THE PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT

This paper distinguishes between the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and the more general Public Private Partnerships (PPP). It traces the growth of the initiative since its start in 1992 to the current day and considers the implications of PFI for the public finances. A number of economic issues are discussed including bidding costs, financing costs and whole life costing. The importance of risk transfer in the value for money analysis of PFI projects is emphasised and the extent to which risk actually is transferred is questioned. Finally, the contribution of PFI towards modernising public service is recognised but the Audit Commission's recommendation that a wider range of procurement tools ought to be considered is noted.     

Quality Defined by Public Service Users—The Case of the Avon Probation Service

Avon Probation Service and Bristol Business School have developed a means of assessing user-defined quality of service provision. Building on that work, this article reports on an attempt to involve 'consumers' in devising criteria by which they can judge the performance of a public service. It begins with a review of the debate about quality in public service management, arguing that it is a mistake to import uncritically 'business' approaches to quality into the public services. The impossibility of defining a uniform set of expectations of the probation service's role is a major reason why conventional notions of quality cannot be grafted directly on to public service management. The case study of the probation service suggests broader lessons for public services which wish to involve users in addressing quality issues.     

Alternative EFT developments and the quality of life: A theoretical analysis

This article develops a theoretical position for studying the impacts of different electronic funds transfer (EFT) arrangements upon the quality of life. A conception of quality of life is defined which emphasizes the relative power of participants in a social setting as well as their personal resources and sentiments. A ‘design space’ for characterizing alternative EFT designs is then set up, and the social textures of different EFT arrangements are examined.     

Life among the environmentalists: An elaboration on Wildavsky's “economics and environment/rationality and ritual”

The author elaborates the ideas presented by Wildavsky in “Economics and Environment/Rationality and Ritual” to clarify their meaning for the ecological debate and for the accounting profession. The differences between economic and environmental rationality are further clarified and the contribution of both ways of thinking to social discourse is suggested.     

EQUIVALENCE SCALE SENSITIVITY OF POVERTY STATISTICS FOR THE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

Using microdata from Household Budget Surveys of the Member States of the European Community, this paper examines the sensitivity of poverty statistics with respect to the choice of the equivalence scale. The results show that the ranking of the countries with respect to the overall poverty incidence is hardly affected when different equivalence scales are used. However, the composition of the poor population shows considerable changes when e.g. subjective equivalence scales are used instead of the OECD equivalence scale. The poverty incidence among specific household groups, such as single elderly and households with children, is particularly sensitive to the choice of the equivalence scale.     

Models for the social accountability of computing

This article examines the social dilemmas of computer use and strategies for ensuring the accountability of computing to the public. Improving the social accountability of computing means finding ways to organize groups that develop, manufacture, sell or use computer-based systems, and their markets, so that the broader public is well served. Six public policy strategies for social accountability of computing are commonly proposed: competitive market arrangements; administrative authority; professional control; regulatory commisions to administer legislative acts; judicial enforcement and review of legislative acts; and citizen action. Inspection shows that each model has problems in either its practical effectiveness or its appropriateness for computing.     

AN ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE MARKETING OF PERISHABLE PRODUCTS

This paper analyses the problem of marketing uncertainty for producers of perishable products. It argues that there are two main features to this marketing uncertainty: uncertainty of demand at the market price due to quality considerations; and uncertainty of transport services associated with the independence and cost of such services. Moreover a negative correlation between the uncertainties of demand and transport services may be shown theoretically to be an additional cost for producers, and as such may be sufficient to create a reversal of supply response to a given change in market conditions.