How Governments Can Remain Effective and Rebuild Public Trust

Governments play a meaningful role in shaping policies that impact lives and communities, yet most face challenges that impair their ability to tackle complex problems, from inflexible hierarchies to increased competition between different public sector organisations rather than collaboration.

With rising expectations and traditional service delivery models increasingly being challenged, could shared power be the answer? 

In this discussion paper, the Centre for Public Impact (CPI) has unearthed four patterns – subsidiarity, relationships, accountability and learning – that governments around the world are using to better tackle the effectiveness and legitimacy challenges they face. 

What underlies these patterns is what CPI calls 'The Shared Power Principle' that it believes governments should embrace to make a difference to citizens and to help people feel more connected to decision-making through collaboration and cooperation.

One example highlights educational reforms in Finland in the 1990s. Teachers were entrusted with planning their own curriculums and assessments, and state inspections were abandoned. These reforms brought about “a new culture of education characterised by trust between educational authorities and schools”. Today, Finland’s education system is admired around the world.

Another example sheds light on the citizen-centric, highly collaborative approach taken by Wigan Council in the north of England. The “Wigan Deal” led to the council involving Wigan’s residents, communities and public servants in developing and improving public services.

This approach has increased healthy life expectancy, saved the council over £141 million, and increased staff and resident satisfaction – despite lower spending on public services.