The impact of public policy – a bit like the weather – has very different phases. Sometimes set fair, at other times, unsettled and unpredictable, it does have an affect on all of us – citizens, stakeholders, commentators and, not least, those of us who earn our livings in the public sector.
We are about to enter an unsettled, if exciting period. We know there will be a change of prime minister this year, and in the modern political world, that effectively means a change of government.
The Comprehensive Spending Review will set the resource envelope for the next few years, and we know it will be tight, requiring tough choices in the context of expectations built up during the recent period of relatively-high growth.
The signs are that inflation is becoming a problem again, after a long period of relative calm. This will have a major effect on all of us, but particularly those living on fixed incomes, high mortgage borrowers and people seeking new pay settlements. One possible response to all this is simply to declare that effective forms of public policy formulation such as research, learning from experience, and the cogent development of ideas, are no longer relevant.
Everything is unpredictable and up for grabs, so the old ‘seat of the pants’ approach becomes prevalent. Some would find that attractive.
I do hope the danger of this is both self-evident and salutary. It may all be a figment of my imagination, of course, but I do not think the ‘all-too-difficult’ syndrome can dominate times of uncertainty and relative resource constraint. Therefore, it is at least worth thinking carefully about what we are doing. All this struck me forcibly at two events in the new year, which gave me real cause for optimism. Although the subject matter was different, both used a very similar technique.
A group of people was drawn together from various sectors with a stake in a particular issue or service. A proposition was put forward, and a lively debate ensued to try to determine appropriate future planning.
Some of the views expressed were outrageous, of course. Some very interesting and challenging perspectives emerged.
Most importantly, individuals who, at first sight, are competitors found that their common ground is immense. Simple assumptions and prejudices are unbiased when we really listen to and share the views of others.
In that environment, the contributions of all, whether academics, thinkers, practitioners, providers, and the profit and not-for-profit sectors can really develop some exciting propositions, if people are willing to take the risk to share. It made me feel very optimistic about the way we deal positively with complexity and challenge. It is also a really good model for local government’s community leadership role at a local level. n
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