Public Scrutiny
Description
This approach gives people the opportunity to find out more about how public services are run, and to ask questions of how they are delivered.
How it works
Public scrutiny involves bringing together communities and service providers to give people the opportunity to review how services are provided. The scope of this scrutiny can vary from simply allowing the opportunity to ask questions, through to influencing how services are developed and delivered in the future.
In some cases, public scrutiny can be ongoing and can provide a framework for monitoring how services are provided and getting feedback on customer satisfaction.
Potential uses
This approach is useful when you are keen to ensure that your services meet the needs of service users, and you are prepared to act on the results of public involvement.
You should give some thought to how confrontational the event could be – if there are high levels of dissatisfaction public scrutiny could be challenging and you will need to be prepared to make changes.
Trying to develop an ongoing relationship, with people involved in monitoring service provision on a longer term basis, could be a way of beginning to build trust.
Resources required
Although public scrutiny involves the dedication of some staff time to organising and attending events, the key resource required is the ability to act on the findings of the scrutiny. You may also want to consider investing time in ‘going to’ communities – through attending community groups and offering opportunities for scrutiny – rather than asking people to come to central events.
Further information
Further information on Public Scrutiny is available.
