Public sector 'more dependant on workforce'

Firms in the public sector are likely to be much more reliant on their workforce than their counterparts in the private sector.

Nick Downham, a programme lead at the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, explained public organisations are generally very large and complex and companies that occupy a single site rarely match this scale.

He added this means inefficient processes can be identified and addressed, but every tier of the workforce is relied on for effectiveness.

It may be fortunate that employees are more productive than ever, as a recent study from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development output is more effective in this regard than it was 60 years ago.

"The challenge gets greater when you consider the nature of many public sector organisations. They often don't have the luxury of a physical finished product and thus a process on which to visualise," Mr Downham commented, noting a lot of public output relates to decisions, rather than products such as cars.