PluggedIN: Can’t get no satisfaction meeting residents’ expectations?
Author: Alex Thomson, in the MJ |
Most people are aware that Mick Jagger finds it hard to achieve Satisfaction – after all he’s been banging on about it for nearly 50 years (and if you read the papers, not wholly truthfully).
It is more surprising that this doesn’t seem to be a problem afflicting local government as one might imagine. With the sector facing the deepest spending cuts in living memory, Yesterday’s papers were swift to Paint It Black, expecting the quality of services (and thus resident’s satisfaction) to fall dramatically.
But, recent data seems to suggest otherwise, with an Ipsos MORI poll at the start of the year finding that as many public service leaders believed that the quality of their services had improved, as thought they had worsened – one in five, in both cases.
Not only that, but according to LGA research conducted in September, 72% of residents are satisfied with the way council services are run, while only 14% were unsatisfied.
Further, a quick straw poll of recent results from eight local authorities saw six of receiving rises in satisfaction rates over the past year or two.
The current numbers suggest that despite the enormity of the challenge, councils are keeping the balls in the air – in most parts of the country at least.Of course, this may be the calm before the storm before spending reductions really start to bite.
On the other hand, it could be a reflection of the fact that many areas are being required to think afresh about what they do, and how they do it, with the result being innovation that is maintaining or improving standards.
Nevertheless, meeting residents’ expectations, regardless of the resources available, is a never-ending and thankless task – as any who’ve worked in government either locally or nationally will well know.
Last year, in this very column, I suggested that radically-shrinking budgets that leave little for discretionary services would see an enhanced relevance for political priorities.
Of course, all administrations seek to reflect the priorities of their residents, but perhaps a sharper focus on making tough calls has helped members to zero in on what really matters to the people they serve. Jagger was wrong again, it’s not All Over Now.