Managing in a Political Environment

The SOLACE Commission on Managing in a Political Environment was established by SOLACE President Cheryl Miller to examine five key issues:

1. What is distinctive about managing in a political environment?
   
2. The relationship between senior officers and politicians is crucial for the leadership of an organisation: What characteristics can be identified that exist in most effective relationships?
   
3. What training and development exists to create effective leadership and what do need to create?
   
4. Central and local government operate different governance models: Is there good practice that can be transferred from one context to another?
5. Structures of local governance are not static: What scenarios need we be thinking about and what challenges would they present?

The Commission launched three documents on 8 December 2005 at a one day conference with a keynote address from Phil Woolas MP, the Minister for Local Government. Click the links below to download each of the 3 documents.

Leadership United: The main report and recommendations
Leadership United: An executive summary of the main report
Leadership United: A handbook of techniques, tools and processes

The SOLACE Commission is grateful to SOLACE Enterprises for their support in the development of the Handbook, which was written by Max Wide, Senior Associate and to Anite for their sponsorship of the three publications.

Commission Membership

Cheryl Miller , President, SOLACE (Chair)
Simon Baddeley , INLOGOV
Ronan Ball , Head of Market, Single Tier Authorities, Zurich Municipal
Mike Bennett , Assistant Director General, SOLACE (Secretary)
Sir Michael Bichard , Rector, University Arts London and Chairman of the Legal Services Commission
Mike Blackburn , General Manager, Education and Local Government, BT
John BowersQC, Littleton Chambers and Standards Board for England
James Brayshaw , Director of Sales and Market Development, Ordnance Survey
Iain Campbell , Vice President, Public Sector, Oracle
Michael Frater , Chief Executive, Telford and Wrekin Council
Cllr Hazel Harding , Leader, Lancashire County Council
Carole Hassan , former Chief Executive, Trafford MBC
Cllr Simon Milton , Leader, Westminster City Council
Rita Sammons , Director, SOLACE Enterprises
Cllr Ann Shaw , Leader, Three Rivers District Council
David Walker , Editor, Guardian PUBLIC magazine

Advisors to the Commission

Stephen Finlay, SOLACE
Peter Edwards, Surrey County Council
Jane Lewis, Woodward Lewis

Click here to download the SOLACE Commission 2005 consultation paper.