Localism Geoff Mulgan on people power

Geoff Mulgan, director of the Young Foundation, considers the future of local decision-making

Public figures Think local

Local government and councils command the ability to raise large sums of money and employ vast numbers of people within the UK

Profile Irwin Stelzer on David Cameron

From gesture politics to serious policy making, Irwin Stelzer looks at David Cameron's progress as a Prime Minister-in-waiting

World view A hit or a miss?

The impact of targets within the public sector is a much debated topic across the globe, from Gernamy to Canada to Japan

Shared services Team work

Sharing back-office functions delivers efficiencies, improves services and saves money.  So why are only a third of councils working in this way, asks David Allaby

24 hours Philomena Mullins, Headteacher, St Francis of Assisi, Walsall

The head teacher of Walsall's St Francis of Assisi Catholic Technology College, judged to be 'outstanding', talks to Amy Raphael about the pace of change in education and the influence of the school motto 'only the best is good enough'

Contestability Competitive edge

Gary Sturgess reveals how competition can drive performance within public services

Final word How do you solve a problem like... MRSA?

MRSA – or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus to give it its full name – has migrated from being a small and relatively obscure bug to a hot political potato in recent years

Healthcare Heart of the matter

Chris Ham outlines his view of how the next stage of NHS reform might unfold

Welcome Editor's introduction: Geoff Mulgan, the Young Foundation

Healthcare Virtual reality

A hospital created in online civilisation Second Life is making an impact on healthcare in the real world. Surgeon James Kinross reports

Infrastructure City renaissance

Is the government's investment in cities enough, asks Michael Parkinson drawing on success stories