The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national voice for more than 500 local authorities in England and Wales. The LGA group comprises the LGA, the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA), Local Government Employers (LGE), the Public Private Partnerships Programme (4ps) and the Local Authorities' Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS). Please click on the drop down list above for information on group members.
Local government has plenty of experience of sharing good practice and mobilising peers of councillors and officers, to provide help and support where needed. The partnership between the LGA group will develop and enhance this approach. This will include:
- coordinating support to local authorities in the renewal of public services
- building on achievements to date
- helping them in capacity building
- addressing the challenge of improvement – offered by the results of the comprehensive performance assessment process
Further information on our partners can be obtained from http://www.local.gov.uk/
The LGA Group A - Z of services is now available. You can also view all the latest Events provided by the LG Group here.
The LGA
The LGA is the national voice for local authorities. Formed in 1997, its mission is to promote better local government. We work with and for our member authorities to realise a shared vision of local government that enables local people to shape a distinctive and better future for their locality and its communities. We aim to put local councils at the heart of the drive to improve public services.
Working on an all-party basis, the LGA has become a compelling voice around Westminster. In partnership with central government, the private and voluntary sectors and others, the LGA helps provide local solutions to national policy issues such as raising standards in schools and making communities safer, stronger and healthier.
Based in Westminster, in Smith Square close to the Houses of Parliament, Whitehall and the political party offices, the LGA is a voluntary representative lobbying organisation on behalf of local government. Local authorities do not have to join but nearly all local authorities in England and Wales have decided to become members – a total of just under 400 authorities comprising:
34 county councils
36 metropolitan district councils
47 English unitary authorities
32 of 33 London authorities (London boroughs plus the City of London)
238 shire district councils
22 Welsh unitary authorities.
The local authorities represent more than 50 million people and spend £65 billion a year on local services.
The LGA also represents police authorities, through the Association of Police Authorities (APA); fire authorities, passenger transport authorities and the Association of National Park Authorities.
Welsh authorities are also collectively represented through the Welsh Local Government Association and similarly whilst London members are members of the LGA in their own right, the Association of London Government deals with London matters.
Our strategic objectives for 2001-2006 are:
to achieve an equal partnership between central and local government;
to secure the powers needed for local government to achieve the vision;
to win greater freedom and flexibility in the exercise of these powers;
to secure financial arrangements that enable local government effectively to exercise its powers and duties;
to raise awareness of the role and achievements of local government; and
to secure access for local authorities to the information, advice, services and support they need.
There is an annual business plan, agreed by the LGA’s General Assembly each December.
The LGA’s business themes for the year are: freedom to improve; our impact in Westminster and Brussels; futureswork, influencing the longer term agenda for local government; raising our sights, raising the profile of local councils; shared priorities for public services and organisational improvements.
For a copy of our business plan, please contact LGconnect, the LGA’s information centre, on 020 7664 3131, email
info@lga.gov.uk.
Local Government Association
Local Government House
Smith Square
London SW1P 3HZ
www.lga.gov.uk
Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government (IDeA)
The IDeA works for local government improvement so councils can serve people and places better.
They use experienced councillors and senior officers, known as peers, who support and challenge councils to improve themselves.
They enable councils to share good practice through the national Beacons Scheme and regional local government networks. The best ideas are put on the new IDeA Knowledge website.
Their Leadership Academy programmes help councillors become better leaders who can balance the diverse demands of people living in the same community.
The IDeA also promotes the development of local government’s management and workforce. They advise councils on improving customer service and value for money. They help councils work through local partnerships to tackle difficult problems such as crime and poor public health.
The IDeA is owned by the Local Government Association and belongs to local government. Together they lead local government improvement.
The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA)
Layden House,
76 – 86 Turnmill Street, London, EC1M 5LG
Switchboard 020 7296 6600
Fax 020 7296 6666
www.idea.gov.uk
LGE
Local Government Employers (LGE) was launched by the Local Government Association (LGA) on 3 April 2006. In partnership with local authorities, regional employers and other bodies, LGE provides national leadership and create solutions on pay, pensions and employment policy issues. We will have three main goals:
to modernise the pay and conditions agreements and pension schemes in England and Wales to provide affordable, sustainable and flexible employment frameworks
to provide effective representation for local authorities and other stakeholders seeking to modernise their pay and conditions agreements, pension schemes and the employment contract
to offer practical guidance, solutions and training on pay, pensions and the employment contract to local authorities and other stakeholders
Contact us
Phone: 020 7187 7373
Fax: 020 7664 3030
Email: info@lge.gov.uk
Address:
Local Government Employers (LGE)
Local Government House
Smith Square
London
SW1P 3HZ
www.lge.gov.uk/
Local Partnerships
Local Partnerships is a joint venture between the Local Government Association and Partnerships UK, incorporating 4ps. Local Partnerships’ mission is to enhance the quality of people’s lives by giving trusted, professional support to local public bodies to improve their ability to source and deliver high quality, cost-effective public services and infrastructure.
Local Partnerships is working at a local level and ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ with public bodies to develop and deliver innovative solutions to new and emerging problems. To do this we will work alongside local public bodies to improve their sourcing and commissioning skills, programme and project management capabilities, procurement, negotiating and contract management capacity, and their delivery, funding and partnering abilities.
Local Partnerships will continue to deliver all the services currently offered by 4ps. This includes:
• Gateway reviews for all major projects
• Asset management reviews
• Skills development training to build capacity and capability
• Specialist transactor support for individual projects
• Advice and support on shared services
In addition, building on the work of Partnerships UK, Local Partnerships will be able to offer an additional range of services extending across traditional boundaries between local government and other local public bodies, including Primary Care Trusts.
Local Partnerships will continue to remain an important part of the Local Government Association family and will receive Revenue Support Grant funding for priority areas which benefit the local government sector as a whole.
Local Partnerships
Layden House
76-86 Turnmill Street
London EC1M 5LG
Switchboard 020 7296 6777
Fax 020 7296 6766
Email enquiries@localpartnerships.org.uk
Press Office 020 7025 7590
www.localpartnerships.org.uk
The Leadership Centre
The Leadership Centre is funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government. As of April 2008 the Leadership Centre has acquired charitable status and become part of the LGA Group, working with and on behalf of the local government sector.
Our small team is made up of leadership experts with experience in politics, local and central government and the private sector.
We believe it takes great leadership to create a thriving and prosperous community. Our role is to help create great places to live by giving leaders the opportunity to shift their thinking on leadership so they can fundamentally transform their communities for the better. We help local government leaders to meet the specific challenge of leading a place rather than a council as today’s local leaders are expected to provide the imagination to create a community out of place.
‘Leadership’ is all we do. We work with the leaders of local authorities and, within local strategic partnerships to help them develop the skills and qualities they need to be effective leaders across place.
http://www.localleadership.gov.uk/