The inimitable John Seddon is being proposed as a new UK ‘Public Services Tsar’.
His summarised manifesto:
1. Shut down the Audit Commission and other inspection bodies.
2. Get rid of the thousands of Whitehall target setters and rule makers. Retrain them to do something more useful instead.
3. Make public sector managers responsible by freeing them from compliance with Government edicts.
Greater detail here (.doc).
John Seddon
I can’t imagine a more powerfully positive (and – let’s face it – entertaining) outcome for British public services.
If you agree – and you’re a British citizen – then please do sign the petition to back his appointment.
If you haven’t come across this forthright thought leader before, then I highly recommend a read of his back catalogue (see the ‘Go Forth and Read’ panel to the right). This is a good place to start.
I work for the publisher of John Seddon’s latest book ‘Systems Thinking in the Public Sector’, which readers of this post might find of interest. As the title suggests, it deals with the issues raised in his ‘manifesto’ – the inefficiencies of the targets culture and ‘back office’ initiatives.
Thanks Imogen.
Have you seen the row between Seddon and David Walker of the Audit Commission on the Local Government Chronicle? http://www.lgcplus.com/finance-and-partnership/walker-v-seddon-the-debate-goes-on/5004313.article