Description
Book SynopsisThis book argues that if public services are to be âreformedâ or âimprovedâ, achieving the best possible quality of service is essential.
It starts from the premise that citizens and users are the key âstakeholdersâ. They need to be consulted and involved at every stage. Within inevitable resource constraints, it is their needs, balanced with those of society, which must be met. Service providers need to change their culture and behaviour to make this happen.
This book presents a straightforward and comprehensive model for understanding quality and putting it into practice. Existing quality philosophies and approaches are examined. Overviews of recent policy on quality in central and local government, in the health service, and in public service partnerships are included. Finally, five practitioners present practical âvignettesâ of citizen involvement, local partnerships, and quality improvement in health, housing and local government.
Providing Quality in the Public Sector
Table of Contents
Part I: Setting the scene
1.Introduction
2.The Public Policy context
Part II:The Theory
3.The conceptual framework:stakeholders, values, objectives and definitions.
4.Implementing quality
5.Standards, monitoring and evaluation
Part III: Learning from each other - overviews
6.Quality in central government
7.Quality in local government
8.Quality in health
9.Quality issues in partnership working
Part IV: Quality in Practice
10.Quality from the citizen's perspective:campaigning, consultation and involvement
11.Partnership and Participation:better government for older people in South Lanarkshire
12.Making it work in health: a stakeholder model for quality management
13.Making it work in housing:choice and need in social housing
14. making it work in local government: experiences of Tameside MBC
Part V: Conclusions
15. Conclusions and Reflections
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
