Showing papers in "International Journal of Research in 2000"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe action research aiming to develop a conceptualization of fac-tors inherent in collaborative forms and, hence, about their practicality as governance tools, and conclude that two areas that seriously affect the ability of collaborations to deliver their potential, structural complexity and diversity are reviewed.
Abstract: Partnerships increasingly play a major role in determining and implementing major policy drives in localities. Under-standing how they may provide value is therefore essential to understanding modern governance principles. This article describes action research aiming to develop a conceptualization of fac-tors inherent in collaborative forms and, hence, about their practicality as governance tools. Different interpreta-tions of what collaborative governance is intended to achieve are first reviewed. Two areas that seriously affect the ability of collaborations to deliver their potential, structural complexity and diversity are then reviewed. The article concludes by considering what is needed to make collaborative governance work.
403 citations
TL;DR: The authors assesses the available evidence with respect to a number of key dimensions of reform impacts and concludes that, while there is evidence of specific improvements in particular instances, the general case for NPM as a solution to diverse problems of governance in many different countries is far less firmly established than is commonly supposed.
Abstract: This paper assesses our state of knowledge concerning the ‘New Public Management’ (NPM) reforms which seem to have been launched in so many countries. In the first section it appraises the types of materials available as a basis for such an assessment. It then considers, and rejects, the thesis that, because of the improved performance they bring, these reforms are global in reach and inevitable in nature. Subsequently, the main part of the paper assesses the available evidence with respect to a number of key dimensions of reform impacts. It concludes that, while there is evidence of specific improvements in particular instances, the general case for NPM as a solution to diverse problems of governance in many different countries is far less firmly established than is commonly supposed.
244 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the nature of the changed local government environment in the UK, including the role, policy and service provision debates which have occurred in local government, and provide a conceptual framework within which to consider the degree of change which has occurred.
Abstract: In the United Kingdom (UK), the Labour Government is seeking to achieve fundamental change in the way local authorities are led and managed. To this end, it has introduced political and managerial reforms, central to which is the concept of ‘best value’. This new agenda, to which local authorities must respond, builds upon the changes which resulted from the Conservative era 1979–1997. Although Labour has abolished the centrepiece of Conservative policy towards local government, i.e. compulsory competitive tendering (CCT), Labour shares the belief of successive Conservative governments that local authorities must radically improve the way services are delivered. This article considers the nature of the changed local government environment in the UK, including the role, policy and service provision debates which have occurred in local government. It provides a conceptual framework within which to consider the degree of change which has occurred in local authority management. A typology of responses to chan...
123 citations
TL;DR: The role of the public sector in most countries around the world is changing both with respect to public service delivery and the stimulation of economic progress, reflecting a movement away from the old values and norms of public sector administration as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The role of the public sector in most countries around the world is changing both with respect to public service delivery and the stimulation of economic progress. That change, which was occasioned by the need for policy reform, has resulted in what is now termed ‘the new public management’, reflecting a movement away from the old values and norms of public sector administration. This article examines and analyses the concept of decentralization and its relevance to the changing role of the public sector, within the context of ‘the new public management’. and with special reference to Africa. The perspective of the article assumes that the new public management provides an appropriate framework for responding to the efficient delivery of public services in Africa.
60 citations
TL;DR: The results of a large scale research project among top public managers in The Netherlands are presented in this paper, where the degree of change orientation is measured on the basis of Likert-scaling.
Abstract: The results of a large scale research project among top public managers in The Netherlands are presented. On the basis of Likert-scaling the degree of Change Orientation is measured. Change Orientation consists of five components: commitment to values; serving the public; empowerment and shared leadership; pragmatic incremen-talism and dedication to public service.
46 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe recent development in the Swedish local government system through four different organizing perspectives: functional, market orientation, social and political order of user and citizen organizations in relation to the municipal organization and governance structures.
Abstract: The article describes recent development in the Swedish local government system. This is made through four different ‘organizing perspectives’. Three organizing perspectives challenge the model of local popular government. The functional challenge focuses on the market orientation, which means that nearly all sorts of public activities should be put on the market according ti the belief that competition is the most important motor of public economy. The communitarian challenge focuses on the social and political order of user and citizen organizations in relation to the municipal organization, which can be viewed in terms of the relation between small-scale democracy and the large-scale democracy. Finally, the idea of governance structures focuses on how to mobilize and integrate different types of resources across borders within the public sector and between public and private institutions. By using the different organizing perspectives it is shown that the development of local politics and democracy is ...
