Charlotte Stuffins highlights some examples of civil society organisations that are making genuine improvements to public services.

The coalition government is changing our public services. Its reforms seek to enable external providers such as private companies, charities and social enterprises, to deliver more public services. Above all, the government has been clear on its intentions to give citizens more choice and control over the services they use.

As well as private-sector providers, the agenda recognises that the voluntary sector is well placed to improve both the design and delivery of many public services. This has been welcomed by many in the voluntary sector, as involvement in public service provision is a vital activity that they undertake. This is because providing direct support to beneficiaries, or working with commissioners to identify need or shape services, is often the best way for voluntary organisations to achieve their mission. To fully enable this involvement, lessons should be learnt from real experiences.

This piece will examine four key aspects of public service provision in which the voluntary sector is involved, using examples of how this is working in practice. Firstly, it will examine the successful commissioning of innovative services, which are often run by the voluntary sector. Following this, methods of supply-chain management in new commissioning models will be illustrated, using research findings from the Work Programme. Thirdly, an approach to tackling the scale of public service provision will be presented. And lastly, the opportunities of open data to maintain quality standards in services will be explored. This article will conclude with some key recommendations to government on how to remove barriers for voluntary sector providers wishing to enter the public services market.