NAO Chief on how civil servants should write submissions on outsourcing after Carillion - Auditor general tells MPs that the government does not have capacity “to do anything but outsource” services across a host of areas. Richard Johnstone, Civil Service World
The case for saving outsourcing – ‘companies will fail, but that doesn’t mean we must abandon outsourcing entirely – it’s a matter of picking the right circumstances,’ says Bronwen Maddox. Civil Service World
The Invisible Heart documentary premiers in May – This new documentary tracks the birth of one of the fastest growing social innovations in modern history: the social impact bond
Academics can show governments how to evaluate SIBs more rigorously – This article by Chris Fox sets out a range of approaches that can be used to help identify causality and effectiveness of SIBs even in complex environments Policy and Innovation Research Unit
Messages on the future of domiciliary care services – Professor John Bolton and Dr Jane Townson offer their experience and suggestions on how to effectively deliver outcomes through domiciliary care, highlighting the importance of transparency and good relations between commissioners and providers. Institute of Public Care, Oxford Brookes University
Rebranding will not solve the problems of public service outsourcing – Outsourcing needs a more than a refresh and rebrand, argues John Tizard. A pause to collect some evidence is urgently required. Public Finance
How one Norfolk council has cut its housing waiting list by 95% - ‘Allowing staff to think creatively about people’s needs is a risk, but it paid off in Great Yarmouth’ writes David Brindle, Public Leaders Network, The Guardian
How can innovation, networks, and experimentation create system-level change in education? Sharing key lessons on improving outcomes in education. Mark Roland and Molly Jamieson Eberhardt, The Brookings Institution
Impact bonds could offer a paradigm shift towards more effective public services – Emily Gustafsson-Wright argues that Social and Development Impact Bonds require enormous effort fro the partners involved but they have a potential to transform the financing and delivery of social services across the globe. Policy Innovation Research Unit