Instruction to Deliver

With this grand project in mind, Blair set up a Delivery Unit and appointed Sir Michael Barber as its head. For the next four years, until 2005, Sir Michael played a crucial role in Tony Blair’s public service reforms, planning and delivering the Government’s specific targets including reducing waiting times in health, cutting street crime and improving school test and exam results. Prior to taking on this role he had been responsible for implementing the government’s school reform in the Department of Education.

Here, Sir Michael tells us the secret of how this challenging job was done with great success, the inevitable pitfalls that came with it, and the necessity to admit what is humanly possible and focus on fewer but carefully selected targets. Furthermore, he shares with us his sober philosophy of action which, when properly engaged with, can serve as a powerful tool for future governments in this country and many others, facing the challenges of modern democracies that include ever-rising public demands. This explains why the book is being read by political leaders in many countries.

When first published, this publication received much praise in the media. This new and expanded edition was published by Methuen in May 2008 owing to public demand. For anyone assessing Tony Blair’s time in office, and more generally for anyone interested in how things get done in government, this is a must read. As The Times put it, this book defines the Blair era as much as Nigel Lawson’s The View from Number Eleven defines the Thatcher era.

Before he worked for government, Sir Michael Barber was Professor of Education at the University of London.  Since leaving Downing Street in 2005, he has been advising governments around the world on improving their performance. He is also the author of The Learning Game and numerous other books and articles.

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