Government Structures
This section contains a number of resources that look generally at the transformation of the UK public sector in the move from a monopoly state provision model to a public service economy engaged in ongoing collaboration with both the private and voluntary sectors. With documents mainly from the UK this section also contains key papers from the US which have influenced the debate around public sector reform.
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Regorganising Central Government (PDF) National Audit Office (NAO), 2010 A report examining the £780million cost of central government reorganisations (2005-9) and setting out recommendations to improve such transitions in future. UK
The Renewal of Government: A manifesto for whoever wins the election (PDF) Neil O'Brien, Ross Clark, 2010 Policy Exchange An expansive analysis examining many social and political issues facing the UK in 2010, this book recommends an overhaul of public policy with advice on how this might be achieved. UK
Power to Public Sector Workers (PDF) Conservative Party, 2010 This paper outlines Conservative plans to give public sector workers the right to form employee-owned co-operatives, taking over the services they deliver. It is claimed that this will empower millions of public sector workers to become their own boss, transforming service delivery. UK
For Good Measure: Devolving Accountability for Performance and Assessment to Local Areas (PDF) Shakespeare, Tom and Morris, James (ed.), 2010 Localis This report outlines a plan to increase local government performance, reduce bureaucracy and compliance costs, and drive public participation. The vision is of a new kind of government in which localism and citizen activism are central. UK
Undisclosed and Unsustainable: Problems of the UK National Business Model (PDF) Buchanan, John; Froud, Julie; Johal, Sukhdev; Leaver, Adam and Williams, Karel, 2010 Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change (CRESC), The Open University This paper assesses the comparative productivity of public and private sectors in creating jobs, finding that public money accounts for the creation of more than half UK jobs since 1998. UK
More Than We Bargained For: The Social and Economic Costs of National Wage Bargaining (PDF) Wolf, Alison, 2010 Centre Forum This paper examines Britain's centralised wage bargaining systems and finds they "create enormous barriers to the improvement of public services" as well as distorting labour markets, restricting economic growth and penalising the the poorest regions. UK
Sharing the Gain: Collaborating for Cost-Effectiveness (PDF) Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA), 2010 A report that provides guidance to public bodies on collaborating to make more effective use of their front-line and back-office service in a prevailing climate of budget cuts and rising customer demands. ISBN 978 1 84508 221 5 UK
Putting the Front Line First: Smarter government (PDF) HM Treasury, 2009 This paper presents a three-pronged action plan to meet the twin pressures of increasing demand for public services and restricting fiscal challenges. It proposes strengthening the role of citizens and civic society; recasting relationships between the centre and the frontline and between the citizen and the state; and by streamlining government. UK
Operational Efficiency Programme: Asset portfolio (PDF) HM Treasury, 2009 This document complements 'Putting the Front Line First' (also available in the library) in assessing the Government's progress in increasing returns on its asset base as it meets the twin challenges of improving public services and halving the deficit within four years. UK
Benchmarking the Back Office: Central Government HM Treasury, 2009 This document complements 'Putting the Front Line First' (also available in the library) in assessing the Government's progress in benchmarking back-office performance as it meets the twin challenges of improving public services and halving the deficit within four years.
Putting the Public First: Partnering with the Community and Business to Deliver Outcomes (PDF) Economic Audit Committee, 2009 Government of Western Australia A wide-ranging review of the operational and financial performance of the Western Australian public sector which focuses on analysis of capability and results rather than departmental inputs and structures adopting personalisation of services, competition and innovation as its broad themes. Australia
Check Against Delivery: Address to the RSA (PDF) Denham, John, 2009 Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) This speech argues that effective devolution of power, leadership and accountability to strong elected local authorities is essential to improving public services in an era of financial restraint. UK
