A new guide book which explains both the threats and opportunities of best value. The guide explains both the threats and opportunities of Best value. The threats include the pressure for competition and a new outsourcing, externalisation and privatisation agenda replacing CCT; superficial consultation paying lip service to community organisations and employees; and the threat of of an inspection, surveillance and auditing implosion diverting badly needed resources from frontline services.
The opportunities include extending genuine democratic accountability and community involvement and driving equalities, fairness, social inclusion, environmental and employment issues through the Best Value Process. The Guide sets out a new agenda to democratise Best Value with new priorities for public management. It identifies which parts of the Best Value regime should be retained, amended, abolished and what should be added and concludes with a strategic action plan. The guide was written by the Centre for Public Services and published by the Centre for Democratic Policy Making and Red Pepper Magazine.