New Public Management and Governance

Gender equality in local government: The role of New Public Management reforms.

by julie connelly

Presented at the ECPR Postgraduate Conference held in Dublin City University, on 31st August 2010

This paper discusses the impact of New Public Management (NPM) type reforms of the local government sector in Ireland... more This paper discusses the impact of New Public Management (NPM) type reforms of the local government sector in Ireland on gender equality, using Cork City Council as a case study. New Public Management (NPM) is the body of theory that advocates reforming the public sector by making it more similar to the private sector. In the past ten to fifteen years, all levels of government, including local government have undergone a process of reform. In Ireland, at local government level, Better Local Government: A Programme for Change (BLG) identified the changes that needed to be made. The reforms brought about because of this process strived for greater efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of services for what were now termed the public sector‟s „customers‟. From an equality perspective, BLG (Chapter 6 – Human Resources) also noted the lack of females in positions of higher management and in the engineering grades. It was a stated aim of BLG to improve gender equality within local government. To begin with, this paper will look at the rationale behind public sector reform and the characteristics of reforms that have taken place in the Irish public sector. Secondly, this paper will describe the case study in more detail. Then this paper will go on to present the research findings. Finally, the paper reflects on how the theory discussed earlier relates to the research findings.

Sistemi e strumenti di corporate governance nelle local utilities

by Francesco Badia

Book published by FrancoAngeli ed., Milano, 2009.
ISBN 9788856817881

Lo scenario dei servizi pubblici è da diversi anni sottoposto a rilevanti mutamenti in Italia e in Europa. Di... more Lo scenario dei servizi pubblici è da diversi anni sottoposto a rilevanti mutamenti in Italia e in Europa. Di conseguenza, le aziende di tali settori, in particolare nelle local utilities, ovvero i servizi pubblici locali a ri-levanza economica, sono sempre più chiamate a governare i processi di cambiamento in corso.
In particolare, questo libro si focalizza sulla corporate governance delle aziende, tematica che ha assunto un rilievo crescente negli ultimi anni, soprattutto alla luce di taluni avvenimenti, che hanno evidenziato la ne-cessità di regole di governo aziendale più definite e trasparenti, così come di una maggiore integrazione fra sistema di corporate governance generale e sistema dei controlli interni.
Queste tematiche acquisiscono un particolare valore ed interesse nelle local utilities, per via della rilevanza dei servizi in questione per la collettività ed anche della presenza di un dibattito, da alcuni anni, sulla neces-sità di politiche di aziendalizzazione, esternalizzazione, liberalizzazione e privatizzazione, più o meno avan-zate. Tale dibattito, che tende ad assumere differenti connotati, a seconda dei settori e dei comparti industriali, è stato molto vivace negli ultimi mesi, in seguito alla definitiva approvazione del cd. “decreto Ronchi”, con-vertito dal Parlamento italiano nella legge 166 del 20 novembre 2009.
In questo quadro di riferimento, il presente lavoro si propone di analizzare i mutamenti di contesto richiamati, suggerendo, sulla base delle teorie economico-aziendali e con il supporto di specifici casi di aziende di servi-zi, alcune linee di sviluppo per i sistemi di corporate governance e per gli strumenti che siano in grado di renderli efficaci, nel raggiungimento dei fini aziendali, garantendo al tempo stesso la tutela degli interessi collettivi.

How the Light Gets In - the value of imperfect systems of evaluation

by François Matarasso

Chapter in a book on cultural policy edited by Binnaz Ayata and published in Sweden by Studentlitteratur

This paper looks at some of the problems arising from the focus on targets and evaluation in British cultural policy.... more This paper looks at some of the problems arising from the focus on targets and evaluation in British cultural policy. It concludes by proposing some principles that might underlie a workable approach to evaluating cultural programmes.

Le Nouveau Management Public est-il pathogène?

by emmanuel abord de chatillon

Standardising Cornish: The politics of a new minority language

by Dave Sayers

Forthcoming in Language Problems & Language Planning 36(2):99‐119. http://benjamins.com/#catalog/journals/lplp.36.2/toc. Pagination in this document will not match the published article. Contact the publisher John Benjamins for permission to re‐use or reprint this material in any form.

