The Local Democracy Research Centre at LGIU has lots and lots in store for 2023. We are working with partners on a host of projects that will generate new ideas to solve the most pressing problems facing local government.
We’re excited to build on our successes in 2022, including our recently published climate action best practice case studies, our Devometrics research on measuring decentralisation with University of Kent, and our look at local government leadership on health systems. We’d love to work with you on our upcoming programme, to reflect your views, feature your council’s work and shape our questions around your priorities. So please get in touch to find.
Firstly, we are looking at finance. Our comparative investigation of local government funding in other countries will report soon, with reports covering Italy, Germany and Japan that will tease out lessons and insights for the UK. The research, led by University of Northumbria, will help us to push forward the debate about devolution and decentralisation on behalf of our members and propose alternative strategies to empower local government. We are also due to launch our local government finance survey again very soon.
Next, keep your eyes peeled for our upcoming report on the challenges of maintaining community support for local net zero action, with Browne Jacobson, which we are launching soon.
We are also working with the Centre for Local Economic Strategies to develop a toolkit for councils to build inclusive economies. This project will identify opportunities for supporting local economic development that meets the needs of residents.
Finally, in response to the proposed centralisation of social care services in Scotland we are working with experts at the Birmingham University’s Health Services Management Centre to investigate what the impact will be for local authorities. Our research will help Scottish councils navigate this new landscape, but will also provide useful insights for English councils (and elsewhere) about capacity and funding. Read more about the start of this project and how you can get involved here.
What will the National Care Service mean for local government in Scotland?
There’s more in the pipeline, and we’d like our members to be actively involved in these projects, so please get in touch to find out more.
