CIPD report showcases public sector excellence

CIPD report showcases public sector excellence and shows private sector does not have the monopoly on leadership

A report launched tomorrow at Making the Public Sector Delivery Agenda Work, a joint Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)/ Centre for Management and Policy Studies (CMPS) conference, will show that the private sector does not have the monopoly on skills or management talent.

The report, Delivering Public Services - Engaging and Energising People, explores both the ways in which managers in the public sector have been able to transform organisations and some of the obstacles they have overcome.
The report is based on a number of case studies including the Court Service, the Inland Revenue, the National Blood Service and West Mercia Constabulary. It shows how these organisations have achieved real performance improvements while having to cope with huge changes and demanding targets.

Conference speakers include Minister for the Cabinet Office, The Rt Hon Lord Macdonald of Tradeston CBE; Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster; and Geoff Armstrong, Director General, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The report shows how employees are being empowered to turn organisational vision into action, and improve the delivery and quality of services. The CIPD believes that these examples offer powerful messages to other organisations facing similar challenges, and can contribute significantly to the process of public service reform.
Says CIPD Employee Relations expert Mike Emmott: Ministers are committed to securing major improvements in the delivery of public services across the board. The model of reform is often assumed to be one of following good practice developed by the private sector. The emphasis is placed on performance management, target setting and monitoring outcomes.

However, as this report shows, the key to unlocking change lies in the processes of day to day management and engaging the willing contribution of front-line staff.
People need to be consulted and involved so that they have a genuine role in creating a vision for the future. This means creating a more hands-off approach, with less micro-management from the centre and more local leader responsibility for the design and development of services around the needs of local people.

Ewart Wooldridge, Director of the CMPS Civil Service College, added: The case studies presented at the conference demonstrate how service delivery at the front line can be transformed within a framework of national
targets. The key to success is in the behaviours and strategies of front-line leaders - understanding the broad public service agenda for change, engaging with their staff to make it happen, building trust and recognising success. CMPS is at the leading edge of supporting this change
programme through learning and development. The private sector has a lot to learn from us in the public sector

* The full report will be available on Wednesday 5 March, at www.cipd.co.uk/changeagendas