The Ownership State: Restoring excellence, innovation and ethos to the public services (PDF) Blond, Phillip, 2009 NESTA/Respublica This report asserts that the current model of public sector reform is not up to the challenge of meeting increasing public expectations against a backdrop of financial turmoil. It argues that serious future improvement will require the harnessing of two powerful but underused forces - the involvement of front-line workers and citizens - and a new model of delivery based on social enterprise. UK
Leading From The Front (Web Page) Max Wind-Cowie and Jonty Olliff-Cooper with Jamie Bartlett, 2009 Demos This think-tank report takes a 'progressive conservative' approach to reforming public services beyond 2009. It argues for reform within three essential principles: professionals should be liberated from bureaucracy and over-management, freeing them to focus on serving the public; greater emphasis must be put on training and up-skilling in public services; and accountability needs to be smarter and more effective. UK
The Bottom Line: A vision for local government (PDF) Localis/KPMG, 2009 This report examines how local government can successfully meet the challenges of financial restraint and public demand for change. In particular it examines productivity, efficiency and the mixed economy; accountability and performance management; the local economy; cross-boundary working; and financial innovation. UK
Private Delivery of Public Services (PDF) Grout, Paul, 2009 Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol A report which looks at the theoretical justifications for different models of private and not-for-profit sector delivery of public services and analysis of the evidence of their effects. UK
Drivers For Change: Citizen demand in 2020 (PDF) Commission on 2020 Public Services, 2009 2020 Public Services Trust The Commission on 2020 Public Services is a major inquiry into how UK public services can meet the challenges of the next decade. This report, one of three in the commission's opening 'Scoping the Challenges' series, assesses and outlines over 30 social, cultural and technology trends that will influence future demand for public services, allied to three socio-economic scenarios for the UK in 2020. UK
Operational Efficiency Programme: Final Report (PDF) HM Treasury, 2009 The Stationery Office This report examines five key areas in the UK public sector where efficiency savings can be made so that public services can keep pace with developments in the private sector: back office operations and IT, collaborative procurement, asset management and sales, property, and local incentives and empowerment. UK
Working Together - public services on your side (PDF) Cabinet Office, 2009
This document lays out the UK Government's strategy to personalise services for citizens, communities and frontline staff. It focuses on three areas: empowering citizens to take greater control through increased use of interactive technologies; fostering heightened professionalism among providers; strategic leadership from government.
UKPublic Service Reform in France and the UK (PDF) David Walker, 2009 Franco-British Council This document provides a summary of the key findings and conclusions at the FBC's Public Service Reform seminar, which compared France and Britain's recent attempts at improving their public performance in service provision. UK
A Brief History of Public Service Reform (PDF) Commission on 2020 Public Services, 2009 2020 Public Services Trust The Commission on 2020 Public Services is a major inquiry into how UK public services can meet the challenges of the next decade. This report, one of three in the commission's opening 'Scoping the Challenges' series, provides a historical analysis of UK welfare and public services with a view to judging prospects for radical future reform. UK
Fit For Purpose (PDF) Andrew Haldenby, Lucy Parsons, Greg Rosen, Elizabeth Truss, 2009 Reform This report argues that the UK civil service is among the most unaccountable in the developed world and that successive governments have failed in attempts at reform. It presents a new framework for Whitehall, principally democratic accountability to hold senior civil servants to account. UK
Turning the Tide - Opportunities for Public Sector Organisations in an Economic Downturn (PDF) Deloitte, 2009
This report argues that the global financial crisis threatens 'critical shortfalls in public service quality', and to avoid this public sector leaders must take action on two fronts. First, the report sets out a series of tactical steps to manage risks and threats that arise as an immediate consequence of the crisis across financial services. Second, it considers longer-term, more fundamental or strategic reforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public services, and to adapt to the changing requirements of citizens.
UK
Changing Whitehall's DNA: Reforming Whitehall to Free Cities and Counties (PDF)
Sorabji, Dick, 2008
New Local Government Network
A report detailing the evolution of Public Service Agreements in the UK Government and their possible future.
