Ahead of the Spending Review announcement, RPO provider Alexander Mann Solutions has urged government to transform the public sector through greater collaboration – making public bodies smarter and more efficient, not just cheaper.

Jerry Collier, director, Alexander Mann Solutions, says: “I would like to see the government put a much stronger emphasis on improving the way that public bodies operate at a strategic level. Cutting spending and scaling back the number of quangos may reduce costs but if we are to truly transform the public sector for the long term we need to look beyond these cuts and encourage organisations to develop a smarter, more collaborative way of working.

“By encouraging shared service agreements in operational areas such as recruitment, the government can save money by eliminating duplication and using economies of scale to create faster, more efficient processes. Even in a period of lower spending, organisations will need to recruit to replace workers that leave voluntarily or to bring in new skills. The cost of these hires can quickly mount up.

“However, by combining recruitment activities, either through an external partner or by unifying in-house departments, public bodies can achieve the holy grail of reducing costs while actually improving services.”