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CEP template 2012

Ethical standards for providers of public services Committee on Standards in Public Life, UK (Chair: Lord Paul Bew) Research into public attitudes towards key issues of public services reform, specifically issues of choice, quality and the use of more providers from outside the public sector, found that people are more concerned with how well services are delivered and not which sector provides them (Worth and Nwador, 2012). When a provider fails to deliver to the standards expected, it may have profound consequences for the individual user and damage public trust more generally. For the provider of public services it makes good business sense to adhere to ethical standards. Ethical failures by banks, the press and in the public service market have all demonstrated that the damage to reputation and trust, and the financial cost to the business or provider concerned, can be high. As the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has recently acknowledged, ‘without addressing the legitimate expectation of transparency around provider performance and an assurance for the continuity of service when a provider fails, trust in public service markets cannot be fully realised’ (CBI, 2013: p. 8). Continuity of public services can also be a major area of risk, particularly if there is a failure by a significant provider, where there may be little or no alternative provision. As well as the impact on individual users, it may mean that the government has to step in to provide services by default and to meet the financial costs of doing so. Failures in service provision have broader implications for the level of public trust and confidence in the government and its ability to deliver public services. In the report Standards Matter: A Review of Best Practice In Promoting Good Behaviour in Public Life1 the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) considered that new wide-ranging ways of delivering public services, which entail services being delivered by people not previously involved in public service, are a live risk to ethical standards in public life (CSPL, 2013). We considered it essential then that care was taken to design structures which addressed this risk.2 The Committee on Standards in Public Life has therefore recommended that: • In all cases where new methods of delivering public services are being created, commissioners and providers should give careful thought to the mechanisms necessary to maintain expected high standards of behaviour and promote the principles of public life • Public servants designing and commissioning services should, in a consistent and proportionate way, address ethical issues throughout the procurement process. Contractors and others should acknowledge the particular responsibilities they bear when delivering public services, paid for by public money, to individuals who may not have the choice of going elsewhere • Where powers to regulate standards are devolved to promote local responsibility and leadership, care should always be taken to ensure that there is independent scrutiny, that the results of such scrutiny are made publicly available and that those who have responsibility for imposing sanctions have adequate legal or other powers to do so The review Our review Ethical Standards for Providers of public services explored this issue further. Recent examples of poor performance by major private sector providers have focused on cost, competition and value for money considerations. However, poor performance has highlighted the importance of behaving ethically in the delivery of public services. Poor performance and standards failures have also occurred in the public sector – indeed, much of CSPL’s past work has focused on reviewing such failures and making recommendations for improvement. But now, as public services are increasingly being delivered by those outside the public sector, we wanted to test the expectation and assurance of ethical standards in the public service market. We commissioned new research with members of the public, commissioners and providers of public services. We also spoke to individuals and organisations with current experience of commissioning and providing public services, in order to canvass their understandings of the ethical principles and standards.3 Unless the ethical principles which are seen as important in the delivery of public services are clearly translated into contractual arrangements and clear guidance, it is unlikely that providers of public services will believe that they are unambiguously applicable to them or give sufficient priority to how they are expected to behave. These risks are increased as the notion of a lifetime career in public service diminishes and with it, exposure to a culture of public service ethics. As such, awareness of the ethical standards framework for public services certainly cannot be taken for granted. As part of this study the CSPL commissioned Ipsos MORI to carry out research into public and stakeholder views on the ethical standards providers of publicly funded services should conform to, and how closely they relate to the Seven Principles of Public Life.4 Some key messages from the report Ethical Standards for Providers of Public Services. The UK’s Committee on Standards in Public Life is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) sponsored by the Cabinet Office. The chair and members of the committee are appointed by the Prime Minister. Commonwealth Governance 106 Handbook 2014/15


CEP template 2012
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