Better Public Services

Amidst growing dissatisfaction with the state of government performance and an erosion of trust in our political class, Competing for Influence asks: what sort of public service do we want in Australia? Drawing on his experience in both the public and private sectors – and citing academic research across the fields of public sector management, industrial organisation, and corporate strategy – Barry Ferguson argues the case for the careful selection and application of private sector management concepts to the public service, both for their ability to strengthen the public service and inform public policy. These include competitive advantage, competitive positioning, horizontal strategy and organisational design, and innovation as an all-encompassing organisational adjustment mechanism to a changeable environment. But these are not presented as a silver bullet, and Ferguson addresses other approaches to reform, including the need to rebuild the Public Sector Act, the need to reconsider the interface between political and administrative arms of government (and determine what is in the ‘public interest’), and the need for greater independence for the public service within a clarified role. This approach, and its implications for public sector reform, is contrasted with the straitjacket of path dependency that presently constricts the field.

For decades, public service organizations have been under constant and growing pressure from citizens and stakeholders to provide more integrated, effective and accountable programs and services. Governments are beginning to acknowledge that they can't own every issue and increasingly look to collaboration, networking and consultation at many levels as they design and develop polices, programs and service delivery mechanisms. Building Better Public Services explores the challenges facing public services in the 21st century, including the need for systemic cultural change, enhanced governance, evidence-informed policy and program design, and shared approaches to service delivery. Based on case studies and interviews, supplemented by first person experience, Building Better Public Services will take you inside the world of public services in Canada and the United Kingdom to explore capacity building successes and lessons learned. The book offers insights into innovations that will inform public servants as they work to improve services for citizens and gives directional advice and observations on the importance of public services leadership, an area rarely explored in business leadership literature. "An essential handbook on how to improve public policy and services. This is not yet another book focused primarily on making government smaller or driven by an ideology of austerity. It is rather grounded in a deep appreciation of the importance of public service to our quality of life and well-being and of the great advantages Canada's professional, nonpartisan public service affords. Drawing on examples across Canada and internationally of what works and what does not, Tony offers concrete recommendations for building a more citizen-centred, open, collaborative public service." -Alex Himelfarb - Former Clerk of the Privy Council - Government of Canada, and current Chair of WWF-Canada and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. "I hope Tony Dean's reflections bring a long overdue debate to a critical subject - how to make public services work better. Innovation in the public sector is a subject that cries out for real discussion, and Tony has done us all a great favour by analysing these issues with commitment and flair. It's not about cutting things, it's about creativity and getting things done, breaking down silos and making it happen." -Bob Rae - Lawyer, negotiator, and Ontario's 21st Premier. "This is a book written by someone who knows the day to day challenges and reality of making governments work. It should be read by both current and future politicians and public servants who want to improve their governments' focus on outcomes for, and with, citizens. Dean underpins this book with relentlessly wanting to achieve more. He celebrates the passion, commitment and innovation of public servants but is not blind to the need for change." --Ray Shostak - International Government Adviser and former head of the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and Director General, Performance, HM Government (UK)

