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Follow on Google News | Austerity is a good time to transform public servicesAffordable approaches can quickly transform public services during a period of austerity
By: Policy Publications The professor outlined and illustrated what can be achieved, drawing upon a five year investigation for his report Transforming Public Services. Hefound that many public bodies are engaged in general, expensive, protracted and disruptive approaches such as restructuring and re-organisation rather than adopting more focused and cost-effective approaches such as changing the performance support provided to front-line work-groups undertaking difficult and stressful jobs. Coulson-Thomas gave examples of how various forms of performance support can deliver multiple benefits for public-sector employees, members of the public, Government organisations and the environment. His report suggests “the era of struggling with a relatively large number of performance targets and single issue initiatives needs to be replaced by one of focus upon activities that help people to excel at those activities that have the greatest impact on the public, and also upon initiatives to help members of the public to help themselves. The professor called for what he termed 'new leadership': Encouragingly, evidence presented in the Transforming Public Services report suggests the approach it advocates can increase engagement and understanding, boost performance, reduce costs and stress, ensure better compliance and deliver other benefits for different stakeholder groups. More importantly in an age of austerity when public bodies face reduced funding at a time of rising demand and increasing expectations, these advantages can be obtained with existing people, cultures and corporate structures. Dr Colin Coulson-Thomas, author of Transforming Public Services and over 60 other books and reports is a member of the business school team at the University of Greenwich and holds a portfolio of private, public and voluntary sector appointments. He has held UK public appointments at national and local level and is currently a Lay Member of the General Osteopathic Council. He can be contacted via www.coulson- Prof. Coulson-Thomas spoke on transforming public services during his chairman's opening remarks at the 2nd Annual Public Sector Performance Management conference that was held at the Hilton Abu Dhabi Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE. End
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