Tag: Outsourcing
Outsourcing companies are taxpayer funded but are only rarely submitted to the scrutiny of Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act was introduced in 2000 has made certain Government information available to those members of the public who ask for it. Due to the increased drive towards outsourcing government services to private companies, there is a concern that huge swathes of Government work are now beyond the reach of FOI. While […]
We need to ensure transparency isn’t the cost of outsourcing
Public sector organisations in the UK are increasing looking to outsource functions to the private and voluntary sector. The Freedom of Information Act provides for disclosure by independent providers of public service, but the practical implications are complex, suggests Steve Wood of the Information Commissioner’s Office. He argues that outsourcing contracts need greater clarity over […]
The debate on accountability of public service partnerships needs to be evidence based
The Democratic Audit blog has previously carried articles on government outsourcing by Stephen Wilks and Dan Silver – who argued that the government policy in this area has real implications for democracy. In response, Simon Parker of the New Local Government Network said that opponents of outsourcing were fighting the last war. Here, in response to Parker, Simon […]
Those who argue outsourcing endangers accountability are still fighting the last war
Critics of the practice of outsourcing – paying external organisations to provide public services – point to a lack of democratic accountability and public service ethos in justifying their view. But is this fair? Simon Parker, the Director of the New Local Government Network think tank, and a veteran of the CBI’s Public Services Strategy […]
The drive toward outsourcing public services is bypassing democratic oversight
The Coalition Government has fully and enthusiastically embraced the practice of ‘outsourcing’ through the Open Public Services agenda. But what are the democratic implications? Daniel Silver of the Social Action & Research Foundation argues that, despite protestations to the contrary, the evidence shows that outsourcing allows accountability to effectively bypass democratic control, often leaving service […]
The Public Service Industry: A constitutional blasphemy and a democratic perversion
One third of current public spending on services, £80 billion, is channelled through private sector companies. Although they deliver services demanded and paid for by taxpayers, their employees are not ‘public servants’. They are not subject to the disciplines, procedures and expectations attached to government employees. Instead they are part of an industry growing in […]
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