THE DEMAND FOR QUALITY: THE PRESSURE FOR CHANGE ON OXFORDSHIRE′S DEPARTMENT OF LEISURE AND ARTS Available to Purchase

Oxfordshire County Council′s Department of Leisure and Arts has been reorganized to achieve integrated local management of library and information museums, archives, arts,countryside and recreation based on five all‐purpose geographical areas. The reorganization recognizes that the common ground between services should be exploited, to achieve good management hand in hand with quality professional services. The structure has three main elements strategic planning and policy making; customer services(assesment of needs setting standards of provision and performance and quality assurance) professional services. These are held together in a matrix, in which professional judgement is tested against management assesment of local needs. The balance is achieved through the service and budget planning process. Five area directors, with devolved budgets,are responsible for the operation of all the Department′s services. They are required to set and meet targets which contribute to the overall aims and objectives. The Countrywide Professional Service Teams identify key issues and act as guardians of professional values. Individual staff have work plans and are appraised on agreed criteria of achievement. All of this ensures that the Department has clear aims, objectives which are realistic, and targets against which performance can be measured.