40 citations
TL;DR: In this article, two perspectives on self-governance as a mode of societal governance are dis-cussed: a system-oriented perspective that focuses on the operational closure of systems; and an actor-oriented viewpoint that stresses the situational dependency of the actual possibilities for making use of selfgovernance.
Abstract: This article explores the concept of self-governance. Self-governance refers to the capacity of social entities to govern themselves autonomously and, as such, is an important mode of societal governance in modern society. However, the nature of'self-governance'and its actual and potential contribution to societal governance in modern society are not (yet) fully understood. Therefore, two perspectives on self-governance as a mode of societal governance are dis-cussed: a system-oriented perspective thatfocuses on the operational closure of systems; and an actor-oriented perspective that stresses the situational dependency of the actual possibilities for making use of self-governance. A third, interactional, approach is added that stresses the need to understand societal interactions in their full complexity, dynamics and diversity, in which self-governing capacities are tapped.
37 citations
TL;DR: The role of NGOs, their sources of funding, the nature of their relationships and their activities Globalization, the Increasingly multinational nature of business and electronic communication, has caused a parallel reduction in the powers of the nation state to affect development and a rise in the power of the business community NGOs need to engage with the private sector in new ways as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The rapidly changing external environment is having major implications for the role of NGOs, their sources of funding, the nature of their relationships and their activities Globalization, the Increasingly multinational nature of business and electronic communication, has caused a parallel reduction in the powers of the nation state to affect development and a rise in the powers of the business community NGOs need to engage with the private sector in new ways. INTRAC's own ongoing monitoring of the NGO sector suggests that an analysis of these issues would be of great value to NGOs and the private sector as they grapple with possible new modes of engagement in their quest to have a positive impact on justice, peace and poverty alleviation. Relations have moved beyond the purely philanthropic, with corporations giving money to good causes, and the highly antagonistic, with organizations protesting a company's operations, to a situation where the two sectors often work in partnership to address core busines...
32 citations
TL;DR: In the UK, the Best Value (BV) regime was introduced in the UK from April 2000 as discussed by the authors, which is rooted in the new public management paradigm but also seeks to move beyond it.
Abstract: The Best Value regime, which is being introduced in the UK from April 2000, is rooted in the ‘new public management’ paradigm but also seeks to move beyond it. Like compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) which preceded it, the Best Value framework stresses the role of markets and performance management systems in the provision of public services. However, it appears to offer more scope for local flexibility, and has therefore enjoyed a much higher level of support among local policy makers. There is though evidence that many in local government have not yet grasped the scale of the improvements in local services that ministers are expecting, and the extent to which this will require changes in existing structures and processes. The result is likely to be an increasingly differentiated pattern of service provision and, in an era of ‘evidence policy making’, researchers are likely to be called upon to develop methodologies which allow evaluation of the alternative models of service provision that begin to e...
25 citations
TL;DR: In the UK, the policy shift from Compulsory Competitive Tendering to Best Value marks a transition away from a model of public service delivery governed primarily by principles of competition and ef...
Abstract: In the UK the policy shift from Compulsory Competitive Tendering to Best Value marks a transition away from a model of public service delivery governed primarily by principles of competition and ef...
23 citations
TL;DR: The authors examines a number of conceptual and empirical topics that, it is argued, are relevant to exploration of the thesis that postnational social milieux are steered via new forms of societal-cum-political governance that have largely replaced governmental institutions and processes of the kind associated with classical notions of the state, public administration and liberal democracy.
Abstract: Diverse recent literatures on ‘the hollow state’. ‘deliberative democracy’ and ‘governing without government’ are largely concerned with the workings of politics and public management under socio-political conditions of indeterminancy and fragmentation that are variously described as characteristics of high or late modernity (Giddens 1991) or, as some prefer to put it, of post-modernity (Fox and Miller 1995). This article, which reflects the author's interest in interdisciplinary forms of post-postmodern analysis that draw upon political science and sociology and social theory as well as administrative studies, examines a number of conceptual and empirical topics that, it is argued, are relevant to exploration of the thesis that postnational social milieux are steered via new forms of societal-cum-political governance that have largely replaced governmental institutions and processes of the kind associated with classical notions of the state, public administration and liberal democracy.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the background and history of one project aimed at developing a strategic social plan in the city of Eger, which was based upon partnership between the municipal government, the local community and civil organizations in Eger.