The last recorded native speaker of the Cornish language died in 1777. Since the nineteenth century, amateur scholars... more The last recorded native speaker of the Cornish language died in 1777. Since the nineteenth century, amateur scholars have made separate attempts to reconstruct its written remains, each creating a different orthography. Later, following recognition under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2002, Cornish gained new status. However, with government support came the governmental framework of “New Public Management”, which emphasises quantifiable outcomes to measure performance. This built implicit pressure towards finding a single standard orthography, for greatest efficiency. There followed a six- year debate among supporters of the different orthographies, usually quite heated, about which should prevail. This debate exemplified the importance of standardisation for minority languages, but its ultimate conclusion saw all sides giving way, and expediency, not ideology, prevailing. It also showed that standardisation was not imposed explicitly within language policy, but emerged during the language planning process.

Performance Measurement Systems in Theatres: The Case of the Municipal Theatre of Ferrara

by Francesco Badia

Co-authored with Elena Borin, published in 'Quaderni del Dipartimento di Economia Istituzioni Territorio', n. 20, novembre 2011

In recent years, cultural organisations have introduced and tested new management tools to achieve their institutional... more In recent years, cultural organisations have introduced and tested new management tools to achieve their institutional goals of efficiency, effectiveness and social cohesion. This process has been widely linked to New Public Management for public sector cultural organisations, but the introduction of these tools has been an interesting process in private cultural organisations too.
This paper aims at considering more specifically one kind of management tools: performance measurement systems. Their goal is to give to the management a set of information of quantitative and qualitative nature that could guide the strategic choices in the long-term. With this work, we will consider the real possibilities of application of a good performance measurement system in cultural organisations, with a particular focus on theatres.
Our research starts with the analysis of the theoretical framework of performance measurement systems and theatres management. The theoretical approach is supported by the analysis of a case study, the Municipal Theatre of Ferrara (Italy). In this way, we will try to verify and discuss opportunities and critical points implied by the introduction of a performance measurement system in theatres.

Lindsay, C. and Dutton, M. (2010) ‘Employability through health? Partnership-based governance and the delivery of Pathways to Work condition management services’, Policy Studies Vol. 31, No. 2, 245-264.

by Colin Lindsay

The Pathways to Work (PtW) initiative has been rolled out in 49 Jobcentre Plus districts across Great Britain as the... more The Pathways to Work (PtW) initiative has been rolled out in 49 Jobcentre Plus districts across Great Britain as the government seeks to provide services to activate claimants of incapacity benefits and help them overcome health-related barriers to work. The recent expansion of PtW has seen a heavy reliance on the contracting-out of services to the private and third sectors, with ‘Lead Providers’ paid according to job outcomes achieved for clients. However, during the initial development of PtW, the initiative was defined by a flexible, partnership-based form of governance, with a key role for the public National Health Service (NHS) in the delivery of health ‘condition management’ services. This approach has been retained in a minority of Jobcentre Plus Districts. Based upon a review of previous evaluation evidence and more than 50 in-depth interviews with NHS staff and managers, this article critically assesses this partnership-based governance model and the potential added value flowing from the involvement of the NHS and its professional clinicians in the delivery of condition management services. The article concludes by identifying lessons for the continuing development of governance and delivery mechanisms for condition management under the PtW regime and future employability/health interventions.

The New Public Management In Dutch Universities

by Jeroen Huisman

School, ‘New Public Management’ and Total Quality Management

by Halil Eksi

Muhsin HESAPÇIOĞLU
Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice
3 (1) • / May 2003 • 159-165

This study examines the changes have occurred in societal culture, science,
politics, economics and... more This study examines the changes have occurred in societal culture, science,
politics, economics and management/education since 1980’s, related to
postmodernism, information society, and post-Fordism and perceived as
‘globalization’ and ‘total quality management’ as means of these changes. In this
context, it is focused on concepts as new science, postmodern state/efficient
state, changing economics: Neo-Liberalism/efficient economy, new
management/efficient management, ‘learning organization’/’learning school’,
‘new public management’/’new school management’ and total quality
management.
The consumerist attitude of total quality management, particularly, criticized
from the perspective of citizenship that is the main perspective of Turkish
national education system and the results of consumer attitude are evaluated in
view of Turkish national education system.

