Responsible Citizens and Accountable Service Providers? Renegotiating the Contract between Citizen and State

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4139300
AutoresLiz Richardson (0000-0002-9889-7682, Department of Politics, University of Manchester M13 9PL, England, autor de correspondencia), Kingsley Purdam (0000-0003-3872-0110, Social Statistics, Humanities Bridgeford Street Building, University of Manchester M13 9PL, England, autor de correspondencia), Simon Cotterill (0000-0001-5136-390X, Centre for Biostatistics, University of Manchester M13 9PL, England, autor de correspondencia), Sarah Cotterill (0000-0001-9605-9637), James Rees (0009-0008-0734-6094), Graham Squires (0000-0003-0131-782X, University of Birmingham, autor de correspondencia), Rebecca Askew (0000-0002-6281-227X, School of Law, LJMU Redmonds Building, Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5UG, England, autor de correspondencia)
Año2014
Volumen46
Número7
Páginas1716-1731
Fecha de publicación2014-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEnvironment and Planning A Economy and Space (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0308-518X • E-ISSN: 1472-3409
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1068/a46127
OpenAlexW2082078335
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas7
Referencias citadas36

New forms of governance, conditional approaches to public service access, and initiatives to engage citizens in taking on new responsibilities are being developed in the context of the scaling down of the welfare state. We examine the extent to which collaboration and multidirectional accountability can be developed between the state and citizens, with a focus on a case study of Community Contracts in England. These quasi-legal agreements, operationalised at the local level, involve citizens and service providers cooperating in tackling social problems through agreed responsibilities and behaviour. Findings from interviews and focus group research suggest that Community Contracts represent an innovation in governance. Citizens are given a voice and there are new pathways for effective service delivery and accountability; conditionality applies to citizens and service providers. However, although there was evidence of increased service accountability, the impact on civic responsibility and conditionality beyond already active citizens and beyond certain issues was less apparent. Although citizens and service providers were ready to take on new roles, the legal status of the contract was only loosely defined. Challenges remain concerning how contract-based approaches can be fully realised in practice

Accountability · Business · Conditionality · Corporate governance · Focus group · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Public service · Service delivery framework · Service provider · Social contract · Community Development and Social Impact · Healthcare innovation and challenges · Law · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research · Finance · Marketing