This thesis explores the nature of strategic turnaround in English local authorities during the period of Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) between 2002 and 2008. This period was unique in that it allowed the comparative performance of local authorities and their management practices using the holistic performance management framework of the CPA. Specifically, this study focuses on a group of local authorities that were poorly performing at the start of CPA era, but had sustained improved performance by the end. It aims to establish the turnaround approaches adopted by this group of local authorities, the impact of leadership and the extent to which the approaches adopted promoted sustained turnaround. Publicly available CPA information and interviews with senior officers of turnaround councils and government lead officials are used to classify and analyse the changes in strategic processes. The thesis adopts a case study approach within a managerialist perspective and identifies ten approaches to turnaround that can be related to a longitudinal "7Rs"� framework adapting the work of Boyne (2004) and others. This has been developed to include Realisation and Reinforcement at either end of the turnaround period.\ud
Realisation is required to kick-start the turnaround process and Reinforcement to embed the organisational changes necessary to sustain improvement over the longer term. Leadership is a key aspect throughout the process, both in terms of introducing new leaders and the adoption of new leadership approaches to support and underpin sustainable organisational improvement. Sustained improvement was found to be achievable by poorly performing councils. The study also concludes that there was a continuing influence of managerialism, originally associated with new public management, throughout the CPA era