Originally Published 13 March 2001

Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett will formally launch the new Warwick Institute of Governance and Public Management on Thursday 15th March 2001 at 12.45pm at 1 Whitehall Place, SW1, the former National Liberal Club.

Baroness Williams of Crosby (Shirley Williams) will also speak briefly to welcome this initiative, drawing on her US experience as Professor of Politics at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, which has inspired the Warwick Institute. Also at the launch event, which has attracted 200 public policymakers and managers, will be Sir John Harman, Chair of the Environment Agency, and Chair of the new advisory board of the new Warwick Institute of Governance and Public Management, Professor John Benington, Professor of Public Policy and Management at the University of Warwick (and Director of the new Warwick Institute of Governance and Public Management), and Professor Robin Wensley Chair of the new Warwick Institute.

Founding partners include the Health Development Authority; the Housing Corporation; Society of Chief Personnel Officers; Society of Local Authority Chief Executives; the National Youth Agency, Improvement and Development Agency and other organisations.

The new Institute will promote and carry out research, development and teaching and education on issues of governance, public policy and public management. It will incorporate the work of Warwick's successful Local Government Centre, and will extend the work into other levels of government (regional, national and supra-national) and other areas of public service (education, health, police and criminal justice) and the voluntary sector.

The Institute will also build on and develop the Warwick MPA (the MBA for the public sector), a qualification for high-flying policy makers, leaders and managers in the public sector, voluntary sector and in public/private partnerships. Warwick has also now won recognition from the Cabinet Office as one of four approved suppliers for the public sector MBA for the civil service, and will also launch a new Diploma in Public Leadership and Management.

The Institute will provide government and the public sector with the level of support provided to their US equivalents by renowned organisations such as Harvard's Kennedy School of Government (with whom Warwick is building several practical links including running in the US a module of the Warwick MPA, jointly with US state and local government officials).

Main Event Timings:

• 12.00 Drinks reception and buffet for guest and press
• 12.45 Warwick's Vice Chancellor welcomes guests
• 12.50 Brief comments from Sir John Harman
• 12.55 Baroness Shirley Williams speaks briefly
• 1pm David Blunkett speaks followed by questions

Further information about the above press release and all other media services at the University of Warwick can be obtained from:

Peter Dunn, Press Officer
University of Warwick
Coventry, CV4 7AL
West Midlands
Tel: 024 76 523708
Email: puapjd@warwick.ac.uk