The Citizen as Consumer? Christopher Stone Centre for Policy Development

CPD – Public Sector Research Program

Citizen as consumer? “Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful.” - George E. P. Box Relationship not just provider and consumer, Public Service has different responsibilities…

… to Service Users Christopher Stone (2012) Valuing skills: Why Vocational Training Matters TAFE dominated Industry Training % market share % courses training for occupations in shortage Mining Information Media and Telecommunications Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services Construction RTO dominated Industry Training % Market Share % courses training for occupations in shortage Wholesale Trade Retail Trade Public Administration and Safety Administration and Support Services 62.90

… to Broader Public Christopher Stone (2013) False Economies Part 2: Doing less with less Example: Public transport subsidies Annual benefit to car drivers from trains was calculated to be $923 million

… to Government Tim Roxburgh (2012) Public works need public sector skills: The lost lessons of the BER program

Ignore Certain Ideas Example: Co-production "Co-production means delivering public services in an equal and reciprocal relationship between professionals, people using services, their families and their neighbours" - New Economics Foundation

Uncritically Accept Certain Ideas Example: New Public Management Arguably increased efficiency but lessened protections against politicisation

Private Sector Primacy Also an overly simple model Yellow pages test Conditions preventing well-functioning market: – non-competitive conditions – single buyer – alternative means of competition – principal-agent – de-skilling – loss of economies of scale

Side Note: 3 Kinds of Efficiency Doing the most with the fewest resources – (technical efficiency) Doing the right kind of work – (allocative efficiency) Finding new ways to fill needs – (dynamic efficiency)

Big Society Manifesto of UK PM David Cameron, based on ideas of think tank director Phillip BlondPhillip Blond

Big Society cuts in the UK Social housing development Religious and community services Community development Central and other health services Family and children social services

Big Society cuts in Queensland Housing, social welfare and other community services Dept of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services Child safety and social inclusion services Alcohol reform programs Financial crisis emergency relief Community Development Program Neighbourhood Centre, Youth at Risk and Youth Support programs Department of Health grants to NGOs

Customer focus Better is: outwards more than upwards

Cross-Sector Learning Productivity Commission (2???) Public and Private Hospitals

Allowed to Fail Non-innovative culture? Adversity ≠ Innovation Lack of resources most frequent problem Most innovations come from middle management or frontline staff A case of supported public sector innovation