Abstract: The article describes the background and history of one project aimed at developing a strategic social plan in the city of Eger. This initiative was based upon partnership between the municipal government, the local community and civil organizations in Eger. It offers an important perspective upon the potential, in the transitional nations of eastern and central Europe, for public-private partnership as an effective mechanism both to map social needs and to develop policies to address these needs. It also offers one particular approach to the development of such partnerships - the decision conferencing model. Such an approach takes public-private partnerships into an arena beyond that of policy implementation alone.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight the importance of taking a gendered perspective for the understanding of new public management and the restructuring of public services, and propose a theoretical framework that accommodates difference and agency in the restructuring process as a way forward in analysing public sector change.
Abstract: This article highlights the importance of taking a gendered perspective for the understanding of new public management and the restructuring of public services. Significant changes have taken place in the management structure and processes of public sectororganizations throughout the decade, with workforces being redefined and reconstituted. Relatively little research work has examined the gendered implications of such change and the way in which processes of redefinition are negotiated, accepted or resisted by male and female professionals. A conceptual framework for future research is presented which is informed by three separate research literatures: the feminization thesis, developments in HRM and marketization and managerialism. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of a more inclusive and gendered view of restructuring agendas. A theoretical framework is proposed that accommodates difference and agency in the restructuring process as a way forward in analysing public sector change.
TL;DR: In this article, a four-year study in Munich, Bavaria, examined a reorganization process (decentralization and regionalization) of social services, and the main target of this programme was to improve the co-operation of various social service providers.
Abstract: A four-year study in Munich, Bavaria, examined a reorganization process (decentralization and regionalization) of social services. A main target of this programme was to improve the co-operation of various social service providers. On different levels of governance the reasons for co-operation or non-co-operation were considered. Dissimilar social time and space conceptualizations are an important source of exclusion or inclusion of providers in the network of services. Governance modes in the field of services are described. The study emphasizes the importance of an institutional basis for co-operation.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report the results of a study comparing two health and social service trusts in Northern Ireland with respect to their response to governmental policies to incorporate volunteers into the provision of health care care.
Abstract: Faced with declining civic trust on the one hand and increasing fiscal stringency on the other, many governments have issued policies to encourage volunteering, or to mandate departments and agencies to recruit and involve volunteers in their work. Little research has been undertaken to follow up on these initiatives. This article reports the results of a study comparing two health and social service trusts in Northern lreland with respect to their response to governmental policies to incorporate volunteers into the provision of health and social service care. The study examines the priority accorded by the trusts to the implementation of these policies; the support they give to volunteer administration and management and the missing links in this process. A central theme of the study is the role played by the volunteer co-ordinator in promoting and sustaining a volunteer programme in the trust. The article first examines the policy context for volunteering in Northern lreland and indicates how policy was...
TL;DR: A process model for redefining county roles in service delivery was proposed by county officials in the seven-county metropolitan area of the State of Minnesota's Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: County officials in the seven-county metropolitan area of the State of Minnesota's Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul were seeking to redefine county roles in service delivery This article reports on a process model that was piloted on two services The model was commissioned by officials; was based upon and informed by literature and comparative experience; began with an examination of functions performed; involved participants in focusing the study; was context-focused; and involved local stakeholders in projecting the implications of alternative county roles These characteristics complicated the research management process because the process took more time, involved more actors, and required more coordination than traditional research However, having stakeholders identify alternatives and bring factual material to the process was critical to the success of the model and including the comparative and contextual research both strengthened the policy conclusions and improved the probability of the
TL;DR: In this article, Williamson's verision is based on the New Institut ional Ec onomi cs (NIE) for the gove rna nce of publ icly financed ser v ices, in which it is difficul t to def ine an d mana ge ser vice qual ity, a nd which hav e a pr ofe ssi onal ize d but fragm ented workforce.
