Amongst policymakers, there is little respect for those involved in day-to-day delivery, which is inevitably difficult and messy, whether it is undertaken by public servants or private employees. In spite of the enormously valuable work which they perform, those involved in delivering support services are often described as non-core or back office staff, and because their contribution is poorly understood, they are often targeted first in spending cuts.
Survey participants spoke of this in a number of different ways. In the NHS, one said, support services are seen as a Cinderella service. Another spoke of property management being a poor relation in the world of policy. Several commented on the lack of respect for maintenance.
The world of delivery is characterised by entropy, and the managers of front-line services struggle every day against the consequences of mission overload, scarce resources and human error. This is true whether services are delivered by public or private providers, but because public service providers specialise in delivery and because individual companies have brands that can suffer reputational damage, they are particularly vulnerable to criticism.
Industry needs to promote 'the aura of grandeur about the dull routine of maintenance' (to quote Eric Hoffer, the so-called longshoreman philosopher). This is a place where providers can find common cause with the unions - both have an interest in explaining the challenges involved in the successful delivery of services day-to-day, and the massive contribution made by staff who work in support roles. One example of this is the Health Service Journal's recent 'Inquiry on Maximising the Contribution of NHS Non-Clinical Staff', where providers and unions worked together to produce a report in November last year entitled, 'It's Time to Pay Them Some Attention'.118