Modernising local government: The impact of new political arrangements on chief officers for leisure and recreation in Wales

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the effects of new forms of executive government on local authority chief officers for leisure and recreation in Wales. Based on a new institutionalist approach to research (Lowndes, 2002 Lowndes, V. 2002. “Institutionalism”. In Theories and Methods in Political Science, 2nd edition, Edited by: Marsh, D. and Stoker, G. Basingstoke: Palgrave.  [Google Scholar]), survey and interview data were gathered during 2004–05. There are four principal findings: (i) effects of changes to the officer structure; (ii) changing emphasis between the centre and services; (iii) changing roles for chief officers; and (iv) impact and changes as a result of the new arrangements. Political modernisation of local government and the narratives of elite actors are highlighted and theoretical implications are advanced in conceptual models.     

Leadership skills for regulators

Regulation plays a vital role in reducing harms and promoting public order. However, regulatory reform has been likened to painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it never ends. Coupling this reality with the increasing array of areas requiring regulation, there is an acute need for regulators to become more effective in how they work. We discuss the leadership skills needed to ensure regulators consistently contribute to the creation of public value.

Points for practitioners

• Regulators can be more effective when they appreciate their authorising environment and the factors which make that environment dynamic.
• Careful calibration of enforcement practices to the capabilities of those being regulated can reduce conflicts and improve outcomes.
• Regulators with good communication skills can do much to resolve apparently intractable disputes.