First, if you live in Plantation, let me recommend that you at least read my 'Plantation News' two paragraphs down. Whatever time on Wednesday you're actually reading this, there's a sense in which it's twenty to ten. That's because in twenty days time it'll be ten years since the publication of the Christie Report. That rather contrived opening paragraph is intended to clue you in to a decision I've made: rather than suspend my Wed-Heads in deference to the Local Place Plan consultation closing on the 25th June, for the time being I'm just sharply reducing the original content and hence the quality. Sorry, kids: I'm really busy this month. However, having read the Christie Report as part of doing my LPP homework, and having come to appreciate its great significance, I can't pass-up the chance to say something about it in the run-up to its tenth birthday because it has clearly been seminal: the Scottish Government's eminently laudable community empowerment drive, including the introduction of LPPs, can partly be traced back to it - as well as, no doubt, to the passing (also in 2011) of the Localism Act in England and Wales. In a future Wed-Head I will draw attention to one or two notable and significant differences between that Localism Act and the Community Empowerment Act (Scotland) 2015. Be warned that these are murky waters indeed but, for the time being - and by way of setting the stage, I suppose - I have culled this week's Wed-Head almost entirely from the pages of Dr Christie's excellent and influential report, from which my personal favourite sentence is this one: "Experience tells us that all institutions and structures resist change, especially radical change." He don't say. PS: Plantation News - Owner-occupiers of houses in Plantation received their annual 'factoring charge' bill for LHA's landscape (ie estate upkeep) services this week. Tenants didn't, because their charge is hidden away in their rent, so they may not be aware that they are paying the very same sum - which amounts to about eighteen quid a month (so more than four pounds a week). A number of residents have reacted with real anger to this because, to put it mildly, it is not obvious that either the quality or quantity of work done over the last twelve months represents anything like best value for money. As always, let me know what you think - and don't imagine that nothing can be done: that is not so, I assure you. PPS: 'Ten years of Christie' a REPORT GUIDE by Mark Drayton On 19th November 2010, (then) First Minister Alex Salmond launched a Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services. The Commission was chaired by Dr Campbell Christie CBE and published its report on 29th June 2011. I have not attempted to summarise the findings of the Christie Commission beyond quoting from Dr Christie's own remarks (see below). I have, however, appended the Scottish Government's remit to the commission in its entirety (they got quite a 'laundry list'), as well as a short description of how it was convened. Following a short but informative preamble the report itself (at <https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/independent-report/2011/06/commission-future-delivery-public-services/documents/0118638-pdf/0118638-pdf/govscot%3Adocument/0118638.pdf?forceDownload=true>) has eight chapters and six annexes. The eight chapters are titled:- 1. INTRODUCTION 2. CHALLENGES FACING OUR PUBLIC SERVICES 3. REFORMING OUR PUBLIC SERVICES 4. SERVICES BUILT AROUND PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES 5. WORKING TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE OUTCOMES 6. PRIORITISING PREVENTION, REDUCING INEQUALITIES AND PROMOTING EQUALITY 7. IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND REDUCING COST 8. KEY ELEMENTS OF A REFORM PROGRAMME The recommendations fall under four broad categories; these are the subjects of chapters 4 to 7 respectively. Chapter 3 is an overview of what is to come in chapters 4 to 7, chapters 1 and 2 having set out the case for reform in summary and detail respectively - those two are the least interesting chapters of the report, being (apart from anything else) ten years out-of-date. Chapter 3 is probably the best and chapter 4 is definitely the most important, along with the first part of chapter 7 which rightly stresses the need for much more transparency and accountability. The final chapter gathers together the recommendations from chapters 4 to 7 and sets out the criteria against which "proposals for the reform of public services should be assessed," viz:- "Proposals for the reform of public services should: * first and foremost, be shown to support the achievement of outcomes - real-life improvements in the social and economic wellbeing of the people and communities of Scotland; * be affordable and sustainable within the budgets expected to be available to Scotland's public services; * include appropriate arrangements for services to account to the people and communities of Scotland, both directly and through their democratically elected representatives, so that public confidence in and support for the delivery of services can be maintained; * ensure that services are built around the needs of people and communities, to increase individual and community capacity, resilience and autonomy; * allow and encourage services to empower front-line staff and allow them to give of their best; * support the local integration of service provision; * encourage services to pursue preventative approaches, tackle inequality and promote equality; * improve transparency over plans, expenditure and performance; * contribute to the simplification and streamlining of the public sector landscape; and * be consistent with and support the wider reform and improvement of Scotland's public services." ABRIDGED FOREWORD Early-on in Dr Christie's personally-penned foreword to the report, he insisted that Scotland's public services are... "crucial in helping many to achieve the skills they need to be part of the labour market - and thus are vitally important to improving our economic performance," ...but that... "our public services are now