Rising Star

The effectiveness of councils depends to a significant extent on the quality of their political and managerial leadership. Tomorrow’s chief executives and directors are almost certainly working in councils today in both service areas and corporate roles. The part they are playing now in helping councils to respond to continued budget pressures, developing new relationships with communities and tackling issues such as the housing need, the ageing population and economic growth will help to prepare them for the challenges of tomorrow.

Local government needs to get better at spotting and developing the managerial leaders of tomorrow. This award is designed to help the sector to do just that. It is intended to highlight local government’s exceptional young officers and professionals who are currently not in corporate management team roles. They are likely to be heads of service or team leaders. They are making change happen, taking difficult decisions and asking important questions – while at the same time preparing to deliver excellent local government in the future.

The individual needs to still be working in local government at the time of the announcement of the Awards shortlist and have no plans or expectation to not be working in local government at the time of the Awards ceremony.

The judges will be looking for evidence of:

• Innovative work which has delivered demonstrable change;
• A first class understanding of the political process and ability to work effectively with councillors;
• Experience of networking at all levels;
• Sharing knowledge within the sector;
• A commitment to finding better ways of doing things.