Councils to take holistic approach

The author of a new guide on best value has told local authorities that they "will need to procure, assemble and manage activities and services in a different more holistic way".

David Green, who headed an Institution of Civil Engineers' taskforce that compiled the guide*, said: "Best value has no respect for tradition or for professional, departmental or geographic boundaries. New technologies and ways of working, new ideas and inventiveness all provide enormous opportunities and incentives for radical rethinks - locally, regionally and nationally."

* Advancing best value in the built environment: a guide to best practice, price £145, is published by Thomas Telford, tel: 020 7665 2476.