June 13, 2012

Public sector organisations have to make the most of the vastly reduced resources at their disposal. Andrew Mowlah explains how utilising information can maximise your impact

As public sector reform and efficiency agendas begin to tighten their grip, more and more public sector organisations are finding it difficult to uphold robust evidence based strategies, policies and programmes.

The days of appointing specialist consultants to undertake in-depth stakeholder consultations – the findings of which were peer reviewed by expert practitioners and professional staff – are a long and distant memory.

Suddenly, following ten years of buoyant growth and tax receipts to match, public sector organisations find themselves struggling to meet annual efficiency savings. Extremely tough decisions have been taken by executive management boards up and down the country, leading to a significant loss of people with a wealth of knowledge and experience, as well as the closure of public sector organisations. Against this background is the loss of proper evidenced-based research, information and intelligence services.

The economy is stalling, more people continue to lose their jobs, businesses are failing and young people are unable to secure their first position. Yet despite the lack of money there has never been a more important time for strategies, policies and programmes to be focused on fulfilling their objectives.

Put simply, public sector organisations need to do more with less, ensure better value for money for the taxpayers and deliver immediate results in a way never seen before. Innovation and creativity are the key to maintaining the performance of frontline services during these difficult times.