The aim of this White Paper is to give local people and communities more influence and power to improve their lives. It sets out the government's vision to create strong, prosperous communities and reshape public services around those who use them, through greater partnership working between local authorities and other agencies. The framework proposed to achieve this radically reduces national targets, introduces a streamlined inspection system, and places a duty on local authorities to give people a greater say over their lives and to cooperate with other statutory partners at a local level:

Responsive services and empowered communities

In order to identify priorities, meet needs and secure agreement, local authorities will need to involve and consult citizens, services users, local businesses and community groups more fully and provide better information about service standards in their area. A stronger legal framework will require local authorities to secure the participation of local citizens who will be able to demand answers from their local councilor through a new Community Call for Action.

Effective, accountable and responsive local government

Strengthened overview and scrutiny committees (OSC) will be able to call on local public service providers for evidence and demand a response to reports from the council.

Strong cities, strategic regions

Greater power and resources will be devolved to regional and local levels, which will require strong and accountable leadership.

Local government as a strategic leader and place-shaper

Local authorities and their partners will need to work together to prepare a delivery plan for the Sustainable Community Strategy, which sets the strategic vision for an area. This plan, the Local Area Agreement, should incorporate a single set of priorities and targets tailored to local needs. Delivery of local priorities will be the responsibility of partners in key local partnerships like the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, the children's trust and the new health and well-being partnerships. And, once agreed with Government, local partners will be required to have regard to these priorities for improvement.

A new performance framework

The White Paper sets out a radical simplification of the performance framework for those outcomes secured by local authorities working on their own or in partnership. There will be around 35 priorities for each area agreed with Government, tailored to local needs through the Local Area Agreement, plus statutory attainment and childcare targets. Instead of the many hundreds of indicators currently required by central government there will be a single set of about 200 outcome-based indicators covering important national priorities. This indicator set will include citizen satisfaction and perception measures; and citizens and communities everywhere will be able to examine performance against the indicators to know how well their local area is doing. PCTs and local authorities will be expected to report on progress against strategic outcomes in ways that enable local communities to understand and influence planning and commissioning decisions.

Efficiency - transforming local services

To help meet efficiency gains required as part of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, greater service collaboration will be encouraged between councils and across all public bodies. Greater use of business process improvement techniques and greater contestability through the use of fair and open competition will also be supported. Local authorities will be encouraged to move away from a narrowly defined approach to service delivery, towards a 'commissioning' role - being open to using the best possible ways of securing service outcomes.

Community Cohesion

The Government will work with local authorities facing particular community cohesion challenges and provide support fore areas facing difficulties, help share best practice, and support the establishment of forums on extremism in parts of the country where they are necessary.

For more information, visit:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/strongprosperous

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