A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring performance? Local public services in England and the widening accountability gap
This article highlights how recent reforms to the auditing and assessment of local public services in England suggest there will be a shift from panoptical to ‘synoptical’ monitoring approaches. This is because the UK Government has abolished its centralised monitoring regime and instead required...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English English |
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Elsevier
2014
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| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/38859/1/CPA_paper.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/38859/4/38859_A%20%E2%80%98panoptical%E2%80%99%20or%20%E2%80%98synoptical%E2%80%99_SCOPUS.pdf |
| _version_ | 1796879119443558400 |
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| author | Eckersley, Peter Ferry, Laurence Zakaria, Zamzulaila |
| author_facet | Eckersley, Peter Ferry, Laurence Zakaria, Zamzulaila |
| author_sort | Eckersley, Peter |
| collection | IIUM |
| description | This article highlights how recent reforms to the auditing and assessment of local public
services in England suggest there will be a shift from panoptical to ‘synoptical’ monitoring
approaches. This is because the UK Government has abolished its centralised monitoring
regime and instead required local authorities to publish a range of financial and
performance datasets online, ostensibly so that citizens can hold organisations to account
directly. However, the complexity and raw nature of these data, along with the sidelining
of professional auditors, will result in most citizens being either unable or unwilling to undertake this task. As such, the proposed ‘synoptical’ approach will not materialise.Indeed, other legislative changes will mean that outsourcing firms effectively become the new, unaccountable observers of local public sector bodies within an enduring panoptical system. In many cases these companies will then assume responsibility for delivering the same services that they have assessed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-05T23:30:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:generic.eprints.org:38859 |
| institution | International Islamic University Malaysia |
| language | English English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-05T23:30:36Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oai:generic.eprints.org:388592017-08-22T00:55:18Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/38859/ A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring performance? Local public services in England and the widening accountability gap Eckersley, Peter Ferry, Laurence Zakaria, Zamzulaila HJ7451 Expenditures. Government spending This article highlights how recent reforms to the auditing and assessment of local public services in England suggest there will be a shift from panoptical to ‘synoptical’ monitoring approaches. This is because the UK Government has abolished its centralised monitoring regime and instead required local authorities to publish a range of financial and performance datasets online, ostensibly so that citizens can hold organisations to account directly. However, the complexity and raw nature of these data, along with the sidelining of professional auditors, will result in most citizens being either unable or unwilling to undertake this task. As such, the proposed ‘synoptical’ approach will not materialise.Indeed, other legislative changes will mean that outsourcing firms effectively become the new, unaccountable observers of local public sector bodies within an enduring panoptical system. In many cases these companies will then assume responsibility for delivering the same services that they have assessed. Elsevier 2014 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/38859/1/CPA_paper.pdf application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/38859/4/38859_A%20%E2%80%98panoptical%E2%80%99%20or%20%E2%80%98synoptical%E2%80%99_SCOPUS.pdf Eckersley, Peter and Ferry, Laurence and Zakaria, Zamzulaila (2014) A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring performance? Local public services in England and the widening accountability gap. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 25 (6). pp. 529-538. ISSN 1045-2354 E-ISSN 1095-9955 http://www.journals.elsevier.com/critical-perspectives-on-accounting/ http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2013.03.003 |
| spellingShingle | HJ7451 Expenditures. Government spending Eckersley, Peter Ferry, Laurence Zakaria, Zamzulaila A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring performance? Local public services in England and the widening accountability gap |
| title | A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring
performance? Local public services in England and the
widening accountability gap |
| title_full | A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring
performance? Local public services in England and the
widening accountability gap |
| title_fullStr | A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring
performance? Local public services in England and the
widening accountability gap |
| title_full_unstemmed | A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring
performance? Local public services in England and the
widening accountability gap |
| title_short | A ‘panoptical’ or ‘synoptical’ approach to monitoring
performance? Local public services in England and the
widening accountability gap |
| title_sort | panoptical or synoptical approach to monitoring performance local public services in england and the widening accountability gap |
| topic | HJ7451 Expenditures. Government spending |
| url | http://irep.iium.edu.my/38859/1/CPA_paper.pdf http://irep.iium.edu.my/38859/4/38859_A%20%E2%80%98panoptical%E2%80%99%20or%20%E2%80%98synoptical%E2%80%99_SCOPUS.pdf |
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