ABSTRACT
As it entered the twenty-first century, local government in England was facing a huge range of challenges. The new Labour Government of 1997 approached the task of renewing public services with considerable energy. The resultant plethora of initiatives (described in this book as ‘waves’) demonstrated a determination to re-invent local government, giving the needs of local people the highest priority and seeking to make services as effective and efficient as possible. The prime mechanisms for doing this were partnership and ‘Best Value’, both emphasizing quality in delivery rather than purely economic measures of good performance. Also there was a desire to modernize the organization of delivery.
