First Minister Carwyn Jones is to reaffirm his government’s belief there is no place for market forces and competition within Welsh public services.
Mr Jones will also outline plans for a new institute to come up with policy on improving public services.
During his speech at the Wales Public Services 2025 event in Cardiff, the First Minister will emphasise the importance of working in partnership with the public service workforce.
According to extracts from the speech released to the media beforehand, Mr Jones will say: “The Welsh Government has built a distinctive policy agenda, driven by the needs of Wales. More importantly, we are delivering this agenda – through our Programme for Government. Innovative policies are important, but they must be linked to effective implementation.
“The Welsh Government commissions a great deal of high quality research, from Wales and beyond. The way we do business is open and inclusive. People will not always agree with our decisions, but it is widely recognised that Government in Wales is extremely accessible – people consistently flag this as one of the key benefits of devolution.
“Outside government, there is also the wealth of evidence and expertise that feeds into the scrutiny process. That is the strength of our devolved democracy.
“It will come as no surprise when I say that we reject the model of reform driven by the market and competition between service providers. There is clear evidence that marketisation works against equality and social justice – for us these are core principles that must underpin public service delivery.
“Our approach to reform is about supporting organisations to unlock innovation and change, working in partnership with the workforce and the third sector. For us delivering reform is about collaboration; simplification and accountability.
“Improvement comes from working together, sharing staff, equipment and office space, designing services around people, not organisations. This is the consistent thread across everything we do, on health, social services, education, housing and the other services on which people depend.
“My priority, as you would expect, is to build on this and to make sure that Ministers in the Welsh Government, and their civil servants, have easy access to the best possible new thinking from Wales, Europe and beyond.
“I think we need to strengthen the capacity to do this and that is why I’ve committed to developing a Welsh Institute for Public Policy. I’m open to ideas as to how we do this. The Institute should form a bridge between the Welsh Government and the world of research and think tanks, to create a strong network of expertise and insight underpinned by a shared understanding of the problems and opportunities we face in Wales. It should be at arm’s length from Government but strongly connected to it, so that it can challenge thinking and influence delivery at the drawing board stage.
“It should not crowd out the work of the Bevan Institute and the Institute of Welsh Affairs – it is important to acknowledge the good work they do with modest resources. It should focus on impact – through new ways of working, with, dare I say it, fewer reports and more communication, getting the right people together and ensuring effective and relevant links are made.
“So my challenge – to Welsh civic society and the wider community of thinkers and innovators – is to work with us in developing those new ideas.”