This paper is the latest in a series to be published as part of Demos’s Future Public Services Taskforce, which is producing a new cross-cutting public service reform strategy for central government. This strategy could be the starting point for the first cross-cutting public service reform White Paper since 2011. In May 2024, the Taskforce published its vision for public service reform, Liberated Public Services: A new vision for citizens, professionals and policy makers.
We are now applying that vision to five policy workstreams:
- Workstream One – Governance structures and duties.
- Workstream Two – Accountability.
- Workstream Three – Funding models.
- Workstream Four – Workforce.
- Workstream Five – Citizens.
This Discussion Paper, ‘Balancing Act’, presents our analysis and the recommendations we are considering from Workstream Two – Accountability. The Taskforce’s final report, The Reform Divided: A Roadmap to Liberate Public Services, further refines our analysis and presents our final recommendations.