Why does it take so long to get things done in the public sector?

Since I joined Local Partnerships as chief executive, one question  has stuck with me: why does the public sector move so much  slower than the private sector?

It’s  not a criticism of public service, as  there’s much to admire, but the pace of  progress can be frustrating. 

In the private sector, decisions are  made with due diligence but quickly.  Stakeholders align, mobilise and move  projects forward apace. Usually, there  is a financial imperative to do so. 

In contrast, public sector structures often hinder progress.  Departments work in silos, duplicating efforts without anyone  taking ownership of how programmes (and cost bases)  overlap. Everyone can agree on the need for certain projects,  but it can take an age for someone to step up and fund it  (even when funds are available). In a private sector setting,  these problems are often resolved within weeks, not months  or years. 

Perhaps most frustrating is the slow decision making. In the private sector, time is money… In the public sector, meetings often focus on ‘reflections’

Another issue is capacity. Local government teams are  constantly firefighting, dealing with immediate crises in  health, housing and social care, leaving little time to think  strategically. As a result, transformation projects stall  because there’s simply no breathing room to focus on the  long term. 

Then there’s the culture of caution. Understandably,  managing public funds requires prudence. But this can tip  into overcaution, stifling innovation and new approaches. I’ve  seen promising projects stall for months because people are  wary of using funds differently. 

Perhaps most frustrating is the slow decision making. In  the private sector, time is money with meetings having to  result in clear actions, ownership and timelines. In the public  sector, meetings often focus on ‘reflections’ without concrete  next steps and a cast of thousands in attendance. 

This isn’t to say the public sector can’t teach the private  sector a thing or two. It can. But if we want to achieve  meaningful change, we need faster collaboration, faster  mobilisation, seniors prepared to put heads above parapets  and a cultural shift from excessive, repetitive, silo dialogue  to more consensual swift action. Never has this been more  pertinent than in the context of impending local government  reform. 

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