Duncan O'Leary
Duncan works on projects looking at public services, skills and work.
Another tension i’ve been mulling over recently is the difficulties that all political parties are likely to have in the next wave of policy-making: trying to implement specific ideas that are proven to work....or put in place systems that are designed to work for themselves?
- The Conservatives want to give schools more freedoms, on the basis that will drive innovation and improve quality, but also want to insist on streaming and the use of phonics teaching in the classroom.
- The government wants to put patients in control of hospitals, through greater choice, but also to prioritise targets for waiting lists on their behalf.
These clearly aren’t new tensions, and the right answer probably comes somewhere between a ‘self-improving system’ and some levels of minimum standards. But its not clear what exactly is driving the current oscilation between new systems and ‘delivery’ of specific (popular) ideas.
In short, what are the conditions that the centre has to meet to ensure that it is adding value, rather than getting in the way? Or, to put it another way, under which circumstances should the centre be stepping as a guarantor of minimum standards for everyone?
Demos is publishing a collection on innovation soon, which no doubt will hold all the answers...
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