COMPULSORY COMPETITIVE TENDERING FOR LOCAL-GOVERNMENT SERVICES - THE EXPERIENCES OF LOCAL-AUTHORITIES IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND 1988-1992

This article examines the response of a sample of local authorities in the North of England to the introduction of Compulsory Competitive Te ndering (CCT) following the 1988 Local Government Act. It analyses the organizational implications of CCT and highlights how officers, counc illors and trade union representatives viewed the changing nature of m anagement within local authorities in the period following the award o f the first service contracts. In particular, it examines the differen t reactions to the development of a more commercial approach to the ma nagement of services and ends by assessing the specific impact of CCT in the context of other important changes in local government.