Over at Ctrl-Shift Ive tried to sketch out the impact of VRM (buyer-centric commerce, customer-managed relationships, user-driven identity) on public services:It seems to me the effects of VRM on public services will be of four sorts. It will improve public services. It will cut costs. It will de-tox the “database state”. And it is the perfect basis for co-creation of our public servic...

The Spring issue of SOLIDARITY is now available. This is an article from it. “The strength of the unions depends on the consciousness, organisation, and active involvement of their members …” As we approach a General Election, whatever the outcome, we can be sure that public sector workers and the services they provide,

Two important reports came out this month on the future of public services. First is the 'Putting people into public services' report of the National Consumer Council. They look at the critical area of regulation, often not considered by commentators but crucial in ensuring services, whether publicly or privately provided, meet standards and expectations. Regulators are often remote, hidden and ha...

Julian Ware-Lane, Labour's candidate for Castle Point, has added his voice to the Unison campaign to create a fairer society. "I believe we need public services to help our economy recover from the recession. Our services look after people in good times and in bad and are making our country a fairer place. Our public services need investment, not cuts and privatisation." "I have been a public...

The fact that the UK leads the world in outsourcing public services is nothing to celebrate, the Public and Commercial Services union says.

Please go here and sign up to ask No.10 to employ John seddon as Public Services Tzar to bring his Systems Thinking methodology to public services. Spread the word. Or tell Call me Dave. If you don't know who John Seddon is, search my old posts or buy the book - "Systems thinking in the public services"

The Prime Minister has outlined a bold vision for transforming England's public services. In a Cabinet Office report “Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services” published today, he argues that although public services have improved dramatically over the past decade they are not yet world-class and a new stage of reform is required.

The simple fact is that since 1997 much of the massive increase in public spending has gone not on improvements in public services or better consumption of public goods and services, but on increasing the private consumption of those employed in the public sector. Always did like this particular economist.

Public sector organisations face unprecedented risks that threaten the quality of public services as they are hit by the recession, a leading consultancy has warned

It seems extraordinary to me, that hot on the heels of conference having, so recently, resoundingly rejected the marketization of the NHS and the concept of outsourcing to “any willing provider” – Nick Clegg and Danny Alexander yet again embrace an approach to delivering public services in the Open Public Services White Paper that flies