aims to identify where departments need to improve and will include key actions which will address these areas.

In addition to these two further reviews, the National School of Government’s Sunningdale Institute has been commissioned to undertake an Evaluation of the programme as a whole, exploring the process and impact and recommending how it might develop at the next stage.

The Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell said:

“We are well underway with the Capability Review programme now, and we remain determined to develop a world class Civil Service for the 21st century.

“We have already published the findings of 15 departments’ reviews. As well as recognising the areas where departments do well these reviews demonstrated where we need to improve. The departments are now implementing challenging plans to address these areas. The Cabinet Office will continue to review progress and provide support to help ensure departments are on track to deliver and I expect the Sunningdale Institute’s programme-wide evaluation to inform the future of Capability Reviews and the next phase of Civil Service reform”.

The review teams have been drawn from the private sector, the wider public sector and board-level members of other government departments.

HM Treasury’s Capability Review will take place after the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 and findings of both reviews announced today will be published this winter.

CAB/072/07

Of the 55 economies ranked by IMD, the USA still ranks No1 in 2007, closely followed by Singapore and Hong Kong.

However 40 economies are now increasing or maintaining thier competitiveness compared to the US - in other words “closing the gap”. Only 15 are losing ground.

China, Russia, India, the Slovak Republic, Estonia, Sweden, Austria, Australia, Denmark, Switzerland and Hong Kong have displayed a strong improvement in thier competitiveness performance in receny years. This does not imply that all of these nations are already at the top of the competitiveness league, However, they are catching up quickly. Such strong performances will obviously impact future rankings.

On the other hand, Indonesia. Italy, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, the Phillipines and France have tendeded to lose ground compared to the top league. Dispite some real and specific competitive advantage, these nations will sooner or later, lose thier standing in world competitiveness if they do not improve thier performance.

WCY 2007 Ranking
1 Long-term trends based on the evolution of overall competitiveness drawn from the IMD WCY database
Compound annual growth rate. 2006 rankings are in brackets.

1. Usa (1)
2. Singapore (3)
3. Hong Kong (2)
4. Luxembourg (9)
5. Denmark (5)
6. Switzerland (8)
7. Iceland (4)
8. Netherlands (15)
9. Sweden (14)
10. Canada (7)
11. Austria [13]
12. Australia (6)
13. Norway (12)
14. Ireland (11)
15. China Mainland [18]
16. Germany (25)
17. Finland (10)
18. Taiwan (17)
19. New Zealand (21)
20. United Kingdom (20)
21. Israel (24)
22. Estonia (19)
23. Malaysia (22)
24. Japan (16)
25. Belgium (26)
26. Chile (23)
27. India (27)
28. France (30)
29. Korea (32)
30. Spain (31)
31. Lithuania
32. Czech Republic (28)
33. Thailand (33)
34. Slovak Republic (34)
35. Hungary (35)
36. Greece (36)
37. Jordan (40)
38. Colombia (34)
39. Portugal (37)
40. Slovenia (39)
41. Bulgaria (41)
42. Italy (48)
43. Russia (46)
44. Romania [49]
45. Philippines (42)
46. Ukraine
47. Mexico (45)
48. Turkey (43)
49. Brazil (44)
50. South Africa (38)
51. Argentina (47]
52. Poland (50)
53. Croatia (51)
54. Indonesia (52]
55. Venezuela (53)

A government strategy to reduce bureaucracy for front line workers so that public services can work more efficiently without compromising on standards was published today by Cabinet Office Ministers Hilary Armstrong and Pat McFadden.

Announced at a breakfast discussion with frontline public sector workers, the plan sets out how the Government is going to reduce bureaucracy by:

1. Getting Whitehall departments to identify, for the first time, the bureaucracy burden on public services.
2. Identifying top 10 irritants in each field, publishing them in late 2007.
3. Reducing duplicate or unnecessary information requests by Departments which tie up people on the front line
4. Giving public sector workers a clear mechanism to challenge bureaucracy which doesn’t work.

Hilary Armstrong told her audience that as well as CLG pledging to cut Local Government targets from 800 to 200, a cut of 75 per cent, Ofsted have reduced the length and frequency of their inspections, while the Department for Health have already reduced the amount of data they collect by 28 per cent.

Frontline staff are urged to log on to the Cabinet Office better regulation portal at www.betterregulation.gov.uk to lodge their ideas for cutting bureaucracy in their day to day work. This will go hand in hand with managers and Departments working closely with staff to pick up their ideas; a process that began today in a breakfast workshop between Ministers and frontline staff in Whitehall.

The Ministers stressed that standards and targets have helped improve services, such as NHS waiting times, and will remain a key part of the Government’s public service reform efforts. Ministers also recognise the way information is collected needs to be rationalised to reduce form–filling and administration time.

What is efficiency?

Efficiency does not mean simply cutting expenditure. To explore this, it is worth considering the definition of efficiency and its component parts, inputs and outputs.

Efficiency is a measure of how well an organisation uses its inputs to produce its outputs.

Inputs incorporate all the resources used to produce goods or deliver services. These may be human and financial, as well as the use of assets e.g. office space.

Outputs are the goods produced or services provided by an organisation. Crucially, outputs should be measured for both quality and quantity. The quality of outputs is often harder to determine than their quantity. However, with the correct techniques, quality can be measured by considering factors such as the reliability, accuracy and timeliness of outputs.

When is an organisation more efficient?

At its simplest, an organisation can be more efficient if it produces:

• the same outputs from less resources
• better outputs from the same resources

Taking the example of a hospital, if the quality of care offered to patients remains the same despite a reduction in its budget, the hospital would have become more efficient. In the Government’s Efficiency Programme, such reforms are referred to as cashable efficiency gains as cash can be released to other areas of public services.

Alternatively, if the hospital’s waiting lists were reduced while using the same level of resources, all things being equal, the hospital could be considered more efficient. This type of reform is a non-cashable efficiency gain since no resources can be redeployed elsewhere.

Quarterly changes in Public Sector Employment, United Kingdom, Seasonally Adjusted

Public sector employment decreased by 10,000 (seasonally adjusted) in the first quarter of 2007 to 5.787 million.In central government employment decreased by 8,000 in the first quarter 2007 and in local government it increased by 2,000. In public corporations it fell by 4,000.The number of employees in the Civil Service decreased by 7,000. The largest decrease in the first quarter was in the public administration (5,000). The largest increase was in education (3,000).

Employment in the private sector was unchanged from the previous quarter. This compares with the decrease of 10,000 in the public sector. Compared with the same quarter the previous year, there was a decrease of 49,000* in public sector employment. This fall was mainly in the NHS (19,000*) and the Civil Service (17,000).

*Annual decrease partly reflects removal of 10,000 duplicate records in Q3 2006 following the publication of the latest NHS workforce statistics by The Information Centre. Please see background note 24 of the press release.

Sources: Office for National Statistics; Defence Analytical Services Agency, Ministry of Defence; Cabinet Office; Home Office, Local Government Authorities; NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre; National Assembly for Wales; Common Services Agency; Scottish Executive; Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.Notes:Data are presented on a headcount basis. Figures for the NHS and Police for June (Q2) 2006 to March (Q1) 2007 are partially based on projections and are therefore subject to revision.

Published on 13 June 2007 at 9:30 am

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