Public Servant Events

The reality of budget cuts is bringing the future of public services to the centre of attention.  JEST Management Services attended two events in June 2010 that were focussed on enabling substantive improvements in the public sector.

At the  "Outsourcing" event the whole issue of outsourcing was examined, with the expectation of many within the sector that outsourcing will be one of the ways, if not the only way, in which public services can become more effective and save cost. In the keynote address David Smith Commercial Director of the Department of Work and Pensions, which accounts for over 20% of Whitehall expenditure and already has a significant level of outsourcing, pointed out "outsourcing doesn't deliver short term benefits…its about the medium and long term. "You are unlikely to get value if you rush into it."

Over at the "Engaging the Human Resource" event the message was driven home that employee engagement is the key to unlocking employee productivity. David Macleod in discussing the outcome of his review stressed that "by maximising the input, commitment and voice of employees you maximise the effectiveness, quality and performance of the organisation".

These themes clearly don't exist in isolation. The ideas need to come together. By engaging employees you are likely to achieve significantly more. By engaging employees on redesigning service delivery you have a chance of delivering the service that the citizen expects at a cost that the citizen can afford.

To see the conference content including the key presentation details follow "Outsourcing" or "Engaging the Human Resource" and use the 'View Presentation' links on the relevant pages.

The viewpoint that the people who deliver public services are the key to redesigned service delivery which can save costs is one that JEST Management Services shares and in his article published in the July issue of "Public Servant" to coincide with these events Eric Thompson explores the theme"Can you do more with less?" His conclusion is that "people do make a difference".