By Vicki Savage, Corinne Cordes, Liz Keenaghan-Clark and Carmel O’Sullivan.

The report gives anecdotal and empirical evidence to suggest outcomes are improved when public services and civil society work hand in hand and develop new ways to do just that. The approaches range from community entrepreneurs, asset sharing, new performance measures through to community dividends

Every part of the public sector is now grappling with how to save money, and how to do ‘more for less’. But experience shows that many of the most creative answers come from involving people on the front line, both the providers working in public services, and citizens, volunteers and community groups. They can often see more clearly than anyone else where resources are being wasted and where new opportunities exist.

This paper is designed to help mobilize community intelligence in new ways, to make much better use of underused buildings, land, time and ideas. Anyone with any involvement in community life will be able to picture pretty quickly how some of these ideas could work, and how much enthusiasm and energy they could unlock.

The paper is available from the Young Foundation. http://www.youngfoundation.org/publications/reports/public-services-and-civil-society-working-together-march-2010