A report into the future of the UK public sector has called for changes to the make-up of government departments – including the addition of a new director position.
The Review of the Public Services Industry by economist DeAnne Julius called for increased outsourcing of public services to private and voluntary organisations, and recommended all departments and local authorities appoint a ‘director of service delivery’.
Julius told Personnel Today the new director would oversee the delivery of public sector services and ensure adequate training of procurement and contract monitoring staff.
“Training at the moment is based on the transactional side of the job, which is obviously important, but evidence shows it’s even more important that there be an ongoing partnership relationship between client and public service provider,” she said.
“It’s about thinking through the whole commissioning cycle so there’s an appropriate level of expertise and authority in the organisation.”
However, employer groups said the review did not go far enough.
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Graeme Leach, director of policy at the Institute of Directors, told Personnel Today: “This is more about making a less-than-ideal system better than about creating an ideal system in the first place.”
Large local authorities would have to insert the position at executive director level, while government departments involved with service delivery would need to appoint someone at management board level.
