De-Constructing and ReConstructing Social Dialogue in the
Public Services: A UK Perspective
Ian Kessler
With financial support
from the European Union
VP/2013/0362
Structure
1. What do mean by social dialogue?
2. Where does the user fit in?
3. How has the user fitted in ? The UK Case
Social Dialogue: Definition
‘A conversation involving two or more
parties’
1. What is Social Dialogue?
Social
Political
Economic
?
‘ A conversation between two or
more people/actors’:
Who?
What?
Where?
How?
Traditional Approach: A Narrow Conception?
Who:
Actors
What:
Scope
•Employee/Rep
•Employer/Rep
•Politician
•End User
•Carer
•Citizen
Social Dialogue
Where:
Level
•Service Design/Delivery
•Resourcing
•Industrial Relations
•Employment Relations
•Work Relations
How:
Form
•Direct/Indirect
•Inform
•Consult
•Collaborate
•Delegate
•Cross-National
•National
•Sectoral
•Organisational
•Workplace
What
?
Service Design/
Delivery
Employees/Reps
Who
Employer/Reps
?
?
Resourcing
Industrial Relations:
Terms &
Conditions
Of Employment
National
Work Relations:
Job design &
Work practices
Where
Sectoral
?
Employment
Relations:
Employee
Performance
Organisational
Commissioners
Workplace
?
Politicians
?
End Users/Reps
Carers
Citizen
Inform
Consult
2. Where does the user fit it?
How
Negotiate
The UK Policy Context
Bureaucracy:
User as
Recipient
New Welfare
1945-79
Markets:
User as
Customers
New Right
1979-97
Networks:
User as
CitizenConsumer
New Labour
1979-present
Key Principles of Citizen-Consumer
Engagement
Government
• Voice
• Choice
• Control
User
Modernising Government (1999):
The Governments aims to...make certain that citizens and business will have choice
about how and when to access government services...Public servants must be the
agents of changes citizens and businesses want.
Open Public Services (2011):
The modernisation of public services that the Government is undertaking is driven by
This simple idea- that people should be in the driving seat, not politicians and
bureaucrats...We are opening public services because we believe that giving people
more control over the services they receive....will lead to better public services for all
A Drive towards User Control?
Public Administration Select Committee (2008):
User driven services are those that actively involve the people using them in service
design and delivery. They entail drawing upon the expertise, views and perspectives
of service users to complement the skills and input of service professionals. User
driven services go beyond user consultation or user representation....The idea of user
driven services involves public sector staff and users working together to determine
what services are provided and how. (Emphasis added)
-Co- Design
-Co- Production
-Co-Supervision
-New Professionalism
Examples of User Driven Services
• Expert Patients
• Personal Budgets/Direct Payments
• Community Care Navigators
• Housing: Tenant-led Management
Where Does Social
Dialogue Fit In?
What
At the Frontline
?
Service Design/
Delivery
Employees/Reps
National
Sectoral
Employer/Reps
Who
?
Resourcing
Industrial Relations:
Terms &
Conditions
Of Employment
Employment
Relations:
Employee
Performance
Work Relations:
Job design &
Work practices
Where
Organisational
Politicians
Workplace
End Users
Carers
Citizen/Reps
Inform
Consult
How
Negotiate
What
?
Service Design/
Delivery
Employees/Reps
National
Sectoral
Employer/Reps
Who
?
Resourcing
Industrial Relations:
Terms &
Conditions
Of Employment
Employment
Relations:
Employee
Performance
Work Relations:
Job design &
Work practices
Where
Organisational
Politicians
Workplace
End Users/Reps
Carers
Citizen/Reps
Inform
Consult
National Consumer CouncilUnison: Shared Solutions (2006)
How
Negotiate
What
?
Service Design/
Delivery
Employees/Reps
National
Sectoral
Employer/Reps
Who
?
Resourcing
Industrial Relations:
Terms &
Conditions
Of Employment
Employment
Relations:
Employee
Performance
Work Relations:
Job design &
Work practices
Where
Organisational
Politicians
Workplace
End Users
Carers
Citizen Reps
Inform
Consult
How
Negotiate
Citizens UK: Living Wage Campaign
What
?
Service Design/
Delivery
Employees/Reps
National
Sectoral
Employer/Reps
Who
?
Resourcing
Industrial Relations:
Terms &
Conditions
Of Employment
Work Relations:
Job design &
Work practices
Where
Organisational
Politicians
Workplace
End Users
Carers
Citizen Reps
Inform
Consult
How
Negotiate
Barnett Alliance
Employment
Relations:
Employee
Performance