The state of public sector Ben Page, Chief Executive Ipsos MORI ben.page@ipsos.com @benatipsosmori

2 Recession blues.....

What do you see as the most/other important issues facing Britain today?

Base: representative sample of c.1,000 British adults age 18+ each month, interviewed face-to-face in home Source: Ipsos MORI Issues Index

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

May

1997

May

1998

May

1999

May

2000

May

2001

May

2002

May

2003

May

2004

May

2005

May

2006

May

2007

May

2008

May

2009

May

2010

May

2011

Unemployment

NHS Crime/

Law & Order

Race / immigration

Economy

We’ve spent the money…

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009

Source: IFS Bulletin OECD.Stat

Pe

rce

nta

ge

of n

atio

na

l in

co

me

France

Germany

Italy

USA

Japan

UK

31%

19%

33%

31%

13%

19%

7%

8%

Less “Big Government” sounds like a good

idea….but

Base: 1,002 adults in Great Britain aged 16+. Split sample between the two

statements. Fieldwork dates: 13-19 May 2010

In recent years government

and public services have

tried to do too much, and

people should take more

responsibility for their own

lives (Base: 512)

I am worried that

government and public

services will do too little to

help people in the years

ahead (Base: 490)

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree

Source: Ipsos MORI

To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following

statements:

“We now expect more of

government than we do of

God”

52% of the public agree….

Where are you??

© Ipsos MORI 6

64 30

20 12 12

10 9

7 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2

Funding/grants/budget cuts – any mention

Maintaining and improving services/healthcare

Funding/grants/budgets – nothing else …

NHS reforms/commissioning reforms

Workforce issues/redundancies etc.

Rethinking how to provide services/Restructuring

Reduced services/larger class sizes

Education/student funding reform

Demographic change/ageing population

Localism issues/local delivery/prioritisation

Patient safety

Government/new legislation etc

Welfare/benefit changes will increase poverty

Outsourcing/working with other organisations

Transparency

Customer/community engagement

Curriculum issues

Money money money

% Top mentions

Base: 338 Public Sector Leaders, 27 June – 22 July 2011

What would you say is the most important issue facing your sector today?

Source: Ipsos MORI

8

VFM

812

171720

27262525

344537

465755

6257

7074

8881

74727168

636260

5547

4039

3431292926

19171480

11110

DoctorsTeachers

ProfessorsJudges

ScientistsClergyman/Priests

The PoliceTelevision News Readers

Social workersThe ordinary man/woman in

Civil ServantsManagers in the NHS

PollstersTrade Union officials

Local councillorsBusiness Leaders

BankersManagers in local government

JournalistsGovernment Ministers

Politicians generally

% Not trust % Trust

You have been monstered Q. “For each, would you tell me whether you generally trust them to tell the truth or not?”

Base: 1,026 United Kingdom adults aged 15+, 10-16 June 2011 Source: Ipsos MORI/BMA

(was 33%)

(was 34%)

10

Overall satisfaction

with services holding up

7%

48%21%

15%

6%

Just over a half satisfied with their local council

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Very satisfied

Fairly dissatisfied

Fairly satisfied

Very dissatisfied

Base: All adults aged 15+ In England only, (874) fieldwork dates 7 – 13 October 2011

Q2 How satisfied, or dissatisfied, are you with the way your local council runs things?

Source: Ipsos MORI

Higher net satisfied

scores among:

Informed (+63)

Londoners (+54)

Rural areas (+50)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011Year surveyed

Net

Sa

tis

fac

tio

n

National net satisfaction

Q How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way your local council runs things?

…which is above average of last 25 years…

Source: Ipsos MORI

4%

22%

26%

9%

39%

Levels of advocacy largely unchanged over last 2 years

Base: All excluding don’t know (837) fieldwork dates 7 – 13 October 2011

I speak highly of the council without being asked

I speak highly of the council if I am asked about it

I am critical about the council if I am asked about it

I am critical about the council without being asked

I have no views one way or another

Q Which of these statements comes closest to how you feel about your local council?

