Quango merger learning

We've been interested here for a while in the topic of quango merging, mainly because at least one of us here was quangoed whilst another was involved in evaluating said quango.

This interest has given rise to the one good idea I think I've ever had: a quango merger quango, which would be:

some form of team or body within central government that can advise or lead the process of mergers within the public sector.

There are plenty of plusses for the idea and only a few minuses, one of which, obviously, is my suggested name. It's only the name, I presume, that could possibly mean the coalition government hasn't snapped up the idea and given me the credit. I'll post something on the idea later.

In the meantime, Guardian Public continues its excellent and informed reporting on the public sector with this piece on quango mergers and the experience of the Hearing Aid Council (the HAC).

Having been abolished, the HAC generously wrote a report highlighting 10 key lessons for other public bodies facing merger or abolition. The report is available here, and gives a nice example of exactly the sort of thing my proposed quango merger quango would do.