This strategy follows on from the Atkinson Report on Measurement of Government Output and Productivity for the National Accounts published in January 2005, which advised that output should be measured in a way which takes account of quality change. It draws on the results of a public consultation carried out by ONS' UK Centre for the Measurement of Government Activity (UKCeMGA) from September 2006 to April 2007.
The paper sets out: the overall strategy for measuring public service output, of which quality of service will be a key part; the future development programme needed to take the strategy forward; and, also specific decisions on methods for measuring education and health.
It proposes a conceptual framework for measuring quality of public services which will be based on the extent to which the service: i) succeeds in delivering intended outcomes; and, ii) responds to user needs, the human factor in service delivery. The balance between the two should depend on evidence or assumptions that are clear to all.
The strategy also proposes new work to measure welfare gained from public spending, including benefits for the market sector. This replaces the 'rise in earnings' adjustments in previously published education and healthcare productivity articles.
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