Customer-centric public services

Despite significant increases in public spending, the perception persists in some quarters that public services are still not delivering in the way that the public expects. The provision of services that are designed around the needs of customers is now a familiar theme in government reform, but the degree of transformation needed has been slow to happen.

Visions of customer-centric public services are needed at a departmental level, based on greatly improved outcomes for the consumer. Only a shared focus on consumer outcomes will drive the necessary change in strategy and policy, operating models and delivery systems, processes and organisational culture.

The Government and Public Sector team at PricewaterhouseCoopers has extensive experience in the public sector, and has a proven capability and track-record in assisting Government departments in understanding consumers' experience of public services, and helping develop effective policies. Our team can also assist Government clients in identifying the key issues around consumer experience, and in generating the consumer insights necessary to inform changes in policy and service delivery.

One example of our work in this area is the consumer strategy work conducted for the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA). The PwC team supported the DCA Director of Strategy to develop a consumer strategy for four areas of the civil justice system. The team analysed around 3500 court files, led 40 focus groups involving 300 members of the public and interviewed 140 members of the public and legal profession.

Outcomes of this work included publication of a green paper on relationship breakdown, and a consultation paper on debt. The DCA stated in its five year strategy document published in December 2004, that "we have for the first time talked directly to users and potential users of our services to find out what they think".

"I was impressed with PricewaterhouseCoopers' ability to work productively in a politically sensitive environment, to apply experience from the public and private sectors in developing a consumer-driven approach to policy that puts the consumer at the heart of what we do."
DCA, Director of Strategy