OPM

In this paper, Sue Goss and Paul Tarplett outline the approaches that local authorities might taking to make savings and give examples of what has worked well and why.

An OPM public interest briefing by Catherine Staite. Efficiency – which usually means ‘more for less’ – has been a constant theme in the public sector for the past five or six years. Many approaches have been taken, including outsourcing services, sharing services, restructuring and de-layering, integrating services and organisations, and reducing or increasing charges for services. In this briefing, Catherine Staite argues that while there are still opportunities for making further savings in local public services by improving the way that local partners ‘buy’ and ‘do’, opportunities for much greater savings lie in changing the way in which partners work together to deliver ‘change’ for individuals, families and communities. It draws on OPM’s research and the work we do with clients to improve efficiency in holistic and sustainable ways.

This public service briefing by Sue Goss looks at how to use public policy to influence people to help promote positive outcomes. It argues that: you need to understand the reasons behind people’s behaviour and the role emotions play in our motivation. It discusses the role of frontline staff whose own behaviour establishes the nature of the relationship people have with public agencies. And it argues that an organisation talking with citizens about behaviour change needs a pro-active, curious culture, set from the top.

An OPM study commissioned by the Audit Commission on behalf of the Joint Inspectorates. The Audit Commission, on behalf of the six partner inspectorates involved in the Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA), commissioned OPM to: estimate the costs of CAA incurred by local authorities as a sector in complying with its inspection and audit requirements in its first year; and, compare CAA year one costs with costs incurred by local authorities under the previous Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) regime. This costing study is part of a wider evaluation of year one of CAA. This report summarises the key findings of the study.

This paper gives an outline of OPM’s approach to working with organisations and partnerships to implement more efficient ways of improving outcomes for service users. Each organisation looking to achieve efficiencies will face unique circumstances.

Total Place is a national initiative aimed at understanding how a ‘whole-area’ approach to public services can lead to better outcomes at less cost. Sue Goss shares learning from these thirteen Total Place pilots.