Abstract: Cur rent Engl ish pol icy tow ard s gener al pr act ice is a mbi val ent be tween devel op ing ne w for ms of cont ra ctu al gove rnanc e and cons truct ing mor e h ierarc hic ally or gani ze d bo die s. NHS pol icy docu me nts s ay that Primar y Care Tru sts (PCTs) will cont ract some pr imar y car e ser vices and dire ctly m anage ot her s. Dependi ng on the bal ance , PCTs c oul d either orga niz e gene ral pr act ice thr ough pr act ice- based c ontr act s or start deve l opi ng into hier archi es (albei t with som e subc ont rac tor s for the time bei ng) . New Inst itut ional Ec onomi cs , in par ticul ar Williamson’s ver sion, d efine s condi tions wher e hiera rc hies ar e lik ely to be m ore efficien t than mar ket s (in term s of what welfare ec onomi cs recog nize s as allocat ive efficiency) and con ditions wher e the rever se ho lds . Thi s ar tic le c onsi der s the imp lica tions of the New Inst itut ional Ec onomi cs (NIE) for redesi gni ng the gove rna nce of publ icly financed ser v ices su ch as gener al pr ac tice whic h allow direct publ ic acce ss, in which it is difficul t to def ine an d mana ge ser vice qual ity, a nd which hav e a pr ofe ssi onal ize d but fragm ent ed workforce. In cont ra st to thei r a lleg ed im pli cat ions for the hosp ital sect or dur ing the 1 990s, NIE theor ies imply that for publ icly funded prof es sional ser vice s suc h as gene ral pr act ice ther e ar e stro nger ec onomi c ar gument s for con stru cting h ierarc hie s than for recon stru cting quasi -mar ket s a t loc al level .
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the diversity in employment practices across the three sectors of the leisure industry, that is, the public, not-for-profit and private sectors.
Abstract: Public sector leisure managers in the UK have been struggling, since the extension of compulsory competitive tendering to leisure management in 1989, to reconcile the conflicts between becoming more consumer led and satisfying the needs of the ‘recreationally deprived’. Rationalization has ensured that a fundamental priority for managers has been the introduction of more cost-effective working practices. This article examines the diversity in employment practices across the three sectors of the leisure industry, that is, the public, not-for-profit and private sectors. The case study evidence presented found clear differences between the sectors. Although managers in not-for-profit leisure facilities have more freedom to use greater flexibility in employment practices as compared with their public sector counterparts, they are still somewhat constrained by having to meet the social objectives set by their Board of Directors. Private sector managers were found to be providing the highest proportion of full-...
TL;DR: The British credit union movement has grown rapidly over the past decade, albeit from a low base relative to other nations as discussed by the authors, led by a natlonal credlt union pollcy network.
Abstract: The British credit union movement has grown rapidly over the past decade, albeit from a low base relative to other nations. That growth has been led by a natlonal credlt union pollcy network. Thls article provides a detailed appraisal of the structure of that network, the motivations of its members and the relations between them. This study highlights the existence of contradictions in the ‘policy space’ occupied by this network that have obscured the public interest In credit union development to date. These contradictions need to be resolved if the performance of the system as a whole is to be improved and public policy goals are to be met Increasing visibtlity ensuing from repeated endorsement of credit unions by the Labour government is bringing added pressures to bear on that network. New actors may be expected to enter the credit union polltlcal market as a result The irnpacts of entry, both positive and negative, are evaluated in terms of the coheslon and effectiveness of ihe credit union policy ne...
TL;DR: An initial structure model based upon the socio-political governance theory with identification and specification of parameters for estimation and analysis is developed and an example of a local program is used to inform the structural associations explicated within the model.
Abstract: Research into the delivery of social and health services has historically focused on program descriptions (qualitative research) that have minimal outcorne analysis or outcomes (quantitative research) that have minimal program description. Qualitative research typically provides documentation concerning program operation and how well it may work in a particular locality, but does not provide information concerning external conditions or extensive outcome analysis. Quantitative research focuses on the intervention and statistical analysis of the outcomes (usually pre- and post-) but as in the case of qualitative research lacks information concerning external conditions as well as a sampling frame that allows for generalizability to other locations. Thus, in both types of research, critical factors, (1) the extent to which external conditions impact the program and (2) the inability to project the generalizability (transfer) of program outcomes to other locations, have not been available to officials, admin...
TL;DR: In the context of social service provision in the country of Ukraine, the dynamics of social-political governance are expressed now in the tensions between more traditional patterns of interactions based on their reciprocity with the economic, political and ideology crisis the country is facing.
Abstract: The system of social service provision in the Ukraine functions due to its traditional patterns of social-political interaction. Private social service providers played a limited role in this process as their Institutional recognition has always been problematic. We can diversify service providing by the public and private actors interacting in this provision. In the complexity of their interactions the key variable has been philanthropy, which transformed from support of the individual to an overarching nationalistic ideology. The dynamics of social-political governance is expressed now in the tensions between more traditional patterns of interactions based on their reciprocity with the economic, political and ideology crisis the country is facing Ineffective management of government social service providers, prevalence of western donor-rooted Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), failures of indigenous NGOs to achieve the social value, moral degradation and disbelief in democracy and reforms in populat...