Transforming public services
4. The focus of public service reform has, in recent
years, seen a change in emphasis from service providers to service
users. There has been a shift from matters of service provision—such
as choice among providers and performance against targets—to
a more explicit concern with the needs of the people that use
public services.[3] This
can be seen in moves toward personalised public services and Sir
David Varney's call for 'service transformation'[4]
to improve government's responsiveness to citizens.
5. At community level, the Government has recently
proposed plans to 'unlock talent' in local communities by giving
citizens more power over local decisions and services. [5]
From April 2009 local authorities will be under a statutory duty
to inform, consult and involve local people in the running of
local services.[6] NHS
bodies in England are already under a recently strengthened duty
to involve patients in decisions affecting the provision and operation
of health services.[7]
Active citizenship, as well as being a good in itself, is seen
by the Government as a route to improving local public services
and strengthening local accountability.
6. The greater emphasis on responsiveness to people
can be seen in part as a logical extension of the public service
reforms that have gone before. Increased choice (or the promise
of it) has encouraged people to expect a greater say or even control
over service provision. User voice is equally important, however,
for public services where a choice of service provider is not
feasible. The idea of user-driven services also has strong historical
antecedents—notably the Citizen's Charter initiative, launched
in 1991, which aimed to improve public services by taking the
citizen's perspective and putting that at the heart of service
delivery.
7. We have followed with interest as the Government
has outlined its vision for public service 'transformation', much
of which requires the use of information technology to respond
more effectively to service users. The then Parliamentary Secretary
to the Cabinet Office, Pat McFadden MP, explained it to us in
this way:
Putting citizens and businesses first in the delivery
of public services is at the heart of transformational government.
The 2005 strategy Transformational government—enabled
by technology (Cabinet Office 2005) sets out three areas in
which public services need to be transformed:
- Services enabled by IT must
be designed around the citizen or business, not the provider,
and provided through modern, co-ordinated delivery channels;
- Government must move to a shared services culture—in
the front-office, in the back-office, in information and in infrastructure—and
release efficiencies by standardisation, simplification and sharing;
and,
- There must be broadening and deepening of government's
professionalism in terms of the planning, delivery, management,
skills and governance of IT enabled change.[8]
8. In this inquiry, we have explored more widely
the issue of how public services could be made more responsive
and user-oriented. This includes changes to the way that service
users see their role in service design and delivery, the role
of service professionals and practitioners, and whether the way
in which public services are currently organised enables effective
user involvement and participation. We believe the challenge for
government is to ensure that, where appropriate, public services
are as responsive as possible to the people that use them. This
Report therefore examines the scope for public service users to
influence, direct or control the public services they receive.
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