COSLA Manifesto for Public Sector Reform

COSLA - the voice of local government in Scotland – has backed a radical and bold approach to the reform of public services based on a strong evidence base and our democratic values.

COSLA wants to promote an alternative vision for reform based on developing public services that are integrated at a local level. We think we need to use all the levers of reform - from public policy to legislation, from public finance to governance, in order to optimise the benefits that can be felt by our communities. Our work is guided by five fundamental principles:

1. Reform should be framed around the improvement of outcomes

2. Reform should look at the whole of the public sector not just one element

3. Reform should be based on robust evidence and a business case for community benefit - this implies local integration not central aggregation

4. Reform should not focus on structures and boundaries to the exclusion of finance, policy, systems and governance

5. Local democracy and accountability should be at the heart of the reform process and should be enhanced by reform rather than diminished.

Our manifesto is radical as it asks the Scottish Government and Parliament not to do more, but to do less.

We are asking national politicians not to impose change or centralise services, but to take a step back and think about the reform that will make a real difference to Scotland's communities. To put that another way, government of the people, for the people, by the people means that power needs to be closer to the people than it is just now.

COSLA's Chief Executive, Rory Mair, spoke about our vision for public sector reform at the 2011 COSLA Conference. 

COSLA has also shared this thinking with the "Christie Commission on The Future of Public Services".  Our report can found here.