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Strategic leadership

World class public services depend on governments providing leadership by setting a clear vision, guaranteed standards, a long framework of resources and capacity building and accessible information on performance. Only government can take this broad overall view. This involves both avoiding central micro-management and rejecting the laissez faire option of leaving vital services to unmanaged markets. The health, welfare and education systems which succeed are not those where the government plays a limited role, but rather those where the government's role is strategic and enabling.

Some recent examples of this approach include:

• Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future [External website]
  This White Paper, published by the Department for Work and Pensions [External website] in December 2008 confirms the government’s intention to create an empowering welfare state by devolving power to individuals and communities, to allow them to design services that fit their needs.
  This approach was first laid out in the Green Paper No One Written Off [External website]
• DIUS Annual Innovation Report 2008 [External website]
  The first Annual Innovation Report was launched by the Prime Minister on 4 December 2008. It reports on progress on the commitments in the Innovation Nation White Paper and presents an overview of the UK's innovation performance alongside descriptions of the innovation activities of Government Departments and the Regional Development Agencies
• The HM Treasury Operational Efficiency Programme [External website] launched July 2008 acknowledges that many of the best money saving ideas come from those directly involved in the delivery of public services and seeks to provide incentives for innovation.

Other examples can be found on the Excellence and Fairness links page.

• Strategic leadership section of policy toolkit

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