| SOC24 | Big Picture: Restoring trust in the public sector through outcome-based partnerships: transparency, relationality and adaptation

This year over half of the world’s population are heading to the polls for elections, yet governments are facing a crisis of confidence from their citizens. Restoring this trust requires governments to deliver results against a backdrop of what is being dubbed a ‘permacrisis’. What can be done to restore faith in the public sector? And what wider lessons might we learn from outcomes-based contracting to build and renew public sector capabilities, collaboration, and culture?

In this session, we lifted our gaze to these broader issues and asked:

• How can an outcomes-focus strengthen government capabilities through value for money and ensured impact of policies such as children's care, health, and homelessness?
• How might government meaningfully collaborate with other sectors to improve the delivery of public services?
• How might public services be strengthened with preventative spending, enabled through an outcomes-focus?

This discussion brought together a rich mix of policymaker, practitioner and academic perspectives from around the world for an in-depth exploration of what government can do to restore faith in the public sector, and what wider lessons we might learn from outcomes-based contracting to build and renew public sector capabilities, collaboration, and culture.  

The session, chaired by GO Lab’s Dr Eleanor Carter, was a deep discussion on how to restore trust in government through adaptation, transparency, and relationality in public services.  

Andrew Greenway, Public Digital, emphasised the importance of adaptability and the practical implementation of policies, noting that “smart” policies must align with real world delivery challenges – “you can’t clever your way through complexity”. 

Dr Joe Abah, DAI Global, shared insights from his experience with the SFTAS programme in Nigeria, stating that low public awareness, no involvement of civil society, and no restrictions in terms of how to spend funding hindered trust-building.  

Dr Mekhala Krishnamurthy, Ashoka University, addressed the complexities of trusting the state and public sector, and argued that instead we must ask what it takes to be human in the relationship between government and the individual.  

Alison Jeffrey, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), pointed out the structural barriers to innovation in government, but also that it is important to ensure public value is being achieved.  

The session noted that greater adaptability, transparency, and deeper engagement with civil society will help to improve public trust and effectiveness. Alison noted that “whilst social outcomes partnerships teach us a lot, we still have a while to go until we have that triangle of adaptability, transparency and relationality right”.