No change is not an option

Whatever politicians have chosen to call cutbacks, it is obvious that they are inevitable, if UK plc is to avoid the same fate as Greece. The government is not known for being swift in delivering change. Equally, local government is adept at dealing with cut-backs and targets in a way that delivers a difference but without real change. So exactly what will 'no change is not an option' really mean?

It is clear that there is a push for devolution of power and responsibility by all parties. How this is interpreted can, however, lead to very different consequences. For example, in education and health this may be seen as promoting parent power and personal choice, but could be interpreted as passing the difficult and unpopular decisions from central to local agencies. Having the mechanisms to manage community and individual engagement requires transparency of data upon which to base choices.

With an ageing population, spiralling costs of care and a yawning gap between employment needs and available skills there are undoubtedly difficult decisions to be made. Providing the evidence base to make and defend tough choices about where to target resources will be essential to manage demand as well as expectations.

There is a growing expectation of fewer, less generously-rewarded public sector jobs in the future. The private sector may well be left to make up the difference as well as use market forces to further drive down costs. The perceived significant threat to a basic level of state service provision, also means that the most difficult area to address is how to attract talent into (and maintain motivation of) public services. Perhaps those commissioning public services must challenge the combined forces of public, private and voluntary sector provision to acknowledge their complimentary roles and each play to their strengths not continue to view each other with suspicion or as a threat. This in itself requires a significant shift in attitudes to managing market provision.

In light of these many and complex issues, will the ‘no change is not an option’ message be the first casualty of post-election euphoria for a new Prime Minister?

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