Public Management Agenda Research Articles

სკოლის მართვის პოლიტიკა: ლიდერის როლი სკოლის მართვაში

The article aims to establish the factors that have an influence on the transition of school management reform and to outline some of the common trends causing the policy change in this area. The analysis shows that there is a various set of studies covering different aspects of school management. Each of them responds to the issue of adopting school management reform from different angles. The policy perspective relates to school management reforms such as decentralization, autonomy, accountability or contextual changes. An increased focus (on learning outcomes and school improvement perspectives) recognizes the key role of leadership in education reform. The research among principals contributed the adoption of school management reforms. The school management policy perspective shows that countries have implemented reforms, with practices that vary across countries and contexts. Some reforms include a new public management agenda or the globalization of education policy. This review shows that there is a considerable amount of research on school leadership, but relatively less attention has been paid to policy research on effective school management. The paper first provides an overview of the role of school leaders and how has it evolved over the last decade, which serves to clarify the main reasons for the reforms. After the methodology are discussed the factors influencing the adoption of school leadership reforms. Specifically, how different fields of education research influence the development of the school leadership role. The article ends with a conclusion that discusses the factors that influence the implementation of school management reforms. It also provides important perspectives on the development of the role of principals: (1) school management reforms respond to the changing context of education and public school governance in terms of greater decentralization, accountability, and school outcomes; (2) School leadership has an indirect influence on education and schooling, which is considered for the implementation of various reforms and aimed at improving teaching, but does not seem to be itself considered a policy priority. In general, research of school management reforms was conducted in selected countries according to their educational opportunities.

A literature review of school leadership policy reforms

AbstractThis literature review aims to understand the factors that influence the adoption of school leadership policy reforms and whether there are some common trends that lead to policy changes in this area. The main question driving the study was the following: what are important reasons or contextual factors that have influenced the adoption of school leadership policy reforms? The analysis shows that there is an eclectic set of research that covers school leadership from different perspectives. Each tackle the question of school leadership reform adoption from different angles. A policy perspective associates school leadership reforms to contextual changes in relation to decentralisation, school autonomy, accountability or an increasing emphasis on education outcomes. School improvement perspectives acknowledge the key role of school leadership in education change. The research on school leadership impact has contributed to the adoption of school leadership reforms. The school leadership policy perspective shows that countries have introduced school leadership reforms, with practices varying by country and context. Some have been interpreted as a response to a new public management agenda or to the globalisation of education policies. Findings from this review indicate that whilst there is much research on school leadership, nevertheless, analysis and promotion of policies to support and strengthen school leader roles to support school improvement appears to have received less attention.

The continued call and future of administrative reform in the United States

ABSTRACT Administrative reform has been a pervasive topic in public management over the past 140 years, and recent administrations continue to implement various methods of reform. In the past 25 years, the new public management agenda has dominated the reform landscape, yet recent conversations in public management suggest that a public value governance movement is afoot. As the United States faces a potential second term of Donald Trump, it seems logical that new public management and values-based governance scholarship will continue to inhabit the landscape of public management research.

Reframing knowledge: A comparison of OECD and World Bank discourse on public governance reform

ABSTRACT As knowledge producers and transfer agents, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank (WB) rely on their own research infrastructures to promote the dissemination public governance reform. To enhance their authority and legitimacy, they frame their economic knowledge through prominent documents that set the agenda for policy advisory activities and practices. This paper suggests that the influence of epistemic communities on the extent of change in these international organisations’ agenda-setting depends on their institutional determinants, namely mandate, knowledge production processes and knowledge validation procedures. Both IOs strategically select their preferred sources of expert knowledge. The OECD refers to technical expertise to enhance its new public management agenda through adjustments. The WB is attuned to economic expertise, resulting in transformations of knowledge frames.

Universidades brasileiras e seus planos de coleta seletiva

As universidades, além de serem formadoras de profissionais, são espaços educativos que mostram como agir de forma ambientalmente responsável. O Brasil dispõe da Lei Federal 12.305/2010 e o decreto presidencial 5.940/2006 que orienta às instituições federais como realizar a coleta seletiva, incluindo encaminhamento às cooperativas de catadores. O presente artigo apresenta um panorama das universidades brasileiras em relação ao gerenciamento dos resíduos sólidos, demonstrando as experiências e as rotas desenvolvidas por estas instituições. Por meio de pesquisa documental, identificou-se que dentre 64 universidades púbicas brasileiras pesquisadas no ano de 2015, 31% têm uma coordenadoria ou departamento responsável pela gestão dos resíduos sólidos, 33% aderiram à agenda de sustentabilidade na gestão pública (A3P) e 71% realizam a coleta seletiva. Dentre os resíduos mais produzidos estão o papel e material orgânico resultante de podas e cortes da grama. Destaca-se a importância do envolvimento da administração central para êxito nas ações que envolvem a coleta seletiva. É necessário prosseguir incentivando a redução e a reciclagem, seguido do diagnóstico dos resíduos gerados, o tipo, a quantidade, a(s) fonte(s) geradoras, ponto de escoamento do material, a capacidade dos depósitos, periodicidade, pessoal envolvido, suporte de veículos para transportar o material recolhido.

