Category Archives: public services

Prompt payments matter

Successive governments have implored the public sector to ensure that they pay suppliers – especially smaller companies, charities and social enterprises – promptly. However, almost daily there are reports of such suppliers not being paid in accordance with government guidance or contract conditions. Delays can be many weeks and sometimes months. These delays have serious… Read More...

More and more public services can be publicly owned and publicly managed in the public interest

As the Labour Party reaffirms its commitment to set in-house ownership and management as the default option for public services, public sector leaders and senior officials should consider how to respond. Most public bodies (including most local authorities) will have long-term outsourcing contracts and many will be considering whether to outsource other services or whether… Read More...

Why ‘good’ consultation is key

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We have many questions – let’s start to think about answers over the summer

It’s time to take a break but also to prepare to focus on what lies ahead for the sector I know that many VCS colleagues – trustees, staff and volunteers – will have precious little opportunity to have much of a break this summer. Pressures continue to mount, be they from increasing demand for services,… Read More...

Time for a public service renaissance

Let’s end the commodification of our public services and start valuing them as public goods that serve the interest of society, argues John Tizard. Discourse about our public services all too often fails to appreciate, let alone value, their societal, communal and economic importance. This failure commonly leads to services – even health, education and policing – being regarded as commodities and treated… Read More...

Out of Contract

Public managers and elected members have extensive experience of procuring goods and services and contracting for supply from private firms and charities. But, say you are the new town or county hall leader. New councillors will be asking: do we have an accurate map of council functions, coloured by who carries them out? If it… Read More...

The contracting conundrum

The dawning realisation that public service contracting has had its day can only grow after 3 May. As new councillors settle in and town halls change political colour, they will further question the shibboleths of the post-1980 era of ‘new public management’ – especially the belief that outsourcing major services out to companies is necessarily… Read More...

Local authority officers – be ahead of the curve and advise politicians on how to move on from outsourcing

Local government is increasingly questioning the wisdom and efficacy of traditional outsourcing of services to the business sector. Politicians and their senior officers are aware of a raft of high-profile outsourcing failures, and what is more the public is increasingly aware of these. Labour, Conservative and councils with no overall political control are taking services… Read More...

Public service markets and competitive tendering can be the antithesis of social value

The Government has published new guidance on the Social Value Act to help commissioners and policymakers get the most out of the legislation. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has issued the introductory guide, which it claims gives ‘practical advice’ for anyone carrying out duties under the Act for the first time,… Read More...

Rebranding will not solve the problems of public service outsourcing

Outsourcing needs more than a refresh and rebrand, argues John Tizard. A pause to collect some evidence is urgently required. It is interesting but not surprising that the public service outsourcing industry is calling for the industry to fight back against the political and public concern of the policy and practice of outsourcing public services.… Read More...