Getting better value from public sector research ... - CentreForum

Getting better value from Public Sector Research Establishments
mechanism, or completely divested through privatisation.
10 to 15 years later we now have the opportunity to ask how
successful this policy was. What effect have contractorisation
and privatisation had on the performance – financial and
qualitative – of the PSREs? And what lessons can we draw
for future policy? Although the focus here is on the PSREs,
it is also worth considering whether there are broader
implications for other parts of the public sector.
The observations and conclusions in this report are based
on a series of case studies which summarise the recent
history of the PSREs and former PSREs. For some we have
had the benefit of interviews with senior managers in the
organisations concerned, and we have been able to check
the information collected in the interviews and through
publicly available sources back with the organisations. In
other cases, particularly with current PSREs, we were not
able to secure interviews, so we have presented summary
case studies based on what information can be gleaned
from public sources. These organisations were also given
the opportunity to comment on the factual accuracy of the
summary case studies produced, which some of them did.
Structure of the Report
In the remainder of this report we set out summary details
about the organisations studied in Section 1. We then look
at how each of the different types of PSRE/former PSRE
has performed over the last 15-20 years in Section 2. We
then consider the factors which may be behind performance
differences in Section 3. Finally, in Section 4, we draw our
conclusions, and consider their implications for future policy,
both in respect of these organisations, and more generally.
Appendix 1 contains a short method statement.
Appendix 2 gives case studies for each of the organisations
covered.
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