Contracting-Out in Local Government: Cutting by Privatising

Abstract

This article is a case study on the decision made by a local authority to contract- out school cleaning. This case study generates empirical findings, and is thus 'generalizable to theoretical propositions and not to populations or universes' (Yin, 1989, p21). It examines the making of the decision by Kent CC to contract- out school cleaning, and provides theoretical analysis on whether contracting- out of school cleaning reduced spending and whether it improved school cleaning. It argues that contracting-out reduced both spending on and standards of school cleaning. Moreover, it argues that contracting-out, and the consequent deterioration of the pay and conditions of employment, hurt workers already lowly paid (and in cleaning, lowly paid women in part-time work). Contracting- out is a cutback management strategy, and represents a form of cutting by privatising.