I wish I could dredge up at least one shining example of how consolidating government services has worked to the effect people hope. If you know of one leave your comment. I've googled everything I can think might apply to a search for good government practices that might reveal at least one example. Every time I think I've found one it turns out that instead of controlling the growth, saving dollars and providing acceptable services the effect is the opposite.
In fact, the more you consolidate the less accountable and efficient the service becomes. Initital cost savings that come with dropping top level managers is quickly absorbed by other cost increases over time until you are in worse shape than when you started.
Maybe nobody has come up with the right formula. I suspect that failure is inherent if you approach service consolidation with the idea that you are simply absorbing one service into another. You can't consolidate a school district, or multiple Police agencies like you are building
a mega store and closing smaller ones. The dynamic is different. The public demands are different which puts more pressure on the mega agency you have created to deliver at least the same level of service when it is likely it just can't.
If it was possible to sell the public on the idea that consolidation is about survival and not about
enhancement then maybe expectations would be lower.
That's a very tough sell even though it is honest.
Perhaps all the various ethnic-oriented departments could be consolidated into the Department of Everybody Except White Males?
ReplyDeleteI don't think I know of any either. I suppose the only possible means would be for two different entities to have one supervisor, but, that would not have a big savings. Even privatization of government services is difficult if not impossible. Texas tried to privatize their human services and last I saw it was a mess.
ReplyDeleteThe Post Office, since it does generate it's own income, has been a successful privatization, but, even they are financially struggling.
I will be watching this blog to see if there are any examples as this is an interesting subject to me.
Tom, in response to your request for information about government consolidations that improve service and save money, please look at public safety consolidations (police and fire service consolidations)in places like Ashland, Oregon and Kalamazoo, Michigan. There are many places that have forsaken the politics of these consolidations and found that they both improve service and save money - if managed properly of course.
ReplyDeletePolice and fire consoldation makes some sense as they are both emergency services. I'll look that up also. I'm curious if they are consolidated just under one supervisor and/or if staff are also integrated and used to reduce staffing levels. I do know of some police officers who also serve their communities as volunteer firefighters.
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