The Future of Services to the Public (PDF) The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), 2007 This report provides a long-term perspective on public services, predicting what the provision of public services will be like in 2030. It looks at the future potential influence of world markets, national enterprise, local stewardship and global sustainability. Taking into account these factors, the report analyses how involved the public sector will be in the role of public services and how different public services will be in 2030. ISBN 978 1 84508 125 6 UK
Reforming Public Services National School of Government, 2007 The Stationery Office Report arising from a major international conference, 21st Century Public Services - Putting People First, organised by the National School of Government and the Cabinet Office. The report summarises the contributions from the range of platform speakers and highlights the main issues raised by those presentations, and in the round-table discussions that took place between the conference sessions. ISBN 978 0 953 6688 3 0 UK
Building On Progress: Public Services (PDF) Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, 2007 This paper sets out the principles to continue improvements in public services over the following ten years. These include the need to open up the supply of public services to the best available providers from the private sector, which will help accomplish the aims of more choice and more personalised public services. UK
Public Services Matter-Sustaining Reform Through Effective Partnerships The Confederation of British Industry (CBI), 2006 This document looks at how partnerships with the Government and stakeholders can help transform public services, suggesting specific recommendations for each of the focused areas. The document strongly asserts that the involvement of both the private and voluntary sectors in these areas is essential in transforming the delivery of public services. It is believed that collaboration with the sectors will enhance competition and lead to cost savings. This is based on the successful experience of private sector involvement in some local education authorities and prisons. UK
The UK Government's Approach to Public Service Reform - A Discussion Paper (PDF) The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, 2006 Cabinet Office A discussion paper on public service reform which sets out the Government's preliminary ideasas well as outlining the main benefits and the risks involved. This paper shows the Government's intention to introduce market-oriented reforms which will include collaboration with the private sector though PFI and the commissioning of services. An emphasis is also placed on the need for a system of performance management through targets and regulation to provide the best quality in services which the private sector is more renowned for offering. UK
Service transformation: A better service for citizens and businesses, a better deal for the taxpayer (PDF) Varney, Sir David, 2006 HM Treasury This report focuses on the opportunities for change in the channels through which services are delivered to citizens and businesses. UK
Is Public Service Reform Delivering? Audit Commission Inaugural Annual Lecture and Debate
Bichard, Sir Michael, 2005
Audit Commission
Reinventing Government Again (PDF) Colins, Philip and Bryne, Liam (Eds), 2004 Social Market Foundation This document marks the ten-year anniversary of the original Reinventing Government paper (also on the Resource Centre). This update acknowledges the influence the original document has had on recent UK governments, and analyses the progress of public service reform in direct comparison with the original principles and advice laid out. In comparison to the ideas set out in the original document, the authors argue that the UK Government has not gone far enough in enhancing choice in public services. Although the original document does insist on a need for targets to monitor the performance of public services, the article argues that targets have often been used wrongly and many have concentrated on the process of public reforms rather than results. The report does assert that countries engaging in public service reform have often concentrated excessively on the quality of management. ISBN 1 904899 19 6 UK
Service First: the new charter programme The Cabinet Office, 1998 Service First - the new Charter programme' aims to improve service delivery across the public sector. As part of the Better Government initiative, on which a broader White Paper will be published, it builds on what has already been achieved throughout the countrty, but gives a new emphasis to promoting responsiveness, quality, effectiveness and cross-sectoral working. UK
Better Government Services: Executive Agencies in the 21st Century (PDF)
HM Treasury, 2002
The Prime Minister's Office of Public Services Reform
Reforming our Public Services-Principles into Practice (PDF) The Prime Minister's Office of Public Services Reform, 2002 This document sets out the Government's ambitions in reforming public services. It outlines four principles for reform: national standards, devolution in Whitehall, the removal of bureaucratic barriers and the creation of choice. Accepting the benefits of public-private partnerships (PPP), the paper proposes engaging with the private sector and using the PPP model to drive up standards and deliver improvements to public services. UK
Reinventing Government: A Fifth-Year Report Card (PDF) Kettl, Donald F., 1998 The Brookings Institution This report looks at the progress that has been made in the National Performance Review (NPR) campaign. Generally the report offers a mixed review of the NPR. It does accept that the NPR has promoted greater attention to customer service and performance, in the process borrowing heavily from private sector techniques. One of the largest problems that the report identifies with the efforts to reinvent government is that NPR has found little help from the private sector despite its theory being based on the sector's ideas. Certain techniques in particular require greater attention such as benchmarking and restructuring. USA
The Next Steps Report Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service, 1997 The Stationery Office This report provides a commentary and a database on the operation of a hundred and twenty-four executive agencies. The report is a part of the government's aim to deliver services more efficiently and effectively. It focuses on ways of improving agency performance, through methods such as benchmarking and the use of a framework which measures agency performance against the public sector. The report provides an emphasis on the concepts involved in performance measurement which are usually more familiar in the private sector. UK
