Cumbria is one of several places gaining national recognition for the way they are looking at making the public sector as efficient and effective as possible. 

Last year Cumbria County Council invited the Leadership Centre for Local Government to come to the county and work with a range of public sector agencies as well as representatives from the private and voluntary sectors. 

The aim of the exercise was to see how different organisations could work more effectively together on complex issues like worklessness and climate change, and achieve the best possible outcomes for the people of Cumbria. 

A parallel piece of work led by the Leadership Centre started to look for the first time at how much money comes into Cumbria through the national, regional and local public sector. Desktop research found that over £7Bn enters the county, much of which is largely outside of the control of organisations based here, but which we could have more influence on. 

Cumbria was one of the first areas in the country to do this work and this work is now being held up as an example to others. 

The Government is currently conducting one the widest ranging audits ever of public spending and its report, prepared by Sir Michael Bichard, is expected to recommend that other areas of the country learn from what Cumbria and other areas have done.