10 May 2004
REVIEW OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PUBLISHES RESEARCH REPORT
The public are demanding, and expecting, higher quality service delivery from the public sector in line with changes that have taken place in recent years in the private sector, according to a research report published today by the Review of Public Administration (RPA).
The report, entitled Views on Public Services – Focus Group Project 3 (Views of Public Sector Staff), reveals that public sector staff acknowledge and understand the public’s sense of entitlement to good quality services and were sympathetic to the difficulties faced by the public, in trying to deal with their problems accessing and understanding public services.
The research, the first of its kind to be carried out in Northern Ireland, drew its information from a total of 31 focus groups, reflective of the composition of the public sector across Northern Ireland. Central Government departments, local government, Non-Departmental Public Bodies and the community and voluntary sectors were all represented.
Among the main findings of the research were:
- Public demands and expectations about service delivery have increased and become more strident in recent years.
- Staff felt that the degree and pace of change in all aspects of public life in Northern Ireland was unprecedented and not at all easy to deal with.
- Public sector staff felt that they worked hard and understood the standards and values of public service.
- Staff understood that technological developments in the private sector had an impact on public sector delivery expectations.
- Staff felt that while central government should retain responsibility for policy development, day-to-day responsibility should, as far as possible, be devolved to local bodies.
- Staff felt that although the principles of initiatives such as Investors in People were sound, implementation of these initiatives was often burdensome and costly.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The Review of Public Administration commissioned Research and Evaluation Services (RES) to carry out the research in support of the RPA.
- RES organised 31 focus groups which were attended by a total of 235 staff from across the public sector in Northern Ireland.
- The research is built on previous research published by the RPA and carried out by RES into the views and experiences of the general public on a number of issues relevant to the Review.
- Copies of this report and previous research can be found on the RPA website at www.rpani.gov.uk (click on the Research button on the left hand side of the page). A limited number of hard copies are available but wherever possible, the reports should be downloaded from the website. For hard copies please contact Tony O’Brien on 028 9027 7603.
For further information contact Scott Harbinson on 028 9025 7872 or 07810 183120.
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