Employee outcomes as an unforeseen cost of government outsourcing
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In this Research Forum session we explored employee outcomes as a potential unforeseen social cost of the privatization of government functions.
The Research Forum on Outcomes in Cross-Sector Collaboration is a gathering of researchers whose work engages with, or relates to, outcomes-based approaches to public service provision. Every two months, the Forum hosts guest speakers to present an aspect of their research or talk through a particular issue that is influencing their work. The research forum is co-hosted by the Government Outcomes Lab, University of Oxford, and The Center for Research on Public-Private Collaboration, Roskilde University.
Themes of interest to the Forum include:
- Cross-sector partnerships (e.g., PPPs) in the pursuit of policy goals
- Outcomes-based approaches to public service provision including social outcomes contracting
- Stewardship of mixed economies of public service delivery (outsourcing, insourcing, voluntary sector involvement, place-based working)
We aim to reflect the full breadth that these topics entail, as well as issues relating to research process and methodology. We therefore welcome empirical content from different locations around the world, as well as theoretical discussions covering the various conceptual frameworks through which efforts to improve social outcomes can be interpreted and understood.
The sessions are intended to be informal in nature, allowing for free-flowing discussion, the testing of ideas among peers, and wrestling with the challenges of interdisciplinary work in this space. The Research Forum therefore provides an arena for researchers away from the demands of having a polished ‘policy message’ or published paper. In doing so, we hope to develop a scholarly network that will enrich our research, disseminate ideas, and foster collaboration across institutions.
What to expect
Research Forum meetings are one hour and 15 minutes long, and are held online. They are free to attend, and anyone who is interested is welcome to join. The target audience is principally researchers, however, and these sessions will particularly appeal to members of academic institutions, consultancies, and/or think tanks, whose work relates to the above outlined themes.
If you are interested in presenting at the Forum please contact Eleanor Carter, Research Director at the Government Outcomes Lab, or Ole Helby Petersen, Director of The Center for Research on Public-Private Collaboration, Roskilde University.
Session overview
In addition to considering the economic value of government outsourcing, increasing attention is being given to its social value. One such aspect is the effects of contracting out on both public- and private-sector employees. This Research Forum session explored the hypothesis that negative effects on employees – in terms of wages, working conditions, inequality, and so on – could be an unforeseen social cost of the privatization of government functions.
We were joined by Sarah Ausmus Smith, Bjarke Lund-Sørensen, and Trevor Brown. Sarah and Bjarke presented their latest research on employee outcomes, and the ‘labour clauses’ that government agencies can use (or don’t use) to safeguard workers in contracted services. Professor Brown provided a discussant's response to the presentations.
We also discussed the implications of data constraints when it comes to assessing social value in procurement, as well as methodological approaches to the topic – including the use of machine learning techniques to process big contract data.
Resources
Sarah Ausmus Smith's article in Public Administration Review: US state government privatization: Implications for social equity and inequality?