Blog posts November 2011
Public service myths and social mobility
Families don't eat together any more. Wars are good for the economy. People are dissatisfied with public services. It is easy for myths to turn into truisms by sheer force of repetition. Selective school systems might not be fair, but they're good for social mobility. To my shame - without really thinking about it - I think that one had started to slip into my subconscious. Good then to read this article from Vikki Boliver and Adam Swift, who review the evidence and conclude that 'comparing...
Transforming society, not just public services
There’s no end to what we ask public servants to do. Headteachers don’t just need to teach the 3 Rs, they need to sort out our kids’ diet, search them for knives and reverse generations of poverty. The more successful a public service becomes, the more new responsibilities we pile upon it.
For decades, many public service professionals have felt this way. Interestingly, this sense of expecting too much from public servants and too little from other people is also crytallising into the primary critique of Labour’s domestic policy. The critique runs that Labour let the market rip,...
Co-production for dummies
What is co-production and why is everyone talking about it?
This blog will hopefully help you understand what co-production is and importantly perhaps, what it isn't. Here lies the route to true understanding.
But first, why is everyone talking about it? Many people believe that co-production represents a new vision for public services which offers a better way to respond to the challenges we face - the challenges of changing demographics, increased demand, spiralling costs coupled with financial constraints. Evidence shows it can deliver improved outcomes for...
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