Financial targets no excuse for poor service, NHS trusts told

Financial targets no excuse for poor service, NHS trusts told (PF 19/10/07)

Trusts using targets, particularly financial targets, as an excuse for failing to deliver on quality of care issues. Indicator that move to a more relational model might just result in more excuses?

Health Secretary in talks with weakest trusts – evidence of an ‘intervention’ approach to management – maybe a little relational?

Schools face struggle to meet new PSA targets

Schools face struggle to meet new PSA targets (PF 12/10/07)

Targets to raise standards and to close the attainment gap could work against each other as the former helps the brightest pupils improve, at the expense of struggling pupils.

Cameron promises less control from central government

Cameron promises less control from central government (PF 5/10/07)

Targets have been used to make public services more accountable to central government. Tories promising more local accountability. Just like everyone else.

Green Dreams: a Decade of Missed Targets

Green Dreams: a Decade of Missed Targets (Policy Exchange, May 2008)

Failure to meet environmental targets.

- Targets are set without the policy drivers needed to meet them. Eg Waste targets have succeeded because of LATS and Landfill Tax Escalator.

- Targets are chopped and changed, word games are played and failed targets are forgotten about, leading to confusion and lack of support.

- Targets are too vague to be meaningful E.g. ‘moving toward’ a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions.

- Use of creative accounting. E.g. exclusion of aviation from carbon output targets.

Performance anxiety, by Colin Talbot and Carole Johnson

Performance anxiety, by Colin Talbot and Carole Johnson (PF 12/1/07)

Problems with PSAs:

1. Data quality – many departments do not have systems in place which are capable of accurately monitoring their PSA targets.

2. Accountability – the goal is to make public services more accountable, but it is questionable whether this has happened. Does anyone pay attention to the results? Select committees are not making great use of them.

3. What do they mean? Where do the targets come from? E.g. why 50% participation target for higher education?

4. Lack of resources to analyse the data.

Intention: Transactional – funding in exchange for performance.

Failsafe futures, by Conor Ryan

Failsafe futures, by Conor Ryan (PF 18/4/08)

What do targets mean? Discusses 638 schools below government’s floor target of 30% of pupils getting at least 5 good GCSEs including Maths and English. However, if you look at ‘contextualised value added’ performance, many of these are performing above average. Some have ‘good’ Ofsted reports.

Performance anxiety, by Colin Talbot and Carole Johnson

Performance anxiety, by Colin Talbot and Carole Johnson (PF 12/1/07)

PSAs can be seen in terms of marketing – a promotion mechanic.

Survey of select committee members – scepticism of the value of target measurement in changing accountability. No restriction on strategic freedom.