Enlighten today publishes a new paper written by former Social Justice Minister and academic Des McNulty, which challenges the Scottish Government and its Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform ahead of the Programme for Government.
Mr McNulty has suggested that every spending decision or programme needs to be able to pass a Structural Prevention Test which poses three questions:
- Does this shift power or control toward communities and individuals, rather than concentrating it in national programmes and professional gatekeepers?
- Does it build people’s capability to manage their own lives, rather than simply managing their dependency on services?
- And does it disrupt the siloed, single-agency way services are usually organised, rather than reinforcing it?
Mr McNulty believes that these are the tests of whether a policy intervention is genuinely following the intentions of the 2011 Christie Commission.
Commenting, Des McNulty said:
“Scottish public policy loves the word ‘prevention’ The word runs through every Programme for Government since 2012, sits at the heart of the National Performance Framework, and now anchors the new Public Service Reform Strategy.
“There is just one problem: there is no agreement about what the word means.
“There is therefore now a case for a Structural Prevention Test asking three questions: Does this shift power or control toward communities and individuals? Does it build people’s capability to manage their own lives? And does it disrupt the siloed, single- agency way services are usually organised?
“A programme or intervention that cannot answer ‘yes’ to at least two of these three questions should not be classified as preventative.
“The appointment of a dedicated Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform has created a genuine, if narrow, window. The issue at stake is not whether more spending gets described as preventative. It is whether difficult structural choices finally get confronted.”
Enlighten’s Director Chris Deerin added:
“Public service reform is the biggest challenge this government faces, and one of the biggest challenges any Scottish Government has faced.
“Des McNulty’s paper offers a sensible, achievable methodology to ensure that public service reform – in particular a preventative agenda – is a set of actions rather than merely words.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Des McNulty’s accompanying blog post can be read here, and the full paper here.
- Enlighten isa public policy institute which works to promote increased economic prosperity, opportunity for all, and more effective public services. Enlighten is independent of political parties and any other organisations. It is funded by donations from private individuals, charitable trusts and corporate organisations. Its Director is Chris Deerin and Alison Payne is the Research Director. Both work closely with the Trustee Board, chaired by Lord McConnell, which meets regularly to review the research and policy programme.
- For media contact Andy Maciver, [email protected], 07855 261 244