Outcomes And Public Service Delivery (2018 Edition)

There has been a steady increase in the use of outcomes-based approaches to public service delivery and accountability. Outcomes approaches have been deployed at national and local levels, in strategic planning, service design and evaluation and assessing policy impact. They are used in commissioning and procurement and are also deployed within organisations as part of their own planning, performance management and evaluation systems.

Outcomes approaches are in use across the world. Results-based accountability has been widely used in the USA as well as in other countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway and the UK.

This publication considers outcomes-based approaches, their features and their application. It is a resource for practitioners working in or with organisations delivering public services and for those who may be considering adopting an outcomes approach to service delivery, either directly or through commissioning or by funding services on that basis. It will be useful for managers and officers involved in commissioning services or looking at new service delivery models. Its aim is to help readers to understand the common language of outcomes approaches along with their application in various settings.

The publication can be read as a whole or dipped into for information on specific areas.

The publication is available as a downloadable PDF. Customers and subscribers will need to login to CIPFA’s website to access the publication.