Taking Stock: Assessing Public Sector Reforms (Canadian Centre for Management Development Series on Governance and Public Management)

Distinguished scholars from six countries investigate the effects of reforms in a number of areas, including budgeting, personnel management, and accountability. While reforms have been beneficial in some of these areas, success has been far from universal. By comparing and contrasting measures in Canada, the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, contributors isolate and evaluate factors - such as individual political leaders and the complexity of government - that influence the success or failure of reforms. Contents: Introduction - B. Guy Peters (Pittsburgh) and Donald J. Savoie (Moncton) The Changing Role of the State - Bert A. Rockman (Pittsburgh) Managerialism Revisited - Christopher Pollitt (Brunel) What Works? The Antiphons of Administrative Reform - B. Guy Peters Public Sector Values and Administrative Reforms - Nicole de Montricher (École Normale Supérieure, Paris) Public Consultation and Citizen Participation: Dilemmas of Policy Advice - Jon Pierre (Göteborg) Making Public Policy: The Changing Role of the Higher Civil Service - Patricia W. Ingraham (Syracuse) Assessing Past and Current Personnel Reforms: The Pursuit of Flexibility, Pay-for-Performance, and the Management of Reform Initiatives - Hal G. Rainey (Georgia) Innovation in Public Sector Management - Michel Paquin (École nationale d'administration publique) A New Generation of Budget Reform - Naomi Caiden (California State) Central Agencies and Departments: Empowerment and Coordination - John Hart (Australian National) Restructuring Government for the Management and Delivery of Public Services - Peter Aucoin (Dalhousie); The Changing Nature of Accountability - Paul G. Thomas (Manitoba); Fifteen Years of Reform: What Have We Learned? - Donald J. Savoie "In the last tow decades governments have invested a great deal of time, money, and political capital in reforms to make the public sector more efficient. They have, however, invested little in evaluating the effectiveness of their efforts, accepting many of the reforms because of a belief in a particular approach to governing or an ideological commitment on the part of politicians. This collection of essays "takes stock" of these reform measures and their impact on public administration."--Résumé de l'éditeur "In the last tow decades governments have invested a great deal of time, money, and political capital in reforms to make the public sector more efficient. They have, however, invested little in evaluating the effectiveness of their efforts, accepting many of the reforms because of a belief in a particular approach to governing or an ideological commitment on the part of politicians. This collection of essays "takes stock" of these reform measures and their impact on public administration."--Jacket Edited By B. Guy Peters And Donald J. Savoie. Co-published By Canadian Centre For Management Development. Includes Bibliographical References.