Report Examines Transforming Public Services Without Costly Restructuring

Nov. 30, 2012 - PRLog -- Many areas of the Public Sector are facing increasing demands with tough financial constraints, while the public and policy makers continue to want quick and concrete results. However, thanks to a new report by a leading Professor at the University of Greenwich, a framework now exists for transforming public services without costly restructuring.

‘Transforming Public Services’ shifts the focus from ‘leading’ to ‘helping’. Resulting from an in-depth five-year investigation, Colin Coulson-Thomas demonstrates how costly and disruptive public sector restructuring should be replaced by quicker, cheaper and more sustainable ways of transforming public services. Further, it shows how shifting the focus from ‘top down’ leadership to ‘bottom-up’ support can deliver multiple objectives and provide an affordable route to higher performance.

The 200 page report’s aim is to help public sector bodies employing its methods generate higher returns from their organisational initiatives and benefit service users, front-line staff and taxpayers.

“Demand is outstripping available resources and tax payers and politicians are impatient for responses and results. Public sector leaders face the challenge of doing more with less - working with existing people and budgets to quickly achieve multiple objectives and provide clear benefits to stakeholders,” says Coulson-Thomas, who examined a myriad of ways to improve public services during his research.

He continues, “Top-down’ initiatives to improve public services have been general, time consuming, costly and disruptive. While traditional approaches are implemented, challenges, opportunities, policies, priorities and requirements may change.”
Mini case studies are used throughout the report to provide real-work examples and inspiration for public sector leaders and managers. The early-adopters that have been featured provide a well-rounded and objective critique of the methods Coulson-Thomas proposes.

The report’s approach has been praised by early adopters for its realistic model of helping staff excel at the difficult jobs that public service roles demand, all while keeping the approach cost-effective, without any major restructuring or changes in working culture.

“While other approaches seek to re-organise or alter attitudes in the hope that improvements in performance may follow, performance support focuses upon particular work groups and concentrates upon helping people rather than attempting to change the culture or structure within which they work. It can have a quicker, a more direct and a more significant impact,” Coulson-Thomas adds.

The professor’s study found that many ‘top-down’ initiatives expose the workforce to disruptive changes and stressful front-line jobs, while denying them the performance support to carry them out effectively. Therefore, ‘Transforming Public Services’ seeks to achieve the same goal of better services – but through a workforce that is engaged, supported and enabled to succeed.

“Performance support can improve the effectiveness of key work groups, contribute to the achievement of multiple objectives, leverage investments in other programmes and achieve visible and quicker impact,” Coulson-Thomas concludes.

‘Transforming Public Services’, published by Policy Publications in association with Adaptation, is available from: http://www.policypublications.com
ISBN: 978-1-872980-54-6

About the Author:

Prof. Colin Coulson-Thomas, vision holder of successful transformation programmes has received international recognition as a Change Agent and Transformation Leader. He was the world’s first professor of corporate transformation,  has held public sector board appointments at national and local level and helped over 100 boards and management teams to improve performance.

Also the author of Developing Directors on building an effective boardroom team and Winning Companies; Winning People on helping average people to excel at difficult jobs, he can be contacted via www.coulson-thomas.com