The Local Government Association's initiative to ‘rewire public services' has drawn many comments since its launch in July. 

At the LGA conference people were talking openly of this being a laudable and inspiring initiative that deserved a good airing.

The thrust of the campaign took on board the Government's policy of localism and put local government at the heart of delivering on it.  However, the need for Whitehall to give up its vice-like grip on the shackles it places on local authorities was likely to go against the grain.

With the projected budget reductions local government faces in 2015, ‘rewiring public services' could, and should, be a central thrust of actions taken to provide current services at lower cost.

For some years the mantra for many district councils has been to provide more for less and this has led to successful management of previous budget reductions.  Each
time reductions take place, it is said that it cannot be done again without impacting on services.

This is not something to which the modern local government officer or member can afford to subscribe.

Recent private sector visitors to my management team had been on a study tour to Silicon Valley looking at the approaches of major international companies to the challenges being faced in the next five years.

Commerce is gearing itself up for how it will manage the massive increase in available data and how that will be used to provide insight into its customers and used to a competitive advantage.

Companies are encouraging employees to engage in ‘disruptive thinking' to change the way services are provided and the range of available products.  It does not matter if there are some ‘dud' ideas as long as there a few ‘gems'.

Surely, this type of culture is what is required if public services are to be rewired, but will the written media allow such a risk-based culture to pervade public services?

Regardless, local government should have the confidence to do what it considers is the right way, given its insight into the make up of its varied communities.

Paul Lankester is chief executive of Stratford on Avon DC