Breaking down silos to deliver better public services
Author: Steven Howell, Localis, in The Guardian |
As all local authorities know, the status quo is not an option. Not that councils have ever stood still in their search for efficiency and better public services. Indeed, Localis would argue that they are ahead of the game compared with the rest of the public sector, but it’s clear that tough times are ahead.
Nothing new here of course. However, the sector should not despair. Momentum has been growing for years to break down the silos of public sector organisations from local area agreements and long before, to community budgets and way beyond.
Local government has plenty to offer the rest of the sector in terms of its experience in delivering quality services for good value. In turn, there’s plenty that the voluntary sector, private sector and emerging mutual organisations can show local authorities.
Shared services have been in vogue for a number of years, delivering significant savings. However, some councils are continuing to push the boundaries beyond the traditional models of shared back office and management, towards expanding out to sharing whole frontline services.
London’s tri-borough is one example, with 300m in savings planned over the next decade, but there are others. Such a model will not be appropriate for all councils and shared services are, by and large, not the solution to the 16.5bn funding gap that the Local Government Association expects by 2020, but in some cases they might help work towards this.
Councils are starting to think more broadly about working with external partners, too. Moving from procurement to commissioning is something that we’ve long argued for, as have others, in a move towards designing services in partnership around strategic outcomes.
To help meet the unprecedented challenge faced by the sector, such solutions will need to be radical. They will rely on honest, trusting and mutually beneficial relationships, with both residents and external partners. The public sector will need to be more open to giving up control and embrace working with partners of all types, depending on local need and circumstance.
The private sector will need to think about long-term, mature, strategic partnerships that offer value beyond management efficiencies.
Finally, the voluntary and community sector will need to commit to practical and sustainable solutions, working with commissioners to overcome concerns and perceptions. To make all of this happen, the public sector will need the skills to commission effectively ? council chiefs still think there is more to be done here, despite their experience within specific policy areas.
Our new report looks into co-operative and mutual models, new payment options and ways to harness a more entrepreneurial spirit, but the common theme is that there are a whole swath of alternative models of service delivery out there. But that’s ok. That’s localism. There are plenty of possibilities to choose from.
Steven Howell is a senior policy officer at Localis, the local government think-tank. Localis’ new report is Catalyst Councils ? A new future for local public service delivery.