Putting people first
The key to improving public services

Two-week study programme 11 to 22 June 2012

About the study programme

Governments must change as the world around them changes. New priorities, advances in information technology, the media and electronic communications, the impact of globalisation and public pressure for higher quality services all demand that governments constantly improve their services and review their processes.

Governments must change as the world around them changes. New priorities, advances in information technology, the media and electronic communications, the impact of globalisation and public pressure for higher quality services all demand that governments constantly improve their services and review their processes.

In particular, citizens increasingly expect public services to be more transparent, accessible and accountable, and more responsive to their needs. In the UK there have been major changes in the way public services operate. Initiatives such as the Executive Agencies programme in the 1980s and 1990s, Citizen’s Charters and Chartermarks (recently replaced by Customer Service Excellence) in the 1990s and benchmarking techniques have all been aimed at improving the quality of service delivery to the public. As in many countries, health services, local government, education and the administration of the courts have all undergone major reform with an emphasis on treating citizens as customers. A key feature of these reforms has been the development of effective complaint-handling procedures and systems for redress of grievances.

In the 1990s UK government embarked upon a comprehensive programme of public service modernisation, including a drive towards “joined-up” government. This involved closer collaboration and co-ordination between different providers of public services, including the private sector, and better-integrated, more accessible services for citizens, making greater use of information and communication technology and “one-stop shops”. More recently, the continuing impact of the global economic crisis has led to vigorous political debates about how to cut the cost of public services while protecting the most vulnerable members of society.

This study programme explores the key elements needed to develop a culture of customer focus in the context of provision of public services. By drawing on UK and international experience and introducing some of the techniques available, participants will increase their knowledge and understanding of how their own organisation can achieve sustainable institutional and cultural change to the benefit of their citizens, along with a more cost-effective use of resources.

Who is the programme for?

The programme is designed for senior managers responsible for delivering public services, in particular those with direct interface with the public. It will be of interest to participants who work in central and local government, health and welfare services, education, the administration of justice and complaints adjudication. All participants will have a special interest in improving organisational performance and service delivery.

How participants will benefit

The study programme will:

• Examine citizens’ rights to good public services
• Increase understanding of the process of culture change required to see citizens as customers
• Look at initiatives developed by central and local government to improve public services and to sustain such improvements in an era of budgetary constraint
• Consider lessons learned by the public sector from the private/non-government sectors and vice versa
• Explore the ways in which a focus on the citizen as customer, including consultation procedures, can improve public services
• Compare techniques for organisational assessment and review (the use of customer surveys and feedback, benchmarking, continuous improvement programmes)
• Explore the advantages and disadvantages of using information technology in managing service delivery
• Give participants the opportunity to exchange experiences and make international comparisons, identifying areas for development and improvement in their own organisations.

What our past participants say about this course

"Practical exercises and excursions demonstrated the depth of real challenges in the service delivery arena."
Mr Emmanuel Kgomo, Chief Director : Batho Pele, Department of Public Service and Administration, South Africa

What the programme will cover

The programme will include briefings, discussion sessions, case studies, practical exercises and appropriate visits to key practitioners. A key element for sharing knowledge and best practice will be sessions where individual participants will be invited to give informal presentations from their own experience of managing public service delivery. Participants will also be invited to develop action plans relevant to their own work experience.

Programme outline

We reserve the right to change the programme as necessary.

Language

The programme will be conducted in English.  Participants will be expected to have a good working knowledge of the language.

Location and arrival arrangements

The study programme will be based in central London. Visits to appropriate government departments, local authorities and other organisations will be included. On request, PAI can assist with finding suitable hotel accommodation and can arrange travel to and from the airport.

It is likely that participants will spend one night outside London on a visit. Travel and accommodation during this visit are included in the fee and will be paid for by PAI. Please bear this in mind if you are booking hotel accommodation.

Fees and other costs

The fee for this two-week study programme will be £2,900. This includes tuition, travel to and from the airport in London, travel on scheduled visits, travel and one night’s accommodation while on the visit outside London , printed material and other documentation. UK Value Added Tax (VAT) will not be charged if applicants can provide written confirmation from their government or its accredited representative that they are employed by their government in furtherance of its sovereign activities. In all other cases, VAT (currently 20%) will be charged in addition to the fee. Payment in full must be received by PAI no later than 11 June 2012. Cheques should be made payable to Public Administration International. Alternatively, PAI is able to invoice individuals or government agencies. Payment by bank transfer is also acceptable.

Airfares, accommodation costs (apart from one night outside London), daily travel (other than on visits scheduled in the programme), meals and living expenses are not included. We suggest that approximately £120 per person per day should be allowed for a modest standard of accommodation, local travel in the UK, meals and other incidental expenses. Participants requiring a higher standard of accommodation (for example a 4 star hotel) will need to allow approximately £175 per person per day.

Discount

We offer a 10% discount on the tuition fee if a funding organisation sponsors more than three participants in any one calendar year. Please ensure that when you book your fourth participant (in any one calendar year) you let us know so that we can apply the discount.

Insurance

Participants are advised to arrange travel and health insurance cover before leaving their home country.

Public Administration International (PAI)

PAI specialises in management consultancy and development services for organisations in and associated with the public sector worldwide. We provide advice and support for governments undergoing political, economic, structural and legislative change. Our extensive network of associates includes practitioners, academics and independent consultants. The promotion of good governance and best practice are our key objectives. This programme is one of a number of specialist UK-based study programmes designed to meet the needs of public services worldwide.

We also have extensive experience of designing tailor-made programmes (from one day to two or three weeks) which can be run in your country or in the UK to meet the specific needs of groups or individuals at all levels within your organisation. Please contact us if you would like further information.

Programme Director

The Programme Director is Professor Gavin Drewry. Gavin Drewry is Professor of Public Administration in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of London. He is a specialist in public administration and public law and has published widely in the field. He is also an experienced tutor and presenter. Our other contributors include a range of practitioners involved in delivering public services.

How to apply

Please follow the link to complete an online application form, alternatively you can download the brochure for this study programme and complete the attached application form. Please post or fax it to:

Clare Walters
Programme Manager
Public Administration International
10 Bayley Street
London, WC1B 3HB
UK

T +44 (0)20 7580 3590
F +44 (0)20 7580 4746
pai@public-admin.co.uk

How to contact us

For further information about this programme or our consultancy and development services, please contact:

Claire Cameron
Director
Public Administration International
10 Bayley Street
London, WC1B 3HB
UK

T +44 (0)20 7580 3590
F +44 (0)20 7580 4746
pai@public-admin.co.uk
www.public-admin.co.uk

Public Administration
International Ltd
10 Bayley Street London WC1B 3HB
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