Devolution and User Participation in Public Services: How They Work and What They Do

Abstract

Devolution and user participation have had enduring popularity as initiatives in public services in many countries. The 1997 Labour government renewed interest in the UK. However, how devolution and participation work and what they do, particularly in combination, are still not well understood. Research has been handicapped by key conceptual problems over definition, measurement and the identification of effects, and challenged by gaps between rhetoric and reality. Data on combined devolution and user participation through Tenant Management Organisations in English council housing were used to specify the extent of changes, examine processes and identify the effects. Formal measures alone were insufficient. Other measures and changes in management processes showed that the combination had the potential for significant, but widely varying effects on service performance.