MPs doubt public service reforms
Wednesday, 7 May 2008 12:00 AM
Doubts have been expressed about efforts to make public services more 'user-friendly'.
A report from the Commons' public administration select committee says there is only minimal evidence showing boosted user involvement makes a significant difference to the quality of public services in Britain.
It says the government needs to go beyond its current emphasis on "personalised" public services to "empower and engage" individuals.
Personalised services can be provided without user involvement, MPs say, meaning a public service culture needs to be created which does not leave its users behind.
The report also warns there is only limited evidence to show improved user involvement makes a positive difference.
"It is early days still for these ideas and we need monitoring and evaluation in the areas where strong user involvement is being pioneered to begin to assess its true potential," committee chairman Tony Wright said.
"Involving people in public services is an important and innovative idea, with huge potential. however, we do need more robust evidence about the effects of stronger user involvement."
MPs say user involvement works best when the outcomes have a direct effect on people's lives.
Their findings follow an investigation into the impact of a change of emphasis in recent years from service providers to users.
The report says this has progressed logically from ideas of 'choice' and user-driven services, historically based in the 1991 citizen's charter initiative.
"Where deeper user involvement is both feasible and desirable, however, we believe that the government should provide the necessary support to enable people to participate effectively in public services," it concludes.
"This will help ensure the right conditions for user-driven public services - and the people using them - to flourish."
Newsletter sign up