Civil Service World, the magazine for the senior civil service, are hosting a round table discussion which poses the following question: “How can civil servants use existing government services for early collaboration to help improve policy outcomes?”
In the words of FDA General Secretary Dave Penman, the civil service is “being tasked with delivering 21st century public services with pre-war resources”. This requires more than simply efficiency savings; it necessitates new ways of working. Partnerships across government will be more important than ever, offering opportunities to improve services and outcomes as well as making the best use of money and resources.
Government departments are already sharing capability and services, but a number of challenges are stopping partnership-working from really making an impact. Departmental differences can be a significant barrier to collaboration, so too can a simple lack of awareness about capability that exists elsewhere in government.
One way to overcome these challenges is to start working together as early as possible. Not only does collaborative design prevent departments re-inventing solutions which already exist; but designing policies with the bodies that will be delivering for you can significantly improve the chance of successful implementation and outcomes for the citizen.
Although there is a role for private sector partners in supporting collaboration, recent Cabinet Office commercial standards emphasise the need to make use of shared capability and exploit cross-government expertise wherever possible. Departments therefore have an even greater incentive to start talking about how they can share services and work together before they design new policy solutions.
With this in mind, CSW, in conjunction with NS&I Government Payment Services, invites you to discuss the key issues around collaborating to improve policy outcomes.
Topics will include:
How can departments identify opportunities for collaborative design?
In which situations has collaborative design proved most useful, and where has its potential been hardest to realise?
What are the factors which will help translate collaborative design into successful partnership working?
Which departments are already working well together to design shared services, and what can we learn from them?
Where are the key risks in using collaborative design and delivery, and what lessons have been learned from organisations’ difficulties in doing so?
What are the advantages and disadvantages over a traditional approach to procuring services by going to market with a clear idea developed in-house?
To find out more about this roundtable and to enquire about attending please contact Daisy Crisp at roundtables@dods.co.uk or on 0207 593 5664.