About the Accenture Global Cities Forum
Accenture Public Service Value Governance Framework
Executive Overview
City Reports
Return to the Accenture Global Cities Forum home page to access the Flash site   The Accenture Institute for Public Service Value conducted the Accenture Global Cities Forum in eight world cities. Our goal: to explore people's perspectives on the role of government. What follows is a high-level summary of what people of Sydney told us. (You can also read a summary of the executive overview covering all eight cities.)
What is the Accenture Global Cities Forum?
The Global Cities Forum is an ongoing study into how members of the public define “public value” and what they expect of government. The Institute for Public Service Value designed the first phase of the study as a series of citizen panels in eight world cities: London, Sydney, Singapore, Berlin, New York, Paris, Madrid and Los Angeles. Each Forum included 60 to 85 local residents randomly selected to represent the city’s demographics—providing strong, qualitative insight into what people think about government and public services and how they judge public value. During each Forum, we helped participants consider public services and public value from three perspectives: that of citizen, service user and taxpayer. We encouraged them to think about the various players involved in delivering public value and effecting positive change. We challenged them to develop principles of public value that should guide government in the provision of public services. And we gave them a chance to develop their own personal “messages to government.” How do Sydney residents define public value? During the Forum, we asked participants to think and talk about public value from three different points of view: that of service user, taxpayer and citizen. In their discussions and role-playing activities, they acknowledged the tensions among those perspectives. But they also created general principles of public value that they believe should guide government in improving quality of life for all Sydney residents. Those principles are a long-term outlook, fairness and opportunity, accountability, customer focus, and cooperation and partnership. How can government address today's most pressing issues? Thinking specifically about health, learning and education, and ease of transport, Sydney Forum participants provided clear "to-do's" for government: - Raise health care standards with timelier treatment and more accessible services (particularly for dental and mental health), take a longer-term outlook, develop more community education about healthy living, and encourage people to use private health insurance.
- Invest in public schools to reduce class sizes, upgrade facilities, and attract and retain high-caliber teachers, increase university funding to provide adequate capacity, and address social issues through programs focused on moral guidance, life skills and health.
- Expand public transport to areas of Sydney that have been neglected, keep services running on time, and improve comfort, cleanliness and safety.
Who should be involved in producing public value? Participants acknowledged that government is not solely responsible for producing public value. Other players, including businesses, nonprofits and individuals, have important roles, too. Ultimately, though, Sydney participants look to government to lead the way in its roles as strategist, architect, financial manager and coordinator, regulator or guardian of quality, performance manager and role model. Just as important, participants voiced a strong desire to be more engaged with their government—and not just on election day. How can we strengthen the relationship between people and their government? Through analysis of the Sydney Forum and seven other city events, we have developed the Accenture Public Service Value Governance Framework. This model reflects Global Cities Forum participants' principles of public value and their desire to be more engaged citizens. And it illustrates how to strengthen the relationship between people and their government through: - Outcomes—Focusing on improved social and economic outcomes.
- Balance—Balancing choice and flexibility with fairness and common good.
- Engagement—Engaging, educating and enrolling the public as co-producers of
public value.
- Accountability—Clarifying accountability and facilitating public recourse.
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