“Information revolution” for public services
By Alex Stevenson
Catching up with the private sector’s ability to engage with their customers is a key aim of the government’s public sector reforms announced today.
Prime minister Gordon Brown, writing in the foreword to the Working Together reform document, called for “an information revolution to enable parents, patients and citizens to share information and experience in the performance of schools, hospitals and police forces”.
The government wants the same levels of transparency and accountability seen as a result of customer engagement in the private sector to be transferred across to public services.
A focus on online delivery is the result. Today’s document pledges “greater engagement with the public through more interactive online consultation on collaboration”.
“In this instance, knowledge is power,” Mr Brown added.
“When we give people knowledge about their public services, we give them power over them; power to shape and even transform them.
“We are ushering in a new world of accountability in which parents, patients and local communities shape the services they receive, ensuring all our public services respond not simply to the hand of government, but to the voice of local people.”
Under the plans citizens would, for example, be able to access other people’s experiences when choosing a GP practice or nursery.
Mr Brown added: “We have clearly got the balance wrong when online businesses have higher standards of transparency than the public services which we pay and support.”
