This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Public services reform
30/03/2007
There is widespread appetite for reform of public services in Scotland and enthusiasm for change, Tom McCabe said today.
The Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform was speaking after the publication of a report on the public service reform dialogue process. It summarises a series of events with public service leaders, service users, frontline staff and the third sector.
Mr McCabe said:
"The dialogue process confirmed there is a genuine appetite for reform of public services. It revealed widespread support for the Executive's principles of reform, especially our focus on service users. There is consensus that the status quo is not an option and we have to keep pace with a changing world and rising expectations.
"After we published our Transforming Public Services discussion paper last year, we embarked on a genuine bottom-up dialogue with the people who design, deliver and use public services. It was one of the most extensive consultations we have undertaken as we asked everyone with a stake in public services how we can deliver them more efficiently and effectively.
"This document summarises the views expressed in that process and underlines many excellent examples of reform activity already underway across Scotland.
"There is a consensus developing around the challenges we face and what should underpin our reform. Strong leadership will be needed to take any changes forward. I hope this report will provide the basis for considering the best way forward to ensure the delivery of world-class customer-focused public services in Scotland."
The five guiding principles of reform set out by the Executive and discussed in Transforming Public Services are: user focus, quality and innovation, efficiency, joining up and accountability.