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Working in the public sector; the importance of public services

Stijn works within the Public Solution of Boer & Croon. In this way, he wants to focus on assignments in the public sector.

Stijn van Hoof

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOVERNMENT POLICY

In the end, the government is about everything I consider important. That is not to say that everyone is jubilant about the policies or legislation, but you can hardly claim that the issues are unimportant in themselves. Virtually all problems that I can get worked up about or that directly affect your life have a great deal in common with government policy. Sometimes in cause, sometimes in solution, often both.

A small selection

  • Inequality (moreover, continually pointed out by a government organisation);
  • Climate (a fine example of Tragedy of the Commons);
  • European cooperation, for example towards Russia;
  • And in recent years, of course, the Corona policy.

The latter also shows that it is not always appetising to see how the sausage is made. In my opinion, the special thing about Corona is that we were able to take a look inside the sausage maker, not necessarily at how the process works. Social policy must be based on scientific (read: always evolving) knowledge - and the society for which that policy is made also moves. You are therefore aiming at a moving target. With a sight that is constantly being adjusted.


THE UNCONDITIONALITY OF GOVERNMENT POLICY

I also find it fascinating that governments cannot just stop a policy when the wrong approach has been taken. A commercial company can decide to stop parts of an investment and take a loss. It is more difficult for a government to stop something because it is not working as it should. Things that you don't think about in daily life (because they are well organised) become impossible or unaffordable when the government leaves them behind. There is nowhere to dispose of waste, roads are not maintained - let alone lit - and education becomes unaffordable. Pleasant living is probably even rarer.

'I find it fascinating that governments cannot just stop policies when the wrong approach is taken.'

IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES

Government services must therefore continue to be implemented. And it is precisely in this implementation that there is an area of tension where social impact, political decisions and practical feasibility come together. These elements make the work field complex and interesting. Moreover, Boer & Croon has exactly the people in-house who can add something. People who are successful here, precisely because they are good at human and organizational sensitivity, decisiveness, and pragmatism. Public at Boer & Croon has a nice list of results achieved in the past, and all the ingredients to extend that list considerably.


ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

We live in one of the happiest countries in the world. At the same time, there is still a lot of room for improvement. That is why I am going to work in the public domain, helping to solve problems that affect everyone.