Post-NPM Governance Reforms: Insights and Implications

Abstract

Since the 1980s, public administration in the ‘developed’ West was under the fascination of ‘neo-liberalism’ with its emphasis on the crucial role of the ‘Market’ as against the ‘State’ as the key control apparatus of society and economy. What emerged as the ‘governance’ philosophy came to be called the ‘New Public Management (NPM) with two theories of administrative reform underlying it, the public choice theory and neo-taylorism. The NPM as a model for public sector reforms stretched rapidly into many countries. However, later on, various concepts emerged in reaction to NPM contradictions. This paper is an attempt to recapitulate and reflect on the post-NPM governance concepts and reforms such as Joined-up Government (JUG), Whole-of-Government (WG), One-stop Government and Government 2.0 that have special bearing upon governance in general and e-Governance in particular.