The decentralised State: The new horizon for French government modernisation
The French Government has undertaken a vast reform of its central organisation and local representation. The Government will also reveal the third wave of decentralisation by the beginning of 2013, which will continue to shift the boundary between central and local bodies and the way that public policies are developed and delivered.
In our publication, we argue for a more efficient way of governing and executing public policies, - through a more agile approach to deciding on, and delivering the right outcome/services by the right providers using the right processes. The central and territorial Government need to re-think the ways in which they work. In doing so, they need to look at reducing organisational complexity and creating more flexible operating models.
Four guidelines are needed to set the tone:
- A clearer definition of the outcomes delivered to the citizens.
- Real progress in the ways of working for the public agents and in the delivered quality to the citizens.
- True and efficient accountability all along the "chain of command".
- Radical simplification of the ways in which all stakeholders are working together.
