Good practice examples: engaging stakeholders and making
accountability real
• It is good practice to assess the effectiveness of policy and arrangements for dialogue
with service users and accountability to the public, to evaluate their impact on decisions
and to decide what improvements may be needed.
• Organisations can use a range of models, from citizens’ juries to community time banks
(mutual volunteering by members of the public, working alongside service providers
to support their neighbours), to promote public and user involvement in public service
design, delivery and evaluation.
• It is good practice to publish information on research into the public’s views of the
organisation and information on service users’ views of the suitability and quality of the
services they receive. It is important to include the diversity of the public and of service
users in this information, to give a complete and accurate picture.
• The Independent Commission on Good Governance recommends that governing
bodies assess the extent to which they are applying these principles of good
governance, and report publicly on this assessment, including an action plan for
improvement where necessary.
• By organising systematic ‘360-degree’ feedback from a representative sample of
stakeholders, governing bodies can gain valuable insights about the organisation’s
relationships.