Public services

Eurofound — European Foundation For The Improvement Of Living And Working Conditions

Description

Working for the consumer
Consumers' health

Sujets

• Civil service
• Consumer behaviour
• Public Service
• Occupational safety and health

Informations

• Publié par: EUROFOUND-EUROPEAN-FOUNDATION-FOR-THE-IMPROVEMENT-OF-LIVING-AND-WORKING-CONDITIO
• Nombre de lectures: 17
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 12 Mo

Extrait

*>
European Foundation
for the Improvement of
■ Living and Working Conditions It is the aim of the Foundation to
contribute to the planning and
development of the improvement
of living and working conditions
in the future, through action
designed to increase and
disseminate knowledge likely to
assist these ideas. With this aim in
view the task of the Foundation is
to develop and pursue ideas on
the medium and long term
improvement of living and
working conditions in the light of
practical factors leading to change
(Council Regulation [EEC] No.
1365/75 of 26 May 1975,
Article 2).
European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions,
Loughlinstown House, Shankill,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.
Telephone: 826888
Telex: 30726 EURF EI
Fax: 826888 PUBLIC SERVICES:
WORKING FOR
THE CONSUMER "La transformation des relations entre l'administration et
les administres ... s'explique ... par ...la contagion de
l'esprit consumer iste... " France, 1988 (84)
"The Swedish public administration is in a period of
change ... less bureaucracy and better service ... (C)itizens
must assume greater influence as consumers of the public
services... " Sweden, 1989 (71)
"Públicos e serviços públicos — uma nova relação'
Portugal, 1988 (132)
" 'Serving the Country Better'... In the delivery of service to
the public ... recognition of the primacy of the customer
must be paramount". Ireland, 1985 (85)
" 'Bedarfsgerechte und bürgernahe öffentliche
Dienstleistungen ' steht in dem großen Zusammenhang, der
mit dem Begriff 'Verbesserung des Verhältnisses zwischen
Bürgern und Verwaltung gekennzeichnet ist. In der
Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist dieser Begriff von Bund,
Ländern und Gemeinden als Ziel der Politik anerkannt. "
Germany, 1989 (96)
"1987 is the year of the customer". Delft Municipal
Government (141)
"Una dinàmica de presión sobre la Administración en
exigencia de que los servicios públicos sean prestados con ..
receptividad... 'mejor servicio a la clientela'.. "Spain, 1988
(108)
"...the consumer dimension... is in danger of becoming... 'the
flavour of the month'. " UK, 1987 (123) PUBLIC SERVICES:
WORKING FOR
THE CONSUMER
A review of initiatives in
Europe to improve the
responsiveness of public
services to consumers
Joyce Epstein
RICA, London
European Foundation • **•
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions El Loughlinstown House, Shankill, • •
Co. Dublin, Ireland This booklet is also available in the following
languages:
ES ISBN 92-826-0325-3
DAN 92-826-0326-1
DE ISBN 92-826-0327-X
GRN 92-826-0328-8
FR ISBN 92-826-0330-X
ITN 92-826-0331-8
NL ISBN 92-826-0332-6
PTN 92-826-0333-4
Luxembourg: OFFICE FOR OFFICIAL
PUBLICATIONS OF THE
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 1990
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of
this publication.
ISBN: 92-826-0329-6
Catalogue number: SY-58-90-950-EN-C
©Copyright: EUROPEAN FOUNDATION
FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF
LIVING AND WORKING CONDITIONS, 1990.
For rights of translation or reproduction, application
should be made to the Director, European Foundation for
the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions,
Louglinstown House, Shankill, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
Cartoons: Bob Fannin
Larry Parks
Harlow Council
Typesetting and Print Production:
Printset & Design Ltd., Dublin
Original language: English
Printed in Ireland Preface
This review has been undertaken as a link between the
Foundation's previous work on consumer issues, notably
on information about urban services, and the development
of future studies. It represents an effort to describe and
order a large number of changes underway in public
administrations, aimed at improving the service to users.
It does not aim to cover all services or the public sector
as a whole; it focuses upons such as health,
education, and, housing where there is direct worker-
consumer contact; and it excludes transport, post and the
utilities. It looks, in particular, at the relatively
disadvantaged consumer in relation to these public
services.
The Research and writing were done by Joyce Epstein and
colleagues at the Research Institute for Consumer Affairs
(London) and the project was co-ordinated by Robert
Anderson at the Foundation. In addition to a biographical
search of the international literature, field visits were
made to look at examples of innovative practice; more
than 100 officials were contacted from the central
administrations and interested organisations, covering all
countries of the European Community.
The starting point for the report is an analysis of
deficiencies in current public services. This leads to
presentation of initiatives designed to respond to current
problems, accepting that perhaps not all these initiatives
were undertaken in the name of "consumerism".
Fourteen categories of development were illustrated
ranging from improved public information and reception
facilities to decentralisation, setting standards and
consumer participation. Examples are drawn from nearly
all countries of the European Community and a series of
more detailed, though brief, case studies are presented.
The review points out that few of these initiatives have
been subjected to systematic evaluation, and calls for
more work on assessing service quality from the consumer
point of view. This is the first of four types of systematic research outlined. Other proposals include work on the
impact of consumer initiatives on the quality of life of
consumers, and on the quality of working life for those
who provide the services. As the structure and consumer-
oriented provision in the public services change, there are
likely to be implications for training, job organisation,
ways of working and communication, and appropriate use
of technology. These, too. need to be studied. An
Evaluation meeting in Brussels attended by representatives
of governments, trade unions, employers and the services
of the European Commission offered other suggestions for
research on transfer of initiatives, public/private
partnerships and the relation between central and local
authority responsibility for delivery of services.
At this stage in the development of the theme, the review
gives an indication of the range of initiatives already
underway, and points to some of the implications. It
should assist those in administration and management, as
well as representative organisations, to identify key issues
for further work and analysis.
Clive Purkiss Eric Verborgh
Director Deputy Director
RICA (Research Institute for Consumer Affairs, 2 Marylebone Road,
London NW1 4DX) was set up in 1961, by Consumers' Association,
to conduct independent research on any consumer issue of public
interest particularly where the needs of disadvantaged people are
concerned. RICA research, both national and European, has ranged
over a wide variety of topics, including equipment and transport for
disabled people, shopping needs of the elderly, problems of
children in hospital, and computerised information services for
welfare claimants. RICA research is funded by government agencies,
public trusts and foundations, and other bodies. CONTENTS
Introduction PART ONE:
PART TWO: Problems for Consumers of
Public Services 13
PART THREE: European Developments in
Consumerism 21
Reception2
Information5
Simplification7
Coordination 28
Marketing approach 31
Complaints procedures
Culture change
Setting standards 40
Decentralisation6
Personnel practices9
Two-way staff communication 53
Accountability and autonomy5
Competition 58
Consumer participation and
representation9
PART FOUR: Discussion 6
Summary and Conclusions PART FIVE: 83
APPENDIX—CASE STUDIES 89
BIBLIOGRAPHY 113