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This thesis concerns the impact of purchase of service contracts on voluntary sector providers of social care. Voluntary agencies in Britain have traditionally received annual grant-aid from local authority social services departments in acknowledgement of the many different care and support services they have provided to the community. However, following the reorganisation of the personal social services in the early 1990s (National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990), this funding mechanism shifted increasingly towards a tighter, contractual, relationship in which expectations about service levels, monitoring arrangements, quality and costs were made explicit and formally agreed. This changes the way in which voluntary sector providers have to work, their relationship with statutory sector agencies and their interface with the wider community. Whilst interest in social care contracting is growing, policy analysts have done little to qualitatively study the contracting process from the voluntary sector perspective. This study aims to bridge this gap. It offers a close examination of twenty-three voluntary sector agencies in four local authorities in England. It sheds light on the impact of replacing grant-aid with contractual income, contributes to the understanding of how voluntary sector providers of social care services experience the contracting process and explores how the local authority-voluntary sector interface is developing. Understanding the voluntary sector perspective on social care contracting can assist statutory sector purchasers to develop systems that best meet both sectors' needs. Prominent amongst the findings are the following: (1) despite the introduction of a 'quasi-market' in social care there was little evidence of a competitive market for contracts between voluntary sector providers; (2) local authorities were inclined to offer service agreements to recognised and trusted voluntary sector providers; (3) the language and legal status of social care contracting is regarded as ambiguous by voluntary managers - different local authorities have adopted distinct language and definitions; (4) the notion that voluntary providers are the preferred providers of local authorities was questioned by a number of statutory sector respondents - there was evidence that statutory sector purchasers were willing to make use of the for profit sector for service provision; (5) whilst some voluntary providers had been able to negotiate successful contracts with purchasers many commented on the conflictual nature of this process; (6) the monitoring of contracts is very mixed and there were concerns over the robustness of local authorities in collecting relevant data.

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This is a study of the relationships between the local authority and 18 other public authorities providing services in the London Borough of Camden. It is based on qualitative data collected by interviewing 70 individuals who were either senior managers or members of the authorities studied. The fieldwork was carried out between 1985 and 1987. The study identifies the lack of a well-defined body of literature or theory of horizontal inter-govern- mental relations at the local level. The research design draws upon previous studies in the fields of operational research, local government studies, policy studies, political theory, organisational studies and inter-governmental relations. The study demonstrates that the provision of public services in Camden was highly functionally fragmented. There were high levels of interdependence among the authorities studied explained by the socioeconomic environment of the area and the distribution of powers within the local government system. Interdependence was complex and multi-dimensional. The extent of linkages among public authorities was not great. Ad hoc and informal linkages played an important role. The patchiness of linkages could be explained by organisational and political factors. The local authority did not play a central co-ordinating role in the network. Authorities pursued a hierarchy of overlapping goals. Inter-authority activity was sustained by a process of mutual goal fulfilment. Relationships between public authorities were seen to be highly desirable but very difficult to undertake. The public authority network was widely regarded as ineffective in tackling complex public service issues. A number of wider conclusions are drawn from the study. These include the utility of the concepts of a public authority network and the process of mutual goal fulfilment. The need for revision of theories of the interdependence of public authorities and the nature of the network linking local authorities and other public authorities is demonstrated. The study also raises questions about the validity of policy makers' assumptions about the way local and other public authorities behave and casts doubt on the ability of some local authorities to perform an enabling role.

The subjects of this thesis are the current changes in adult education and their effects, focusing on the provision of local education authority (LEA) adult education. I have discussed the past century of adult education and related more recent policies to a case study of an adult education centre. LEA management structures of five counties were analysed and linked to their adult education provision. Within these counties I have investigated LEA adult education providers' partnerships, particularly those with secondary schools and further education (FE) colleges. Structured interviews were conducted with students, county administrators and a Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) adult education policy team leader. Lifelong learning is high on the political agenda throughout Europe, both for its alleged ability to improve national competitiveness and for the promotion of social cohesion. Yet at the same time LEA adult education has been marginalised as a direct result of government policy. Legislation weakened local authorities and divided the curriculum which left only the, so called, 'leisure' classes for adults to be organised by LEAs. Moreover, marketplace competition between providers has inhibited collaborative partnership. In the 2000 Learning and Skills Act, LEAs have the opportunity to make a 'key contribution' to the provision of adult education. The results of my research suggest that some LEAs must restructure and then cultivate harmonious partnerships in order to play a major part in developing a learning society.

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This study explores the development plan-making process in two local authorities, and focuses on the role different groups, including 'the public', play in this. This research aims to uncover the ways in which the practices of plan making are constructed through the work of actors and texts, and to trace how these actions reflect and constitute relations of power. Plans have been viewed as modernist tools. However this conception has been criticised in work drawing on the writings of Habermas and Foucault, which will be critically assessed. Problems associated with these theories and a need to trace how actions and structures might be constituted led to adopting a theoretical framework drawing on actor-network theory. This theory has a radical view of structure, agency and power and forces attention onto how stabilities are constructed. The theoretical framework adopted draws on these concerns to trace how actors, entities and networks emerge through social actions. The research questions focus these concerns onto understanding how plans are written, who is important in this and how entities such as 'local authorities' and 'the public' are constructed. Qualitative research was carried out in two cases, examining how the plans were written and focusing on how techniques of involving 'the public' were constructed. Case study descriptions trace how networks were built and how were important in mediating actions. In particular, the ways in which 'councils' 'officers', 'members', 'the public' and 'central government' are defined, form a focus. Analysis of the two cases revealed significant similarities attributed to a 'central government' network. Differences arose in the ways in which 'council' networks composed different practices of plan-writing and how officers and members were defined. This study shows how texts and actors shape plan-making, and how certain practices of governance are constructed.

