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Michael Bichard has worked in the public sector throughout his career ‐ 20 years in local Government and nearly ten in central Government. He was Chief Executive of Brent and Gloucestershire local authorities and in 1990 became Chief Executive of the Government's Benefits Agency. In 1995 he was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Employment Department and then the Department for Education and Employment. Michael received a Knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours 1999. In May 2001 he left the Civil Service and in September 2001 was appointed Rector of The London Institute, the largest Art and Design Institute in Europe, which in May 2004 became University of the Arts London. In January 2004 he was appointed by the Home Office to chair the Soham/Bichard Inquiry and on 1 April 2005 he became Chair of the Legal Services Commission.

Another of Capital Planning Information's successful series of seminars was held at the George Business Centre, Stamford, Lincolnshire, on 28 June 1990, this one dealing with the implications of the move in local government towards devolution of budgets and accountability to subdepartmental levels of service, or resource centre management.

The law on data sharing is complex and uncertain, making it difficult for practitioners to balance rules on disclosing data in the public or individual interest with those designed to protect confidentiality and privacy. The law does not provide clear direction, but the paper sets out factors that should be considered when a decision has to be made.

Although politicians are desperate for innovation, few are brave enough to talk about how difficult it is to shift people away from predictable patterns of behaving and from conforming cultures. There is a tendency in national government to think radical and act conservative. The Labour government, in its modernisation policies, appears to be genuine in its desire for social inclusion and real change, but the thinking about how to persuade people to engage with this process is ill thought out. The conventional modes of delivering legislation, programmes and partnerships too often ignore the need to involve staff and communities. Modernisation and change are dependent on new forms of people‐management. The report draws on MBS Change Centre audit and consultancy within local partnerships including the Health Action Zones and on research funded by the ESRC Management Innovation Programme. Concludes that the improvement process will only succeed if government’s incentives and managerial frameworks sustain people‐relationships in communities and in public sector organisations. Concludes also that there is a lack of leadership and “know‐how” in the public sector about how to achieve transformation and that policy makers need to focus on managing the transformation process.

Asks whether or not the Citizen′s Charter and the ensuing Charter Mark Scheme (1992) are beneficial for those in the service industry and its recipients. Outlines the Charter Mark Scheme′s six standards of service achievement for a number of public sector services. Shows that there is confusion and uncertainty among the public regarding these schemes, but that those involved in competing for Charter Mark awards appear to be achieving results.

Briefly reports on how various public sector groups in the north east of England are advancing theirquality management by coherently focusing on customers and their needs. Details a number of public sector areas where the programme has been implemented, including healthcare.

This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of Personnel Review is split into 8 sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Career/Manpower Planning and Recruitment; Health and Safety; Industrial Relations and Participation; Pay, Incentives and Pensions; Performance, Productivity and Motivation; Redundancy and Dismissal; Work Patterns; and Training and Development.

The management of organisational change has assumed critical importance in English local government. Participant perceptions of this change process are examined, reflecting interviews conducted with Chief Executive Officers in 1989‐90. After considering external pressures for change and emerging roles of CEOs, the prerequisites for effective management of change are identified and the strategic responses necessitated by a natural resistance to change. It is argued that the change process in this particular institutional setting raises some distinctive issues.