This paper situates Canadian local governance practices within a review of international perspectives on the meaning and evaluation of governance quality. The author finds that Canadian authorities have construed local good governance largely in utilitarian terms, as the efficiency of service delivery. He proposes a broader research program on local governance quality in Canada, one that is expressly comparative, pays equal attention to the quality of decision-making and accountability processes, and is directed toward continuous improvement. 

Democratic decentralisation through ‘conventional’ institutions of local government is facing increasing challenges, whether from financial pressures, questions of representativeness, difficult central-local relations and from a perhaps growing belief that local government has failed to realise its potential and there may be better ways of achieving societal goals. It is clear there is need to contemplate quite radical change to ensure local government becomes or remains ‘fit for purpose’. This collection of papers illustrates the way in which the role of local government is evolving in different parts of the Commonwealth and provides practical examples of new local government at work. It showcases emerging practice, and highlights success stories from new ways of working and challenges confronting local government in both developed and developing countries. New Century Local Government makes a very valuable contribution to helping understand the changing role of local government, and will ensure that practitioners are up-to-date with the most innovative initiatives in local government planning and administration.

Workforce planning in Tasmania as a whole, and in the local government sector in particular, is essential to meet the needs of communities and deliver a growing, prosperous Tasmania. As the level of government best placed to meet community needs, councils are in a unique position to identify the skills, knowledge and expertise needed to effectively tailor services, generate economic and employment opportunities and support the overall prosperity of their local and regional communities. Planning a future workforce to deliver vital services needs to be clearly linked to local, regional and state-wide priorities. Councils have a key role to plan for their own workforces as part of strategic planning but also play an important role in partnering with a range of local, regional and state level organisations to identify and support conditions for economic growth. Workforce planning brings important benefits to councils and their communities and these guidelines are intended to help local government plan at a local, sub-regional and regional level to support the future growth of a vibrant Tasmanian economy.

Decentralisation has become an integral part of local government reform programmes in recent years. But how to put these changes into effect? This book explores the reasons for making these changes, and applies recent thinking in change management to the particular challenges facing all those who are seeking to make their local governance systems more responsive. Written by internationally renowned experts from the International Development Department at the University of Birmingham, UK, and advisers at the Commonwealth Secretariat, Managing Change in Local Governance looks at the key drivers for change in local government, and at the factors which those implementing change need to take into account to ensure success. For senior managers in local government, policy makers in ministries of local government, and students and researchers in public administration with an interest in local government issues.

This resource guide provides practical guidance for designing, implementing and evaluating decentralisation reforms and local government practices to ensure they are as effective as possible. It also synthesises and presents current debates on the impact of decentralisation and local government on poverty reduction, service delivery and conflict as well as providing links to cutting-edge research and recent case studies.