For decades, public service organizations have been under constant and growing pressure from citizens and stakeholders to provide more integrated, effective and accountable programs and services. Governments are beginning to acknowledge that they can’t own every issue and increasingly look to collaboration, networking and consultation at many levels as they design and develop polices, programs and service delivery mechanisms. Building Better Public Services explores the challenges facing public services in the 21st century, including the need for systemic cultural change, enhanced governance, evidence-informed policy and program design, and shared approaches to service delivery. Based on case studies and interviews, supplemented by first person experience, Building Better Public Services will take you inside the world of public services in Canada and the United Kingdom to explore capacity building successes and lessons learned. The book offers insights into innovations that will inform public servants as they work to improve services for citizens and gives directional advice and observations on the importance of public services leadership, an area rarely explored in business leadership literature. “An essential handbook on how to improve public policy and services. This is not yet another book focused primarily on making government smaller or driven by an ideology of austerity. It is rather grounded in a deep appreciation of the importance of public service to our quality of life and well-being and of the great advantages Canada’s professional, nonpartisan public service affords. Drawing on examples across Canada and internationally of what works and what does not, Tony offers concrete recommendations for building a more citizen-centred, open, collaborative public service.” —Alex Himelfarb – Former Clerk of the Privy Council – Government of Canada, and current Chair of WWF-Canada and the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. “I hope Tony Dean's reflections bring a long overdue debate to a critical subject - how to make public services work better. Innovation in the public sector is a subject that cries out for real discussion, and Tony has done us all a great favour by analysing these issues with commitment and flair. It's not about cutting things, it's about creativity and getting things done, breaking down silos and making it happen.” —Bob Rae – Lawyer, negotiator, and Ontario’s 21st Premier. “This is a book written by someone who knows the day to day challenges and reality of making governments work. It should be read by both current and future politicians and public servants who want to improve their governments’ focus on outcomes for, and with, citizens. Dean underpins this book with relentlessly wanting to achieve more. He celebrates the passion, commitment and innovation of public servants but is not blind to the need for change.” --Ray Shostak – International Government Adviser and former head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and Director General, Performance, HM Government (UK)

for decades, public service organizations have been under constant and growing pressure from citizens and stakeholders to provide more integrated, effective and accountable programs and services. Governments are beginning to acknowledge that they can't own every issue and increasingly look to collaboration, networking and consultation at many levels as they design and develop polices, programs and service delivery mechanisms. Building Better Public Services explores the challenges facing public services in the 21st century, including the need for systemic cultural change, enhanced governance, evidence-informed policy and program design, and shared approaches to service delivery. Based on case studies and interviews, supplemented by first person experience, Building Better Public Services will take you inside the world of public services in Canada and the United Kingdom to explore capacity building successes and lessons learned. The book offers insights into innovations that will inform public servants as they work to improve services for citizens and gives directional advice and observations on the importance of public services leadership, an area rarely explored in business leadership literature.

This report examines how to improve the way governments serve Canadians using case studies of five agencies of the Canadian Federal Government, including their attempts to improve service delivery and the constraints or obstacles they face as they seek to make such improvements. The agencies studied include the Canada Communication Group (formerly the Queen's Printer); the Passport Office; the Geological Survey of Canada; the Aboriginal Business Canada program in Industry Canada; and the Marketing Practices Branch of the Bureau of Competition Policy in Industry Canada. The report examines the concept of service as it relates to the theory of bureaucracy, implementation theory and the policy instrument mix, and the institutional economics of bureaucracy; the re-invention of government theory; and the four service attributes.

This report offers a comprehensive survey of partnership practices across OECD countries.

Annually, central government spends some £558 billion, and this is forecast to increase to £678 billion by 2010-11. Strong and competent financial resources management is central to departments meeting their objectives cost effectively and delivering public services which represent value for money. Since the Committee's last report on this topic (HC 181, 25th report of session 2003-04, ISBN 9780215023636) the number of qualified finance directors with a seat on the departmental board has increased, enhancing the focus on financial performance at senior management level, but the lack of financial skills and awareness amongst non-finance staff remains a barrier to improving financial management more generally across government. Accruals-based accounting and budgeting systems are helping some departments identify under-utilised assets and dispose of those no longer required. Departments need to improve their forecasting capabilities to strengthen budgetary control and to avoid underspends not being identified early enough to reallocate resources to other priorities. Departments are continuing to spend less money than they forecast, particularly on capital projects, increasing the risk that resources are not being allocated across government in the most effective way. Few departmental boards are presented with accurate, timely and integrated financial and operational performance information to enable them to take sufficiently informed decisions on the use of resources and to review performance. Although the Treasury and Cabinet Office have a number of initiative to improve resource management, there is some way to go before financial management is fully embedded within departmental cultures.