Lean in a cold fiscal climate: the public sector in an age of reduced resources

Reflecting on recent public sector reform, this paper examines the use of Lean during a period of financial austerity. The paper outlines several challenges for public sector organizations as they manage performance targets, and engage in service re-design. The author challenges the current use of Lean working arguing for a re-evaluation of the traditional public sector model of work and for a collective approach to co-production of service redesign.