Thursday, 23 April 2009 | Levent OZLER
UK Treasury Report Highlights Role of Design in Improving Public Services
In a report published alongside today's Budget statement, Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling highlighted the need to "build a legacy of innovative design thinking and skills" across the public sector and urged local and central government to improve outcomes and efficiency in public services by using design.
The report stated that "innovation and service redesign will be critical in order to achieve improvements in the quality and efficiency of public services in more challenging economic circumstances", and urged government to "build the public sector's understanding of the importance of design in public services and the appropriate skills to turn this understanding into tangible improvements."
It also recognised the innovations being triggered by Design Out Crime, a programme from the Design Council and the Home Office Design & Technology Alliance which this week launched a £400,000 Mobile Phone Security Challenge.
The report was published following a review conducted by Sir Michael Bichard, Director of the independent Institute for Government, Chairman of the Design Council and co-author of HM Treasury's Operational Efficiency Programme Review.
The report will see the Design Council expand the number of pilot projects before rolling out its programme across the public sector- Public Services by Design - in partnership with the Department for Innovation Universities and Skills (DIUS).
Additional pilots will be launched over the coming year, following projects with the Adult Advancement Careers Service (ACCAS) and London Borough of Southwark.
"Design is a trigger for innovation. Successful businesses use it to increase competitiveness, but public services can use it too to improve public services by involving frontline staff and users directly in transforming services thereby making them more effective and efficient," said Emily Thomas, Leader of the Design Council's Public Services Programme.
"Today's news shows that Government recognises the power of service design to transform public services and increase their ability to innovate in the face of budget pressures."
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