Improving Public Governance by Using Performance Evaluation and Knowledge Management Approaches

by Dangis Gudelis

Pilietinė visuomenė ir socialinė politika: Naujosios viešosios vadybos galimybės

by Dangis Gudelis

Shallow or deep Europeanisation? The uneven impact of EU cohesion policy on the regional and local authorities in Poland.

by Marcin Dabrowski

Forthcoming in 2012 (paper accepted for publication in Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy)

The paper aims at refining the understanding of mechanisms of post-accession Europeanisation in the New Member States... more The paper aims at refining the understanding of mechanisms of post-accession Europeanisation in the New Member States by investigating the impact of EU cohesion policy on the Polish sub-national policy actors involved in its implementation. Drawing on recent empirical evidence on the influence of EU cohesion policy in three areas – administrative capacity, strategic planning, and governance – the paper shows that adjustment to the EU cohesion policy norms initially tends to be stimulated by cost/benefit calculation or constraint, which may involve ‘shallow’ adjustment. However, the study also reveals that over time, provided that EU-imported norms are in line with the actors’ preferences, socialisation and learning mechanisms become more prominent. Moreover, the paper demonstrates that the sub-national impact of EU cohesion policy remains uneven and differentiated depending on the actors’ preferences, attitudes and capacity.

Keywords: EU cohesion policy, Poland, regional policy, sub-national actors, Europeanisation.

English: The Contracting-Out In Public Administrations: Theories, Policies and Experiences at International Level

by Denita Cepiku

PUBLIC GOVERNANCE: RESEARCH AND OPERATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF A

by Denita Cepiku

Gobierno abierto y modernización de la gestión pública. Tendencias actuales y el (inevitable) camino que viene. Reflexiones seminales

by Álvaro V. Ramírez-Alujas

Author: Álvaro V. Ramírez-Alujas
Revista Enfoques. Ciencia Política y Administración Pública. 2011; Volumen IX(N°15):99-125. (published)

Resumen: El término Gobierno abierto no es nuevo. a fines de los años 70 del siglo XX se usó por primera vez en el... more Resumen: El término Gobierno abierto no es nuevo. a fines de los años 70 del siglo XX se usó por primera vez en el espacio político británico y en su concepción original, trataba diversas cuestiones relacionadas con el secreto de Gobierno e iniciativas para “abrir las ventanas” del sector público hacia el escrutinio ciudadano, con el objeto de reducir la opacidad burocrática. en la actualidad, se ha posicionado como un nuevo eje articulador de los esfuerzos por mejorar las capacidades del Gobierno y modernizar las administraciones públicas bajo los principios de la transparencia y apertura, la participación y la colaboración. por ello y dada la escasez relativa de trabajos de investigación y estudios aplicados sobre el tema, este artículo presenta una síntesis y un análisis histórico de la evolución del concepto, clave política y tecnológica, para luego contextualizarlo en su vinculación a los componentes que le han servido de plataforma para transformarse en el nuevo paradigma (o modelo), que promete fortalecer los sistemas democráticos y mejorar la gestión pública.
Palabras clave: Gobierno abierto, gestión pública, estado red, transparencia, participación, colaboración.

Abstract: The concept of open Government is not a new one. it was used for the first time in british politics in the late 1970’s and at its inception it was related with a number of issues about government secrecy and efforts to “open windows” for the public sector to be under public scrutiny in order to reduce bureaucratic opacity. in present politics, it has emerged as a new linchpin in efforts to improve government capacity and modernize public administration based on the principles of transparency and openness, participation and collaboration. therefore, and given the relative scarcity of research and applied studies on the subject, this article presents a summary and a historical analysis of the evolution of the concept in its political and technological dimensions, and then contextualizes their links to the components that have served as a platform to become a new paradigm (or model) that promises to strengthen democratic systems and improve governance.
Keywords: open government, public management, network state, transparency, participation, collaboration.

