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Smarter government

On 7 December 2009, the UK government published a report (Putting the frontline first: smarter government) which details a programme to drive up standards of public service delivery by streamlining government.

The report seeks to address the challenges and opportunities of the next decade, when the public are likely to expect more accountability and openness and a bigger say in the decisions that affect their daily lives. The rise of the digital age has given people unprecedented freedom and control over their lives, and they increasingly demand the same personalised, round-the-clock services from the public sector.

The report’s proposals include:

• Streamlining the Senior Civil Service to save £100 million a year and putting in place radical reforms to senior pay across the wider public sector.
• Merging or abolishing arm’s-length bodies, integrating back office functions and selling off government assets.
• Reducing spend on consultancy by 50% and marketing and communications by 25%, saving £650 million.
• Investing £30 million over three years to get a further one million people online; and increasing the number of services available via the internet.

Putting the frontline first: smarter government (PDF)