29/11/2010

Government Seeks Experts' View On Public Service Reform

The Government has invited experts, public service managers and providers of public services to submit their ideas for public service reform.

Their views will help shape the Government's Public Service Reform White Paper, announced in the Spending Review, which will be published next year.

The Government wants to reform public services by shifting power away from central government to the local level - to citizens, communities, and independent providers, so that they can play a greater role in shaping services.

The Government particularly wants views on how to drive reform further in the following ways:
  • Extending innovative payment and funding mechanisms, such as personal budgets and payment-by-results commissioning in more areas

  • Developing new rights for communities and public employees to buy and run services

  • Setting proportions of certain services that should be provided independently
  • Bringing external investment and expertise into service reform

  • Increasing democratic accountability at a local level
The Government also seeks comments on how best to ensure that continuity of service is maintained in any public service that is provided by voluntary, community or business groups.

The Government particularly wants to receive specific examples on how these reforms could be successfully implemented from the following groups:
  • Public services industry

  • Voluntary and community organisations
  • Independent providers of public services

  • Managers of public services

  • Think tanks and research bodies

  • Service users with views to share
  • Respondents can submit their views online until Wednesday 05 January 2011.

    (BMcN)

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