Source: Ipsos MORI

Higher net scores

among:

Informed (+16)

Londoners (+18)

13%

62%

25%

Most say local government is staying the same

Base: All adults (excl don’t know responses from base) aged 15+ in England only (796) fieldwork dates 7 – 13 October 2011

Better

Stayed the same

Worse

Q Thinking about the way the authority run things, do you think this has got better or worse over the last three years, or has it stayed the same?

24% among Londoners

Image of local council is mixed - but

Base: All adults aged 15+ in England only (874) fieldwork dates 7 – 13 October 2011

Faceless

Q14 Please read through the list, and tell me which of the words, if any, that you think apply to your local council

Source: Ipsos MORI

Bureaucratic

Under-funded

Friendly

Unresponsive

Efficient

Keen to help

Unaccountable

Hardworking

Infuriating

Top answers

2007

30%

32%

25%

21%

36 38 37 35 34

29

36

52 54 57

60 61 62

64

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2001 2003 2005 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11

Pe

r cent

Parliament Local Council

And Trust is up…

Base: Core sample in England; (2001: 9,270, 2003: 8,859, 2005: 9,104, 2007-08: 8,729, 2008-09: 8,706, 2009-10: 8,677, 2010-11: 9,521)

Trust %

17

But only 12% of cuts done so far

On the classic change curve….

Pay has never been the main

factor in staff engagement -

but in the current climate, how

far are staff really beginning to

worry about declining living

standards?

£18,000.00

£20,000.00

£22,000.00

£24,000.00

£26,000.00

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

More than a lost decade for wages

Source: Resolution Foundation

Steady

Growth Stagnation

Crisis and

Aftermath Median wages (real)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

2006 2009 2011

Is your benefits package

competitive?

Your overall compensation package (pay and bonuses) reflects your performance?

How satisfied are you with your salary?

Same erosion of living standards as everyone else?

How satisfied are you with the balance

between your private and professional

life

People are still motivated and

believe in their “vocation” but

more demanding conditions

and declining real pay are

affecting happiness levels

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

2006 2009 2011

You feel proud to work for your organisation

Your job gives you a sense of personal fulfilment

Happy in job - EU

Happy in job - UK

Real changes

You endorse your

organisation’s

strategy and

direction

Keep building flexibility,

upskilling and recognise the

value of non-monetary

recognition...

Policies and behaviour still

antediluvian...not helped by

media – but..

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

55%

2006 2009 2011

Change is well managed within your organisation You support

change

You feel valued and recognised

Worried about what’s next

FOR EXAMPLE........

Local example of key trends….

27

64%

73%

62%

46%

59%

41%

52%

65%

23%

2007 2009 2011

Speak highly of

employer

Overall

satisfaction with

current job

Satisfaction with Job

security

Rising sense of focus – even as insecurity mounts

28

57%

68%

73%

89% 90% 92%

81% 84%

86%

2007 2009 2011

I am committed to

helping my

service achieve its

objectives

I am encouraged

to find more

efficient ways of

doing things

I understand my

service’s

objectives

Better team work…..

29

67%

72% 74%

51%

60% 61% 61% 61%

52% 55% 55%

2007 2009 2011

Satisfaction with

Pay

I find team

meetings useful

… gets the best

out of me

There is good

cooperation

between

teams within

my service

area

But anxiety about change

© Ipsos MORI 30

Appetite for change

31

16

24 19

64

72

66

2007 2009 2011

Change is

well managed

I support

the need

for change

General concern about the

future – in every sense

Need people who are less risk

averse....big cultural change

underway

Most trends down but..................

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2006 2009 2011

Job security

How satisfied are you with opportunities for career progression

Optimistic about own future

How motivated do you feel

in your current job?

Will you be with the same

employer in two years’

time?

Like all employers, you are

highly reliant on staff

willingness to meet your

new objectives and

change…

© Ipsos MORI 34

© Engaging for Success, David MacLeod and Nita Clarke

What is engagement?

35

57% of staff on average say they support the need for change in

local government

Base size: 4094 36

Employees want

MORE listening &

face to face contact

with Senior Managers

© Ipsos MORI

Desired: 47%

Received: 30%

37

“A clearer understanding of

what our future may hold, even

if we are in a time of

significant change. Just tell

us the truth. We can handle

it!”

© Ipsos MORI

Capturing the mood…

38

© Ipsos MORI

ben.page@ipsos.com

39