The improvement of public services is a major theme of government policy. It has involved better performance management, organisational reforms, new working practices and cultures, greater use of e-services and experimenting with new forms of service delivery, including the engagement of the private sector and joint working between public agencies.

HDL is interested in working with government clients to evaluate new approaches to public service delivery and identify practical and deliverable changes to enhance its effectiveness. We have also developed an understanding of the particular challenges that public agencies face in areas of multiple deprivation, where needs are often greater and remedies more complex.

Our work explores how public services can become more responsive to local needs through the more active engagement of service users and communities, including the development of new forms of local and neighbourhood involvement and governance.