Capable Communities: Towards Citizen-Powered Public Services

Article

This report asks how, in practical terms, citizens can act together to improve the way public services work for them. This can involve individuals volunteering their time to help others, but it is also about empowering people to help themselves.

Everyone is talking about the 'Big Society' as part of the next stage of public service reform, but much of the discussion to date has been abstract rather than practical. Getting citizens more involved in the design and delivery of public services has real promise as a way of empowering citizens, improving outcomes and providing better value for money. But we need to understand much better how this agenda can be translated into practice. There is appetite from local people to get more involved in delivering public services, but there are some strong barriers to participation.

Related items

  1. A view of Glasgow, Scotland, from above.

    More than a safety net: The welfare state as springboard to economic success and a better country

    A perceived conflict between social spending and economic dynamism is deeply embedded in both Scottish and UK political discourse.
  2. The Home Office building in London

    Far from settled: The government’s ‘earned settlement’ consultation

    How long should people have to wait until they can permanently settle in the UK? This is the core question underpinning the Home Office’s ‘earned settlement’ policy, currently out for consultation.

  3. Rethinking public sector productivity

    This is the second in a series of IPPR Scotland blogs as part of our project on Employment, Productivity and Reform in the Scottish Public Sector. This project is funded by the Robertson Trust.