Improvement and Development Agency for local government (IDeA)
The IDeA works for local government improvement so councils can serve people and places better. Our offer is built around the real issues for local people, focusing on partnership working, place- shaping and tackling cross-cutting issues. We use experienced councillors and senior officers,known as peers, who support and challenge councils to improve themselves. We enable councils to share good practice through the national Beacon Scheme and regional local government networks. The best ideas are put on the IDeA website. Our Leadership Academy programmes help councillors become better leaders so they can balance the diverse demands of people living in the same community. Working with our national, regional and local partners, we help councils work through local partnerships to tackle local priorities such as health, children’s services and promoting economic prosperity. We advise councils on improving customer service and value for money. We also promote the development of local government’s workforce. The IDeA is owned by the Local Government Association and belongs to local government. Together we lead local government improvement. www.idea.gov.uk
IDeA board of directors
The board of directors are drawn from a variety of backgrounds and have ultimate collective responsibility for the strategic direction and performance of the IDeA.
Local Government Association
Councillor Ian Swithenbank CBE – Chairman, Northumberland, Labour
Councillor Nick Skellett CBE – Vice-Chairman, Leader of Surrey County Council, Conservative
Councillor Paul Clokie OBE – Ashford Borough Council, Conservative
Councillor Jeremy Webb – East Lindsey District Council, Independent Group
Councillor Tony McDermott MBE – Leader, Halton Borough Council, Labour
Councillor Derek Osbourne – Leader, the Royal Borough of Kingston on Thames, Liberal Democrat
Welsh Local Government Association
Councillor Russell Roberts – Rhondda Cynon Taff, Labour
National Association of Regional Employers
Councillor Ian Fleetwood – West Lindsey District Council, Conservative
Communities and Local Government
Vacant.,p/>
Other directorships This list includes the following persons:
Steve Martin – Professor of Public Policy and Management, Cardiff University, representing academic institutions
Philip Sellwood – Chief Executive, Energy Savings Trust, representing the private sector
Keith Sonnet – Deputy General Secretary, UNISON, representing the trades unions
David Walden – Business Director Strategy, Commission for Social Care Inspection, representing regulatory bodies
Stephen Moir – Director of People and Policy, Cambridgeshire County Council
Lucy de Groot became Executive Director of the IDeA in September 2003. She was previously Director of Public Services in HM Treasury for three and a half years, responsible for major areas of public expenditure, as well as the delivery of public service agreements and a range of strategic policies including the Voluntary Sector and Every Child Matters. Lucy has been an associate director for the Audit Commission's Best Value Inspectorate (2000) and was chief executive of Bristol City Council, a unitary council with a population of 400,000, from 1995 until 2000. Previous to that she was Head of Policy for Bristol City Council (1993-94), Head of Policy for Lewisham (1989-93), employment policy adviser for the Association of London Authorities (1987-89) and principal employment officer for Hackney Council (1985-87).
Lucy worked for the Deputy Leader of the Greater London Council and before that for over 10 years in a variety of roles in the community and not-for-profit sectors in both London and Manchester. She was a Commissioner on the Independent Commission on Good Governance in Public Services (the Langlands Commission 2004).
Lucy is currently:
a Trustee of Common Purpose UK
a Governor of Coram Family (based in Camden)
a Member of the Office of Public Management Public Interest General Council
a Member of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Governance and Public Services Committee
visiting professor at the Bristol Business School, University of the West of England