Discussion of Principle 7
From Theconnectedrepublic
7) Facilitative Government: Government 2.0 will see government's role shift much more towards creating context, orchestrating and facilitating, rather than controlling and delivering, public discourse and service delivery.
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General Comments
This is the principle that hints at our good friend "disintermediation". I know this silly idea was supposed to have died withthe dot.com crash, but in this context it's actually very important.
Facilitative or 'enabling' government is essentially all about disconnecting the idea of defining public outcomes from their production. So in this world, government on behalf of the community can define the content and values of public education but, at the same time, have virtually no role in actually producing the outcomes (ie would not have to own schools, hire teachers etc). Governments can create robust systems of public health provision without owning hospitals or paying doctors. At least in theory, its role would be to determine policy, set the basic groundrules and standards for those who are in the business of operating hospitals and being doctors and, where it deeems there is a need, pay for those people to access those services who can't do that under their own steam.
Do citizens want a fully out-sourced public sector?
Does a 'facilitative' government simply become a powerful designer of policy and owner of contracts, but pretty much a non-starter when it comes to a direct provider or producer? The notion of Government as 'Facilitative' doesnt resonate for me in relation to some of its key activities, school notebooks (real or lap ones) and teachers, people in beds in hospitals being helped by doctors and nurses, police on the streets, social workers helping families in crisis. Sure, there are elements of these which are already in the hands of private profit driven organisations and NGOs but do the public - the 'empowered citizens' - really want government to divest itself of key services? Is this aspirational only or would someone dare provide a timeframe?
Potential Benefits
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Potential Barriers
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Real-life Examples
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