A new centre to provide research and advice on the developing partnership agenda has been launched in Birmingham. Michael Burton talks to its first director, John Tizard
Partnerships have become such a major agenda that a Centre for Public Service Partnerships has now been created at the University of Birmingham, a joint initiative between its School of Public Policy and Birmingham Business School.
The centre aims, in its own words, to become ‘a leading source of authoritative, evidence-based research, analysis and advice for governments, the corporate sector, the third sector and academics’. Its ambition is to be ‘the leading knowledge base for research in public service partnerships in Europe and eventually, worldwide.’
The centre is being funded over an initial five-year period by a combination of sponsors including the Aldridge Foundation – set up by ex-Capita chief, Rod Aldridge – Balfour Beatty and City financiers, and Birmingham University alumni, Keith Palmer and Michael Rawlinson.
Its first director is John Tizard, whose own background includes wide experience across the public, private and voluntary sectors, as well as an 18-year stint as a county councillor.
He says his job is to ‘give leadership and ensure the centre is working with the policy and practitioner community, and a bridge between academia and policy and practice’, with the centre working in collaboration and not in isolation.
And, he adds: ‘Our role will be to challenge orthodoxy, promote good practice and innovation, and provide a forum for sharing experiences and exploring the issues.’ He is currently building his own dedicated academic team. The centre’s work will have five strands, namely, engagement with the private sector, partnerships with the other public and third sectors, public to private partnerships and partnerships between service users and commissioners.
He insists the work will also look at whether it is ‘appropriate to partner’, and that it will be ‘independent of vested interests’.
It will also look at international experiences, and he cites Scandinavia, France, Australia and North America as areas of interest.
Issues already identified for study include the leadership and governance of partnerships, evaluating outcomes and VFM in education and health, new models of commissioning, procurement and PSPs, quantifying the social return of PSPs with the third and other sectors, the impact on and engagement of workforces and political leadership, and the development of LSPs.
John became a Labour councillor in Bedfordshire in 1981, and was leader for eight years, before eventually standing down in 1999. His working life has included the third and business sectors, and he was director of strategy at disability organisation, Scope.
He joined Capita in 1997, heading up the local government consultancy practice and was later responsible for Capita’s public sector strategy and strategic relations with the Government, wider public sector and other bodies, such as the LGA.
He also served on its PPP boards covering its major central and local government contracts. Until the end of 2006, John was a member of the CBI’s public services strategy board and chair of its employment advisory group, and for five months in 2005, was seconded to be its director of public services.
He has had NHS, housing association and police board experience, and is currently a trustee of the Adventure Capital Fund.
He sees partnerships as an increasing international phenomenon, even in PFI, where the UK was a leader, and also believes it will develop in the third sector.
He adds: ‘For some time, I felt the policy debate lacked rigorous evidence on this subject, and the application of this evidence to influence police and practice. The centre is an opportunity to fill this gap.’
The centre aims, in its own words, to become ‘a leading source of authoritative, evidence-based research, analysis and advice for governments, the corporate sector, the third sector and academics’. Its ambition is to be ‘the leading knowledge base for research in public service partnerships in Europe and eventually, worldwide.’
The centre is being funded over an initial five-year period by a combination of sponsors including the Aldridge Foundation – set up by ex-Capita chief, Rod Aldridge – Balfour Beatty and City financiers, and Birmingham University alumni, Keith Palmer and Michael Rawlinson.
Its first director is John Tizard, whose own background includes wide experience across the public, private and voluntary sectors, as well as an 18-year stint as a county councillor.
He says his job is to ‘give leadership and ensure the centre is working with the policy and practitioner community, and a bridge between academia and policy and practice’, with the centre working in collaboration and not in isolation.
And, he adds: ‘Our role will be to challenge orthodoxy, promote good practice and innovation, and provide a forum for sharing experiences and exploring the issues.’ He is currently building his own dedicated academic team. The centre’s work will have five strands, namely, engagement with the private sector, partnerships with the other public and third sectors, public to private partnerships and partnerships between service users and commissioners.
He insists the work will also look at whether it is ‘appropriate to partner’, and that it will be ‘independent of vested interests’.
It will also look at international experiences, and he cites Scandinavia, France, Australia and North America as areas of interest.
Issues already identified for study include the leadership and governance of partnerships, evaluating outcomes and VFM in education and health, new models of commissioning, procurement and PSPs, quantifying the social return of PSPs with the third and other sectors, the impact on and engagement of workforces and political leadership, and the development of LSPs.
John became a Labour councillor in Bedfordshire in 1981, and was leader for eight years, before eventually standing down in 1999. His working life has included the third and business sectors, and he was director of strategy at disability organisation, Scope.
He joined Capita in 1997, heading up the local government consultancy practice and was later responsible for Capita’s public sector strategy and strategic relations with the Government, wider public sector and other bodies, such as the LGA.
He also served on its PPP boards covering its major central and local government contracts. Until the end of 2006, John was a member of the CBI’s public services strategy board and chair of its employment advisory group, and for five months in 2005, was seconded to be its director of public services.
He has had NHS, housing association and police board experience, and is currently a trustee of the Adventure Capital Fund.
He sees partnerships as an increasing international phenomenon, even in PFI, where the UK was a leader, and also believes it will develop in the third sector.
He adds: ‘For some time, I felt the policy debate lacked rigorous evidence on this subject, and the application of this evidence to influence police and practice. The centre is an opportunity to fill this gap.’
The centre will produce:
l evidence-based analysis on public sector partnering
l involvement in the policy debate on PSPs
l research projects into key issues in PSP working
l academic publications
l policy analysis and recommendations
l evidence-based analysis on public sector partnering
l involvement in the policy debate on PSPs
l research projects into key issues in PSP working
l academic publications
l policy analysis and recommendations
Definition of public service partnerships:
l public/public partnerships
l public/private partnerships
l public/third sector partnerships
l public/private/third sector partnerships
l commissioner/provider/user/ community partnerships.
l public/public partnerships
l public/private partnerships
l public/third sector partnerships
l public/private/third sector partnerships
l commissioner/provider/user/ community partnerships.
