How are priority-setting tools used in local government?

Findings will soon be published from a follow on study looking at the decision making tools used by local authorities to prioritise spending.

The study comes within the ‘Shifting the Gravity of Spending’ project led by Professor David Hunter (Fuse/Durham University), which explores public health decision making and priority setting in the context of local government in England.

The 12-month follow on study selected four local authorities to identify what helps and hinders the uptake and impact of adopted priority-setting tools and approaches.  The sites were selected to enable findings from the main study to be tested and further developed in a rapidly changing local government context.  Unfortunately, one authority had to withdraw at the last minute because of internal management restructuring.  

The findings from the project were presented at the ‘11th conference of the International Society on Priorities in Healthcare’ held 7-9 September in Birmingham which had as its overall theme ‘New Frontiers in Priority Setting’.  Professor Hunter presented in a session chaired by Brian Ferguson, Chief Economist at Public Health England, on the application of health economic prioritisation methods, drawing on findings from the main and follow on studies.  Jo Gray from Northumbria University and a collaborator on the study also presented.  The session was concerned with understanding the main barriers and enablers to using decision support tools to aid prioritisation, investment and disinvestment.  David spoke about the influences on priorities for investment.  

To coincide with the final report from the ‘Shifting the Gravity of Spending’ study, a half-day workshop targeted at local authority elected members and officers is being planned for mid-January 2017 in London.  It will be jointly hosted by the research team led by Fuse, Durham University and the Local Government Association.  Further details about the event will be available shortly. 

For further information about the research please visit: www.durham.ac.uk/public.health/projects/shiftingthegravity

Last modified: Mon, 29 Mar 2021 10:45:31 BST