5 Conclusion
78. Despite being somewhat unkindly judged by history,
the Citizen's Charter was nonetheless a significant milestone
in public service reform. The Charter programme's primary focus
was to ensure that public services met the needs of the people
using them. This goal remains relevant to public service delivery
today. The lasting impact of the Charter programme can be seen
in user-focused initiatives such as the new Customer Service Excellence
standard (the successor to the Charter Mark) and in the Government's
commitment to specifying the rights and responsibilities of public
service users (for example, in the draft NHS Constitution).
79. In this Report, we have examined in particular
the idea of setting out people's entitlements to minimum standards
of public service provision. We believe there is a very strong
case to institute Public Service Guarantees that empower users
by allowing them to claim their rights to public services.
There are numerous implications that arise from the proposal,
such as the appropriate level at which to set entitlements, how
to avoid unintended or perverse consequences, and the sort of
the responsibilities that should be placed on people in return
for their rights to public services. The basic idea, however,
is quite straightforward. Setting out clear entitlements to
public services empowers people and strengthens their attachment
to publicly provided services. As the Government clarifies the
future direction of public service reform, introducing Public
Service Guarantees would be a clear indication that, in the provision
of public services, it genuinely intends to put people first.
|