The Citizen's Charter- Five Years On- A Report to Mark Five Years of the Charter Programme The Stationery Office , 1996 This White Paper presents information on the progress that has been made by the Citizen's Charter five years on, showing what has been achieved in specific services. The paper also makes recommendations on future priorities in these services regarding the Charter Programme. Suggestions for the future include a greater emphasis on working in partnerships when developing Charters, increasing user-involvement and supplying the customer with better information. ISBN 0 10 133702 7 UK
Competing for Quality Policy Review: An Efficiency Unit Scrutiny Efficiency Unit, Cabinet Office, 1996 The Stationery Office This report presents the findings, conclusions and recommendations from a review of the management of the Competing for Quality (CfQ) initiative. The aim of CfQ is to increase efficiency and to expose public services to competition to improve value for money. The review suggests that the initiative has enhanced efficiency and extended competition throughout public services, since its creation in 1991. In particular, the review concentrates on the involvement of the private sector, where it suggests that the contractbidding process requires improvement. ISBN 011 430142 5 UK
Next Steps: Moving On Trosa, Sylvie, 1994 This report investigates the progress that has been made against the recommendations in the Fraser Report (also on the Resource Centre). The areas where concerns are noted include the clarity of the relationship between departments and agencies, accountability and the use of targets. However, the report does state that the Next Steps initiative has generally enjoyed some success with greater efficiency gains, improvements in performance and more of a customer orientated focus. UK
Creating a Government That Works Better and Costs Less-Report of the National Performance Review Vice President Al Gore, 1993 Times Books The National Performance Review focuses on changing government through four main characteristics: cutting red tape, putting the customer first, empowering employees to get results and cutting back to basics. Together this quartet promotes exposing the government to external competition, using market mechanisms and involving government leaders. The change suggested is radical, and it is anticipated that reform is likely to be a long and gradual process. ISBN 0 8129 2365 0 USA
Reinventing Government-How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector Osborne, David and Gaebler, Ted, 1992 Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc This book outlines a new way of governing public services. Criticising the state of US public services, it proposes a system of entrepreneurial government with a public sector that is decentralized, innovative, flexible and adaptable. The book states ten principles which underlie such reform. These include competitive government with involvement from both the public and the private sector, customer-driven government, and market-orientated government. The book has been an important document in pioneering modern ideas about public service reform in many countries, including the UK, where its ideas have been adopted by recent governments. ISBN 0 201 52394 9 USA
Competing for Quality: Buying Better Public Services Her Majesty's Treasury, 1991 The Stationery Office This report looks at ways of expanding competition in the public sector. As well as in a number of departments, the report focuses on how competition can be extended in central, local government and the NHS. Proposals include providing incentives to managers, setting targets and encouraging private sector involvement. Streamlining through contracting is also suggested. ISBN 0 10 117302 4 UK
The Citizen's Charter: Raising the Standard Cabinet Office, 1991 The Stationery Office This White Paper presents early examples of how the Citizen's Charter was to be applied to many different public services. The paper explains that the intention of the Citizen's Charter is to give greater power to the citizen, and free the front line. As well as this, the document provides information on other policies in support of the Citizen's Charter and the Government's general reform plan for public services. Cm 1599 UK
Making the Most of Next Steps: The Management of Ministers' Departments and their Executive Agencies (Fraser Report) Efficiency Unit, 1991 The Stationery Office This report accepts that the Next Steps programme has been generally running well. Looking at the experience of agencies, the report recommends certain improvements such as ensuring that a shared vision between departments and agencies is maintained, and that greater attention is given to target-setting. ISBN 0 11 430055 0 UK
A Better Machine: Government for the 21st Century Walker, David, 1996 Eureopean Policy Forum Government and would-be governments put much thought into the policies they want to follow. They put very little thought in the machinery which is needed to develop and deliver these policies. This paper argues that the central government machine is out of date. Barely changed in essentials or 50 years or more it trammels thinking, fails to deliver, and is unnecessarily expensive. UK
Improving Management in Government: the Next Step Agencies
The Stationery Office, 1991
The second review of the Next Steps Agencies looks at the results that have been achieved by fifty-six agencies and thirty executive units. The analysis in this review provides information on the progress that has been made by each agency in their development and their efforts to meet the set performance targets.
The Next Steps Initiative-Seventh Report from the Treasury and Civil Service Committee Treasury and Civil Service Committee, 1991 The Stationery Office This report reviews the progress of the Next Steps Initiative. It analyses any problems that have been identified with the initiative so far, providing recommendations for improvement. These include concerns of there becoming a division between the Civil Service which deal separately with management and policymaking. The report does however generally accept that the initiative has made substantial progress so far. ISBN 0 10 249691 9 UK
Improving Management in Government- the Next Steps Agencies Review The Stationery Office, 1990 This is the first review of the Next Steps Initiative. It analyses the performance and the functioning of the executive agencies. The review looks at each agency and examines whether it has been able to achieve the individually tailored targets set. Cm 1261 UK
The Next Steps Initiative. National Audit Office (NAO), 1989 The Stationery Office This report records the initial arrangements in implementing the Next Steps Initiative. The document is explicit in outlining how agencies will function in the framework of government. It focuses on the government's key priorities in organising the agencies. In particular, one of the main concerns is the introduction of more accountable management, whilst at the same time delegating a greater responsibility outside government. ISBN 0 10 241089 5 UK