Policy Hub
On 6 September 2005, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) published the results of a study (Improving delivery of mainstream services in Deprived Areas: the role of community involvement). The aim of the study was to address the question: Does service provision, in which communities are meaningfully involved, produce better outcomes in deprived areas than services delivered in other ways?
The report concludes that community involvement is a crucial factor in improving services especially in deprived areas. Based on a review of evidence from fifteen case studies, it shows that the use of different involvement mechanisms - including surveys, questionnaires, discussions, debates and delegating service delivery to users and communities themselves - is growing.
The research was conducted for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) in collaboration with the Home Office and the Cabinet Office.
The full report can be viewed on the website.