facing their most serious challenges since the inception of the welfare state. The demand for public services is set to increase dramatically over the medium term - partly because of demographic changes, but also because of our failure up to now to tackle the causes of disadvantage and vulnerability, with the result that huge sums have to be expended dealing with their consequences." Concluding that Scottish public services "will have to 'achieve more with less'," Dr Christie added that... "Reforming the delivery of these services is not only a matter of fiscal necessity. We also have to implement reforms that improve the quality of public services." Having set forth this twin-goal, he went on to say:- "If we are to have effective and sustainable public services capable of meeting the challenges ahead, the reform process must begin now." "Reforms must aim to empower individuals and communities receiving public services by involving them in the design and delivery of the services they use." "Public service providers must be required to work much more closely in partnership, to integrate service provision and thus improve the outcomes they achieve." "We must prioritise expenditure on public services which prevent negative outcomes from arising." "our whole system of public services - public, third and private sectors - must become more efficient" "Experience tells us that all institutions and structures resist change, especially radical change." "the scale of the challenges ahead is such that a comprehensive public service reform process must now be initiated" "Ultimate responsibility for reform rests [..] with the Scottish Government. I urge them to act quickly and decisively - as a society we no longer have time for delay." "I believe the way forward is clear, and it is now essential that the Scottish Government exercises its leadership by initiating a fundamental public service reform process." THE COMMISSION'S REMIT Facing the most serious budget reductions for at least a generation, there is an urgent need to ensure the sustainability of Scotland's public services. At the same time we must continue to improve outcomes for the people of Scotland: by driving up the quality of services (so the average meet the standards of the best); and by redesigning services around the needs of citizens, tackling the underlying causes of those needs as well as the symptoms. We are ambitious for Scotland's public services and wish to take them from good to excellent in every facet and in every place. We have a vision of Scotland's public services that: * are innovative, seamless and responsive, designed around users' needs, continuously improving * are democratically accountable to the people of Scotland at both national and local levels * are delivered in partnership, involving local communities, their democratic representatives, and the third sector * tackle causes as well as symptoms * support a fair and equal society * protect the most vulnerable in our society * are person-centred, reliable and consistent * are easy to navigate and access * are appropriate to local circumstances, without inexplicable variation * are designed and delivered close to the customer wherever possible, always high quality * respond effectively to increasing demographic pressures * include accessible digital services, that are easy to use and meet current best practice in the digital economy * have governance structures that are accountable, transparent, cost-effective, streamlined and efficient. The Commission is therefore asked to identify the opportunities and obstacles that will help or hinder progress towards this vision and make recommendations for change that will deliver us to our destination. In particular the Commission is asked to: * address the role of public services in improving outcomes, what impact they make, and whether this can be done more effectively * examine structures, functions and roles, to improve the quality of public service delivery and reduce demand through, for example, early intervention * consider the role of a public service ethos, along with cultural change, engaging public sector workers, users and stakeholders. The Commission should take a long term view and not be constrained by the current pattern of public service delivery, but should recognise the importance of local communities and the geography and ethos of Scotland as well as the significant direct and indirect contribution the delivery of public services make to Scotland's economy. It should have clear regard to joint work already underway to take forward the increasing integration of health and social care and to develop sustainable police and fire services for the future. Updates on work in both areas are expected to be available to the Commission in good time for it to take into account in its recommendations. SETTING UP THE COMMISSION On 19 November 2010, (then) First Minister Alex Salmond launched the Commission on the Future Delivery of Public Services to examine how Scotland's public services could be delivered in future to secure improved outcomes. The Commission operated independently of government, and reported its recommendations on 29th June 2011. Dr Campbell Christie CBE was appointed Chair of the Commission and was joined by nine other members, independent of party politics and representing a wide spectrum of expertise, all of whom gave their time freely. Together, the Commission members had vast experience in all aspects of Scottish society and brought that experience from various different sectors including local government, the voluntary sector, the private sector, the media, academia and the trade unions. The Commission was assisted by three Expert Advisers, and was supported by a small secretariat team seconded from the Scottish Government. In the Commission's remit (given in full, above), the Scottish Government set out a vision for the public services of the future. The Commission was asked to identify the opportunities and obstacles that will help or hinder progress towards this vision, and to make recommendations for change.
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