This paper is the result of the first phase of \nresearch that is funded by the Joseph Rowntree \nFoundation. It draws on three main sources of \nevidence – a review of existing research on the \nimpact of inspection regimes in the UK, \ninterviews with senior policy makers in \ninspectorates and the Local Government \nAssociation, and our research on the impacts of \nthe Best Value pilot programme. \nThe overall aims of the research are to \nreview the development of inspection \nprocedures, their impact on local government, \nand their effectiveness in promoting change. It \nseeks to monitor the implementation of the new \ninspection regimes and assess in broad terms \ntheir impact from the perspectives of a range of \nstakeholders. It is also designed to reflect on the \nimplications of inspection regimes for relations \nbetween central and local government, for \npromoting effective and accountable policies \nand practices, and for bringing about \nsustainable change in the culture and thinking \nof local government. \nThe aim of this paper is to identify some of \nthe key issues relating to the development of external inspection of local government \nfunctions in order to contribute to the current \ndebate about the effectiveness of these regimes \nas a means of regulating local public services. \nThe paper therefore provides a preliminary \nanalysis of the scope, style, purpose and \neffectiveness of the emerging inspection \nregimes, and some of the key challenges \nassociated with external inspection as a \nregulatory mechanism. We first examine the \nincreasing importance of external inspection as \na means of promoting service improvement. \nNext, we provide an overview of the remits, \nresources and approaches of the main \ninspectorates covering local authority functions. \nWe then examine evidence of the likely impacts \nof inspection and the range of alternative \nregulatory mechanisms. Finally, we analyse \nsome of the tensions that we believe exist within \nemerging inspection regimes and the challenges \nthese pose for central government policy \nmakers, the inspectorates and inspected bodies.
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