Over a thousand reports, papers and articles on competition and contracting in public services are accessible via a new online library launched today by the Serco Institute. Policymakers, researchers and members of the general public interested in public service contracting can now easily locate and access original reports from a range of sources, at the click of a button.

The Serco Institute online Resource Centre contains links and references to a virtual library of publications from around the world, documenting the development of government policy on competition and contracting of public services.  It includes academic studies and governmental research into the performance of public-private partnerships, and analysis of the conditions necessary for success. 

The Executive Director of the Serco Institute, Gary Sturgess said:

“The Resource Centre is treasure trove for policymakers working in this area. We don’t claim to have brought together all the resources available in this field, but we know of no other online source that offers comparable coverage. I expect the Resource Centre will continue to expand in the coming months and years, but now the time has come to make this material publicly accessible. 

“By making these resources available in an easy-to-access one-stop-shop, the Serco Institute hopes to raise the quality of the debate around private sector involvement in public service delivery, and enhance understanding, in governments and in the wider community, of the role that competition and contracting can play in improving public services, and the conditions for success.”

Wherever possible, the Resource Centre provides electronic links to original sources, which will continue to be updated. Where a book, report or article is not available on-line, a reference and brief description is provided so that researchers can access these sources themselves. The selection of documents referenced is by far the most extensive collection in existence on this range of topics. 

The Resource Centre is aimed at political parties, public policymakers, academic and business researchers, students and members of the general public with an interest in improving the quality and sustainability of public service markets. 

The Serco Institute Resource Centre can be found at www.serco.com/instituteresource

Examples: Readers might be interested in accessing the following topical issues at the Resource Centre as a way of exploring its potential.

Competitive neutrality: http://www.serco.com/instituteresource/subjects/marketdev/competneut

Performance measurement: http://www.serco.com/instituteresource/subjects/contractdesign/perfmeasurement

Contracting for entire municipal services in the USA: http://www.serco.com/instituteresource/market/Municipal/Authorities