Local and regional governments as employers

87% of the French are satisfied or very satisfied with the functioning of local public services in France. This is one of the findings of the BVA-IGD study on local public services and outsourced services.

 

According to the study, French citizens rate 'water supply" (53%), 'electricity supply" (48%) and 'waste collection" (46%) as the most important services. These services are also perceived as being well-provided; their level of satisfaction is of respectively 93%, 98% and 80%.

 

Half of the respondents feel the quality of local public services has increased over the last 18 months, 39% of them claim there has been no change in quality.

 

31% of the French describe themselves as 'customers/consumers" of public services, (31%) while 18 months ago, they saw themselves as taxpayers (40%).

 

As regards the provision of public services, 59% of the respondents prefer the 'in-house provision of services" (a service supplied by local authority employees); only 20% prefer the 'outsourced provision of services" (a service delegated from a local authority to a company, often private).

 

Public services provided by a private company are also perceived as 'more expensive" (72%), but also 'more professional" (60%) and 'efficient" (52%).

 

The BVA-IGD study on local public services and outsourced services (in French only)

 

The survey was conducted in June 2006 on a sample of 946 persons representative of the French population.