Central Government Reform

Public Services Network

Established in 2005 the Central Government (CG) stream brings together senior civil servants with leaders in the service provider sector to address the key issues in public sector reform, to the benefit of all participants and UK plc.

Why participate in the central government network?

Originally designed to address the adoption of shared services in Whitehall, the network now provides a best practice environment focussing on the timeliest and most challenging issues in public sector reform.

The power of the network derives from the collective experience of its public and private sector participants.

Themes for 2010

Implementing key reform agendas 

  • Implementing the Coalition's programme for government: including the impact of Budget 2010 and the spending review
  • How to achieve 10, 20 or 30% of cost savings: practical options 
  • Optimising efficiencies through outsourcing; shared services and partnership models
  • Implementing digital service delivery, the transparency agenda and data management  
  • Innovation in public service design
  • Impact of devolution on central government 
  • Managing the workforce at a time of radical change
  • Opportunities for transformation through new technology 
  • Other themes as determined by network participants

 

Public Services Insights: best practice themes:

  • Culture change through performance management
  • Best practice in executing rapid change
  • Sustainability in public services
  • Innovating for efficiency: cross sector working for cost effective services
  • Options for radically reducing the cost of services
  • Better working with the commercial sector

Network benefits

  • Innovate for new insight: evidence shows that innovation comes from cross sector exchange
  • Supporting the delivery of major efficiency savings by identifying and spreading existing and new ideas that work
  • Financial return: invest wisely, access new improvement ideas, reduce cycle times and assure programme quality
  • Improving performance: find practical new ideas based on cross-sector experience
  • Qualifying investment priorities: distinguish rhetoric vs. reality, invest time and money on what really works, not what does not
  • Risk reduction: with better targeting of resources and spend
  • Understanding sector and market changes: better and more reliable market intelligence
  • Benchmarking effectively: in depth comparisons of success and learning across sectors to target performance improvement programmes
  • Generating credible evidence for the Board level decision making: validate strategies based on the experience and evidence from world leaders in change
  • Better public / private programmes: the collaborative programme generates better public / private understanding, relationships and programme outcomes
  • Networking: build long-term professional and personal connections

What does the network include?

  • Experience sharing groups (ESGs)
  • Thought leadership discussions
  • Best practice development groups and publication of best practice insight outputs
  • Case studies and sight visits
  • Best practice knowledge store (access to network guidelines on best practice and meeting archive with meeting insights, presentations from members and agendas)

Programme Details

Central Government Reform Programme

Central Government Reform Guidelines

Central Government Reform Example Agenda

Meeting Types

Thought leadership discussion

Experience sharing groups (ESGs)

Industry insights: best practice development