The Local Government Association has published an evaluation report on the new Comprehensive Area Assessment. CAA - A Sector Perspective on Year 1 updates an earlier analysis, undertaken last year, and has been informed by structured feedback from the public sector.

The latest national statistics from the Citizenship Survey produced by the Department for Communities and Local Government have just been released. The statistics include data covering a range of issues including community cohesion, empowerment, values, racial and religious prejudice and discrimination, volunteering, and charitable giving.

A new report from The Young Foundation and IDeA highlights that promoting and influencing happiness is no longer just an aspiration. The State of Happiness brings together four years of in-depth pilot projects with three councils across the country. As the recession forces difficult public spending choices, services focused on wellbeing are delivering widespread economic and social benefits - especially to children.

For the tenth anniversary of devolution, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published a round-up and a series of reports exploring trends in social and economic disadvantage, as well as policy developments, in four areas: housing and homelessness, employment, neighbourhood regeneration and long-term care for older people.

The National Coalition for Independent Action has published an open letter to the chief executives of the five national bodies who have endorsed the revised National Compact, questioning their actions.

The prime minister set out the government's plans for constitutional and parliamentary reform in a speech for the Institute for Public Policy Research. He committed to a referendum on electoral reform, a fully elected House of Lords, and more community control over public services.