Unnecessary Bureaucracy in the Public Sector
Reducing unnecessary bureaucracy in the public sector
Public Sector Strategy
Burdens in the public sector often stem from the burden of reporting and paperwork, rather than solely regulation. In 2007 the Government committed to a strategy for the public sector containing four strands:
- Fewer and better co-ordinated requests for data from the frontline – a commitment to a 30% reduction in information requests from central government to the public sector front line by 2010
- A reduction in the stock of unnecessary bureaucracy in the areas the front line cares most about
- Better engagement with front line workers to identify and remove bureaucracy
- Better regulation that is understood and mirrored through the public service delivery chain
Cutting bureaucracy for our public services (PDF, 1255KB)
Simplification plans
Government departments report progress on cutting bureaucracy, simplification of regulatory burdens and wider work on making public sector savings in annual simplification plans.
Find out more about Simplification Plans in the Simplifying Existing Regulation section of the website.
Improving regulation for local authorities
The Better Regulation Executive (BRE) has also implemented regulatory change in local government. The Rogers Review examined the many areas of legislation that local regulatory services enforce and recommended six national enforcement priorities. Initiatives include:
Local Better Regulation Office - a BRE sponsored body set up to improve the consistency and quality of local authority trading standards, environmental health and licensing.
Retail Enforcement Pilot - LBRO now coordinates the programme which promotes joint working and information sharing across regulators in different localities to help focus resources on high-risk and non-compliant businesses and reduce unnecessary checks on those who comply.
Have your say!
If you have any suggestions on how to reduce regulatory burdens and make life easier for public sector organisations, please submit them at Better Regulation.
You can also see examples of how the public sector is benefiting from ideas the Government has already put into practice.
