A year into the coalition, the new policy landscape means that local authorities and public services face greater risks and uncertainty, and will have to learn new skills in order to drive practical solutions

The first year of the coalition government has seen a real redefinition of the relationship between individuals and the state. As social enterprises and charities look to play a much more active role in service delivery, Faith Boardman of CIPFA argues that local authorities will need to learn a new set of commissioning and management skills in order to drive public services from a more community-based level.