UK report: User Involvement in Public Services

A few weeks ago the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) of the UK Parliament published the first parliamentary assessment of the idea of “user involvement” in public services, which they see as “potentially a new model for public service delivery that promises improved services and greater user satisfaction.”

“The idea of “user involvement” covers simple consultation with service users at one end of the spectrum through to “user directed” or “user driven” services at the other. User driven services are those where people actually have some kind of managerial, or more often financial, control of service delivery (such as individual budgets in health and social care), or even participate in service provision themselves.” […]

“The Committee concluded that achieving high-quality, responsive public services means empowering and engaging with service users as much as simply addressing their needs. It urges the Government to foster a public service culture of working with people to ensure that personalisation results in excellent public services.”

– Read press release
– Download report (pdf, 420 kb, 37 pages)