Lindsay, C. and McQuaid, R.W. (2008) ‘Inter-agency co-operation in activation: comparing three vanguard ‘active’ welfare states’, Social Policy and Society Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 353-365.

by Colin Lindsay

New forms of inter-agency co-operation have gained increasing prominence in the development and delivery of activation... more New forms of inter-agency co-operation have gained increasing prominence in the development and delivery of activation strategies. This article compares different models of inter-agency co-operation, drawing on case study research in Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK. The different models have reported variations in performance when delivering on the key benefits often attributed to effective inter-agency co-operation. The article raises concerns that the process of contracting-out in activation has at times conflicted with attempts to improve co-operation between agencies, while the increasing dominance of purchaser–provider relations can undermine progress towards ‘shared ownership’ of activation policies and effective partnership-working.

Cepiku D., Meneguzzo M., (2011) “Public Administration Reform in Italy: A Shopping-basket Approach to the New Public Management or the New Weberianism?”, in International Journal of Public Administration, January 2011, Vol. 34, Issue. 1-2, pp. 19-25, DOI: 10.1080/01900692.2010.506088.

by Denita Cepiku

Lindsay, C. and Dutton, M. (2012) ‘Promoting healthy routes back to work? Boundary spanning health professionals in employability programmes in Great Britain’, Social Policy and Administration, Vol. 46, forthcoming.

by Colin Lindsay

Between 2003 and 2011, the Pathways to Work (PtW) initiative was established across Great Britain, as policymakers... more Between 2003 and 2011, the Pathways to Work (PtW) initiative was established across Great Britain, as policymakers sought to address the ‘health-related, personal and external barriers’ faced by people who were out of work and claiming incapacity benefits (IBs). In the first 18 districts that PtW was rolled-out, the Public Employment Service (Jobcentre Plus) and National Health Service (NHS) organizations worked in partnership to deliver ‘condition management programmes’, which helped IB claimants to cope with health problems. Evaluation research has identified significant health benefits associated with these condition management programmes, but there has been less discussion of the role of frontline NHS professionals in ensuring that services worked effectively on the ground. This article deploys the concept of ‘boundary spanning’ to explore the role of NHS professionals within PtW. Drawing on more than 50 in-depth interviews, the article concludes that these NHS staff played a key boundary spanning role in facilitating partnerships, based on an ability to engage with the values/practices of other partner organizations (especially Jobcentre Plus) and a willingness to challenge established professional boundaries and ways of working. The article notes that recent policy initiatives have abandoned the PtW partnership approach in favour of more familiar models of contracting out, and that NHS professionals have been excluded from the delivery of health/employability services. It is argued that these recent changes may negatively affect the quality and range of health-related services available to people on IBs.

Lindsay, C. and McQuaid, R.W. (2009) ‘New governance and the case of activation policies: comparing experiences in Denmark and the Netherlands’, Social Policy and Administration Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 445-463.

by Colin Lindsay

This article explores the importance of new forms of governance in active labour market policies (activation) in two... more This article explores the importance of new forms of governance in active labour market policies (activation) in two countries: Denmark and the Netherlands. Drawing on research with key stakeholders in these countries, we analyse how new governance, and particularly processes of contracting-out and localization, have found expression in recent reforms to activation. We conclude that localization and contracting-out may have a future role to play in the development of more locally responsive and individually focused services. But both countries have encountered problems in promoting joined-up services through local jobcentres, while contracting-out has not always led to the tailored, individually focused services envisaged by policy-makers. In both countries, there are also concerns that the restriction of the Public Employment Service to a ‘gatekeeping and signposting’ role will lead to inconsistencies in the quality of services, exposing the most disadvantaged to greater social risk.

Virtual Government–Citizen Relations

by Lori Brainard