Pulse of Public Services – Spring 2018

CEEP presented today its Spring 2018 edition of the Pulse of Public Services. You can consult the full paper below.

SUMMARY & KEY FINDINGS

A positive perception of the economic situation:

A majority of employers of public services and SGIs feel the benefits of the economic recovery, with 57% of respondents reporting a positive perception of the economic situation.

60% of respondents report positive expectations for the next 12 months for their organisations and enterprises.

91% of respondents expect a stable or increasing revenue in the coming year, and 85% of respondents are expecting employment in the organisations and enterprises to stay at a similar level or to increase.

The key challenges for employers of public services and SGIs:

Legislative burden: Administrative and regulatory measures have been and remain a key challenge for employers and providers of public services and SGIs, complexifying operations and hindering the capacity of organisations to invest.

Pursuit of greater efficiency and new tasks to perform: 44% of respondents identify this issue amongst the 3 most important for them, highlighting the constant interest for managers of public services to be on the lookout for alternatives, and adapting their services and operations to ensure the provision of future-proof services to all.

Finding workforce with appropriate skills: Despite the return to economic growth, employers of public services and SGIs still face difficulties in recruiting workers with the right skills. This undermines further economic prospects in the medium-term, as 39% of respondents report it as one of their 3 main challenges.

Budget constraints: 33% of respondents reported “budget cuts” as a main concern, leading to reduced opportunities of investment, whilst 14% directly reported the reduction of possibilities of investments as another challenge. Three main factors were reported for these limitations of investment: Lack of financial capacities (by 29% of respondents reporting it amongst their top 3 factors); Lack of political will (27%) and regulatory measures (19%).