Any initiative which attempts to break down the ‘us vs them’ mentality in any business, and particularly the public services, has to be a good thing. (Engagement, Cluetrain, etc etc.) So I was initially interested to read about ‘an original approach to shaping better public services’, put forward by the National Consumer Council and the union Unison.
It’s only when you read on that you discover that their idea of going ‘way beyond the usual consultation exercises, surveys and public meetings’ is to… um… organise a one-day workshop for 15 social housing tenants in Newcastle, and 10 local housing officers. I’m really not convinced that’s enough to constitute ‘tried and tested’. In fact, by their own admission, it was only the ‘beginning of a process’.
Thanks to egovmonitor for the link.