British Prime Minister David Cameron’s Big Society initiative is a radical attempt to reform how the Westminster system of government works. While many of its initiatives are unique to the U.K. (such as devolving power to municipalities), the overall goal is clear and has resonance in Canada and other jurisdictions: to move government from being the “default” go-to organization to solve problems.
There have been the apparently mandatory cutbacks to the national government, of course, as well as some interesting initiatives. One is the creation of “mutuals,” where public servants are encouraged to form groups to compete for the right to deliver a service.
With the support of KMPG, Canadian Government Executive went to the U.K. to examine the reforms through a Canadian lens.
