Local government must improve its managerial capacity to both respond to the changing purpose of the local state and learn to build strategic alliances nationally to tackle ‘intractable problems' of economic growth, health, social care and housing, a leading policy expert has argued.

The call to strengthen skills and leadership a the upper echelons of the sector follows the inaugural meeting of the SOLACE policy board, which met 22 January and involved more than 20 of the country's leading chief executives and top managers.

Designed to give a strong independent policy voice to local government management, the first meeting of SOLACE's policy board discussed the early results of the imminent SOLACE Insights survey, which details the future priorities of senior officers in councils across the UK.