Improvement Service

Public-private partnerships are increasingly being seen as a way to deliver services more cheaply, productively, and efficiently, yet these collaborations have a history of high profile failures that often arise from a clash of cultures. This report from Hay Group examines why these relationships fail and explores factors that can help to deliver success based on research among senior leaders in both public sector organisations and in private sector companies that work closely with them.

This paper from NESTA looks at the barriers to mainstreaming co-production in public services. It explains the concept of co-production and how it works, and highlights some of the benefits of co-production including minimising waste, reducing costs, capacity building, making the best use of resources, and bringing people together. It identifies the main barriers to mainstreaming: commissioning co-production activity; generating evidence of value; taking successful co-production approaches to scale; and developing professionals' skills. It also sets out areas with potential for co-production including adult social care and elderly care, healthcare, mental health services, supported housing, criminal justice and community policing, education, early years, youth services, childcare and families, welfare to work, and regeneration.

Promising ideas for effective local partnerships between state and citizen. Paper from the Young Foundation which sets out five ideas for ways in which public services and communities can work together: innovation brokers, who scout for good ideas and entrepreneurial activity; community dividends to incentivise and reward local action; expanding community access to under-used public assets such as disused buildings and land; new performance measures around civil society; and improving local partnerships by equipping people with the training, tools and funding. It includes examples of these ideas in practice. The paper also provides evidence to suggest that outcomes are improved when the state and citizens work together.

The National Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Programme - coordinated by The Improvement Service and West Lothian Council as lead council - has established a Partnership involving The Improvement Service, Lagan, West Lothian Council and a national steering group. The Partnership's been successful in making available an attractive proposition, commercially and collaboratively, open to all Scottish councils to implement Lagan's enterprise caseload management solution to manage customer interactions, service and information requests. Research suggests, however, that there are relatively straightforward ways of improving the performance of any partnership and that even effective partnerships require constant nurturing. The Improvement Service commissioned a short review of the Partnership to identify and make recommendations and suggestions for improvement. ?This report presents the key findings, conclusions and next steps emerging from this review. The Improvement Service gratefully acknowledges the support of those individuals and organisations who kindly contributed to the review. ?The National CRM Programme wishes to acknowledge the valued support of Claire Lightowler, Research Manager, The Improvement Service in conducting the research. Any queries relating to the National CRM Programme or to the review findings can be directed to: Martin Brown Head of Customer Relationship Management The Improvement Service T: 01506 775558 M: 07824-548407 martin.brown@improvementservice.org.uk (mailto:martin.brown@improvementservice.org.uk)

Using the example of the recent partnership development between John Wheatley College and Culture and Sport Glasgow the report assesses the impact of a fully integrated shared library service model. The report is intended to provide guidance for the library and information services community in relation to operating arrangements for a one door approach to library and learning resource at the heart of the community by reviewing the first year of operation.

This document is the result of a Smart Fund grant to research performance management in partnerships. The work was carried out at City of Edinburgh Council and makes a number of observations on how to improve partnership working. These include identifying and applying a diagnostic framework, looking at reporting mechanisms, examining clarity of purpose and governance arrangements, and focusing on delivery of outcomes. These can all lead to areas where performance management of partnerships can be improved, whether it is through existing structures, or creation of something new. The principles, whilst drawn from studies of a community learning partnership and a community care partnership, are applicable across a far wider arena.

This research report examines organisational models for joining up in the public sector. It explores examples from a range of countries and draws on case studies from the public and private sectors. It highlights which models work well in which circumstances, and identifies potential problems with each of the models.

This document draws on the wide range of literature about partnership working, highlights the most useful insights and support, provides practical problem-solving tools, and guides users to other useful advice and data, in order to help partnerships start delivering these benefits.

Partnerships need to review and measure performance both by outcomes and by how the partnership is working - its activities and processes. This paper discusses the issues to consider when measuring performance and models of performance management.