Since I joined Local Partnerships as chief executive, one question has stuck with me: why does the public sector move so much slower than the private sector? It's not a criticism of public service, as there's much to admire, but the pace of progress can be frustrating.
In the private sector, decisions are made with due dilligence but quickly. Stakeholders align, mobilise and move projects forward apace. Usually, there is a financial imperative to do so.
In contrast, public sector structures often hinder progress. Departments work in silos, duplicating efforts without anyone taking ownership of how programmes (and cost bases) overlap. Everyone can agree on the need for certain projects, but it can take an age for someone to step up and fund it (even when funds are available). In a private sector setting, these problems are often resolved within weeks, not months or years.
Another issue is capacity. Local government teams are constantly firefighting, dealing with immediate crises in health, housing and social care, leaving little time to think strategically. As a result, transformation projects stall because there's simply no breathing room to focus on the long term.
Then there's the culture of caution. Understandably, managing public funds requires prudence. But this can tip into overcaution, stifling innovation and new approaches. I've seen promising projects stall for months because people are wary of using funds differently.
Perhaps most frustrating is the slow decision making. In the private sector, time is money with meetings having to result in clear actions, ownership and timelines. In the public sector, meetings often focus on ‘reflections' without concrete next steps and a cast of thousands in attendance.
This isn't to say the public sector can't teach the private sector a thing or two. It can. But if we want to achieve meaningful change, we need faster collaboration, faster mobilisation, seniors prepared to put heads above parapets and a cultural shift from excessive, repetitive, silo dialogue to more consensual swift action. Never has this been more pertinent than in the context of impending local government reform.
Adele Gritten is chief executive of Local Partnerships
