Catherine Staite is Director of the Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) at the University of Birmingham in England. Catherine leads her university department to bridge the gap between local government research and practice. Prior to INLOGOV, Catherine was the Director of Organisational Development and Policy for OPM, an independent research and consultancy institute for the public sector leaders, policymakers and regulators. Catherine has had other previous roles including Non-Executive Director of a high security British hospital, Vice-Chair of a healthcare trust and a member of the Board of Visitors for a local prison. In 2015, Catherine Staite was ranked in the top 100 most influential people in local government in the UK by the Local Government Chronicle. In this episode, you'll learn the paradox of less money and stronger communities, why local government reluctant to start a two-way conversation with residents, and the dichotomy between the political and the managerial.