News and events
News about the work we're doing and the events we're contributing to
PRESS RELEASE – 3 February 2012
We’re really excited to announce that OPM has expanded by taking over ownership of industry-leading consultation practitioners Dialogue by Design.
Chief executive of the OPM Group Hilary Thompson said 'This has got 2012 off to a great start. Adding Dialogue by Design’s capacity and expertise to OPM’s presents an excellent opportunity, enabling us to offer the highest quality consultation and engagement services to organisations dealing with complex strategic, business and customer issues.'
The acquisition is a crucial part of OPM’s proactive response to changing patterns of need in a complex public service and regulatory landscape. Organisations across sectors and industries require ever-deeper levels of expertise in a growing range of areas, which is why at the same time OPM is also developing its relationships with a wider pool of close associates.
See our press release for more details about the acquisition.
For information about any of the projects discussed below, email communications@opm.co.uk.
News21 February 2012 ... Unlocking local capacity: why active citizens need active councilsThe Unlocking Local Capacity report is based on in-depth interviews and case-study research with more than 30 local councils across England. It focuses on the practical steps that local authorities are taking to unlock the capacity of individual residents, communities, and the council itself, for example, staff and elected members. The research was conducted as part of OPM's pro-bono Public Interest Programme, which aims to raise awareness and build knowledge about challenges and issues facing public services. 1 February 2012, Public Finance ... Sue Goss, OPM Principal for Local Government, suggests that Whole Place is the new Total Place, as community budgeting helps both town halls and Whitehall free up their fiscal thinking: New Age Budgeting. 23 January 2012 ...  OPM has achieved the Carbon Smart Gold Award for the fourth year running. OPM’s carbon footprint has decreased by 16 tonnes of CO2e (14%) compared to the base year 2007/2008, and by 7 tonnes of CO2e (7%) from last year. Read Carbon Smart's OPM carbon footprint and sustainability report 2010/11. 13 January 2012, The Guardian ... Ayesha Janjua, OPM Fellow and Guardian Professional, queries: What does the NHS Outcomes Framework mean for children? |
Events21 February 2012, The MJ ... How do local authorities translate engagement into practical solutions on the ground?Rob Francis and Phil Copestake give some answers in The MJ. Our research demonstrates that while there may be areas where councils can helpfully dismantle and step back, most of the time what's needed is for officers, members and partners to remain active, albeit in a way that differs substantially from the traditional model. The report was launched at our public interest seminar on 21 February at OPM. The MJ’s editor, Heather Jameson, chaired a panel of speakers including Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham, and Councillor Keith Mitchell, leader of Oxfordshire CC. The shape of local councils in the futureEarlier in 2011, OPM worked for the LGA (Local Government Association) to design and facilitate two events, including a simulation, to examine how local councils might look in 2014. These events created five distinct approaches and tested three potential new models of a unitary, county and district authority in 2014. The scenarios took account of recent changes such as health and wellbeing boards, LEPs (local enterprise partnerships) and newly arrived police commissioners. A report and a guide to running your own events to explore new ways of working have been published on the LGA site, as part of their work on productivity. OPM is currently working with the NESTA Creative Councils programme, in particular supporting Stoke-on-Trent in their ambitions to be an energy self-sufficient city. |