In 2008, a severe economic crisis hit economies around the world. Its effects included a significant loss of GDP and employment which led to several social ills associated with recessions. However, the crisis did not impact all places with the same severity. This thesis investigates the crisis impact across GB Local Authority Districts during 2008-2014 within a framework that utilises the concept of economic resilience. However, this concept does not have a universally accepted definition or methodology of investigation. Hence, the study adopts an operational definition, comparing the conditions in local labour markets before and after the start of the recession. Using this method, a wide variation in resilience performance is identified across spatial areas. To identify the determinants of these differences, the study critically examines existing empirical studies and relevant theories. The factors identified range from past labour market performance to industrial structure, skills, demographics and other variables. The thesis then adopts an empirical method of investigation utilising a cross-sectional model. The results indicate that places which performed well before the start of the crisis have suffered deeper crisis impacts. However, the share of younger aged population and degree level qualification holders has mitigated the impact. The results are confirmed by robustness checks concerning the influence of outliers, migration and exploring the use of a composite indicator of resilience. It is the first time that a study of the crisis has focused on GB Local Authority Districts and comprehensively examined local labour markets. Moreover, the study makes a contribution by providing an operational definition and methodology for measuring resilience and empirically testing the impact of a range of determinants of resilience performance. The policy implications suggest a greater focus on skills and the attraction of younger aged workers through increased embeddedness of anchor institutions such as universities, as well as the inclusion of resilience as a core element of place-based policies.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This research study focuses on the community of Blue Downs and their associated problems. The study furthermore provides some insight on the history of Local Government, the past policies of the Government of the day with specific reference to separation of communities, which was based on racial segregation. In this context the distribution of wealth, resources and income was uneven and separate development of population groups was a deliberate policy of the previous government. Townships such as Mitchells Plain, Atlantis and Blue Downs came into being as a result of these policies, while no employment opportunities existed. This and other social factors all lead to hardship and poverty. It is commonly accepted and consensus exists that the continuing high levels of poverty are the single biggest threat to sustainable economic growth and democratic consolidation. It is thus important to understand and appreciate why Local Government can playa critical meaningful role in addressing these challenges. The purpose of the study is to identify the needs of the people in specifically the Blue Downs area and to look at ways to address and implement the findings of the research. The research can also be regarded as a blue print, which could be adapted to the needs of the communities in other areas within the Oostenberg Municipal area. The methodology adopted to achieve the objectives of this research comprises a literature review of relevant legislation, existing documentation on the Oostenberg Municipal socio-economic indicators and a literature review on any existing literature on Blue Downs. Public meetings were held during the months of June, July and September 2000. Whilst a quantitative approach in the form of open-ended questions was also undertaken. The research study is divided into the following 5 chapters: Chapter 1 sets out the scope of and the approach of the work, and draws together the themes and key fmdings of the research. Chapter 2 deals with a case study of Blue Downs, the historical perspective with relation to Local Government and the community and set the stage for job creation as determined in Chapter 4 of this study, which could be implemented to address the outcomes of the survey and workshops held with the community. Chapter 3 sets out the framework for analysing the data captured from the needsassessments, which was executed and provides descriptions of the key features and outcomes of the surveys. The ultimate objective of this research is to look at ways to improve the quality of life of the communities of Oostenberg, especially in the Blue Downs area. The research also paves the way for other research projects within the Municipal area or can be used or adapted for communities to address their own needs. Nonetheless, in a research of this nature, issues pertaining to communities are of vital importance. Where I have made comments and/or recommendations, it is important that these be reviewed for implementation. Chapter 4 looks at the existing and new economic opportunities that are available in the Blue Downs Area. Chapter 5 describes the fmdings of the research and recommendations. The research highlights the unemployment situation in the Blue Downs area. It is thus imperative that the local community, together with the Local authority becomes the driving force in order to ensure that the recommendations and implementation gets underway. The research study could be used as a tool for the upliftment of the local community by the community through a joint partnership with the business sector and local auth

Consulting the public in policy making is a statutory obligation for Scottish local authorities but ‘traditional’ forms of public participation such as public meetings are not considered to be effective for engaging a representative range of citizens. Developments in ICT have led to speculation about the impact of technology on citizen involvement in political participation with some arguing that eParticipation could attract a wider range of participants than ‘offline’ mechanisms. This thesis presents the findings of an exploratory study examining eParticipation initiatives in Scottish Local Authorities. The focus of the research has been to identify the extent to which eParticipation is being used and the benefits and drawbacks of these methods. In addition, the research investigated the enablers and barriers to the development of eParticipation in local authorities. Rather than examining eParticipation as a discrete phenomenon, the research examined the broader consultation strategies of local authorities and what role, if any, eParticipation plays within it. A grounded theory approach was adopted which utilised a combination of qualitative methods. Further, an analytical framework was developed based on Dahl’s criteria for ideal democracy to develop a conceptual understanding of how eParticipation is being used in Scottish local authorities. While it was found that Scottish local authorities were using eParticipation tools, their use was rather limited and the vast majority of tools identified and analysed were electronic questionnaires. Respondents reported that they foresaw eParticipation tools being used more extensively in future but in combination with ‘offline’ forms of participation and most did not report positive opinions on dialogic forms of eParticipation such as online discussions. The research findings show that eParticipation does not overcome many of the problems that lead to lack of public participation in policy making although some members of the public may to prefer to participate electronically for reasons of convenience.