Comparison of public value measurement frameworks

Fair methodology for public performance measurement is at present one of the most important issues, especially in terms of providing high quality services for citizens in an economic way. Setting Public Value at the front of performance measurement makes it possible to present the benefits of more broadly defined effects of administration activities. The research objective of the paper is to analyse and compare the frameworks for measuring public value. Analysis and comparison were applied to the identified public value measurement frameworks based on the literature review. These frameworks were described on the basis of the literature review, which was conducted using relevant books and journals and supported by materials available on the Internet. Six public value measurement frameworks were compared. They originated from Public Value or Value Analysis, conducted mostly in the last decade in the USA and the United Kingdom, as part of the New Public Management agenda. Measuring public value has entered its maturity phase. It has evolved from a general concept, to explaining the role of public managers, to more specific procedures for establishing countable results and the area of application was extended: from public to all kinds of organisations. (original abstract)

Changing values in the modern public sector: the need for value‐based leadership

PurposeThe past 30 years have been a period marked by extensive modernisation programmes in the public sector. Principles taken from the New Public Management agenda have been adopted, and market solutions have been implemented across a broad range of service areas. These reforms have challenged the existing organisational culture of many public sector institutions. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there has been a detectable change in the dominant values found in professional organisations within the public sector over the past decade, and if so, what challenges the leaders are faced with as a result of these changes.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data are based on a quantitative survey of leaders in a large Norwegian municipality with a total population of 189 such leaders. Of these, 155 returned the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 82 per cent.FindingsThe results of the study show that two central values connected to the New Public Management agenda have gained increased importance over recent years – namely “meeting the needs of individual users”, and “renewal/innovation”. Of the listed values perceived as having become more important, these were ranked as the top two. At the same time, values traditionally associated with the public ethos continue to enjoy a strong position, whereas purely economic values remain relatively insignificant.Research limitations/implicationsAll in all, this study shows that the landscape of values in the public sector is changing, and there are strong indications that traditional values have come under pressure from new values embedded in the on‐going institutional reforms.Originality/valueThe paper shows that in a situation where values are changing, leaders may need to put greater emphasis on value‐based leadership.

Accruals accounting in the public sector: A road not always taken

The move from cash to accruals accounting by many governments is viewed as an aspect of an ongoing New Public Management agenda designed to achieve a more business-like and performance-focused public sector. Proponents argue that accruals accounting provides more appropriate information for decision makers and ultimately leads to a more efficient and effective public sector. The transition from cash to accruals accounting for UK central government departments was announced in the early 1990s and was embedded within approximately ten years. At that time there were clear indications that analogous changes, following a similar timeline, would occur in the Republic of Ireland (RoI). In reality, the changes were significantly less extensive. Utilising document analysis and interviews with key actors, this paper considers why a functioning accruals system was established in the UK whereas in the RoI the change to accruals accounting was a ‘road not taken’.

Outsourcing in public health: a case study of contract failure and its aftermath

Outsourcing has been used in Australia as part of the new public management agenda with the aim of increasing efficiency and decreasing costs. In the public health sector its use has been problematic and the purpose of this paper is to explore the largest Australian health contract at the time; investigating the reasons, the processes and the outcomes. Specifically, it investigates why the contract failed and the lessons to be learned from its subsequent awarding. The paper uses a case study approach to investigate in depth the outsourcing decision. Alongside savings in costs, changes to work practices and reduction in union power, it was found that the outsourcing contract produced problems with service quality, sharing of culture, relationships between contract and internal staff, and in managing the contract and staff; and reductions in trust and morale of both internal and contract staff. Inadequate contract specifications and subsequent under pricing was the cause of contract termination, poor quality, and difficulties in contract management. The paper provides important lessons for decision makers when outsourcing in public health. The paper investigates the largest outsourcing contract in public health in Australia in the 1990s. It investigates the failure of the initial contract and its subsequent awarding to another vendor. The case study approach provides an in-depth analysis of this decision.

Reshaping Employment Relations in the UK Voluntary Sector: an Exploratory Study into the Impact of Best Value

This paper provides exploratory insights into the impact of the UK government's Best Value policy on employment policies in voluntary organisations. Best Value is one of a number of institutional pressures on HR policies within the sector: many of which have positive implications for the conduct of HR and delivering care. However, the data also reveal tensions in this institutional environment with regard to meeting demands of twenty-four hour care and family-friendly policies for the workforce. Moreover, continuation of aspects of the New Public Management agenda within Best Value means that pressure on pay and conditions in the sector persist, raising concerns regarding worker morale and quality of care.

THE NPM AGENDA: BACK TO THE FUTURE

The New Public Management agenda for change has been extremely influential. This paper considers future developments in NPM. In this evaluation of the future of NPM it is argued that the complexity of NPM – in concept and in practice – requires a multi‐dimensional consideration of what NPM is and what it will become. In this paper, NPM is explained around three key dimensions: (1) management processes; (2) mechanisms of change, and (3) constraints. Within these three dimensions, nine key elements of NPM implementation are discussed. This paper concludes that the pressures for NPM will not abate. However, its evolution will continue to be severely contested.

Why public sector reform does not transform

PurposeThe paper proposes to look at the transformational strategies undertaken in relation to the 1989‐1997 French administrative reform process and to examine their impact on the ministerial field services through using Burgelman's “model of the interaction of strategic behaviour, corporate context and the concept of strategy”.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical research was carried out in a field service of the French Education Ministry with the presentation of the findings being structured around Burgelman's criteria for autonomous strategic behaviour. These criteria – operational slack, project champion, circumvention of the structural context and organisational champion – provided a mechanism to assess whether operational and institutional factors at field service level impeded or facilitated moves towards a more managerial logic of appropriateness as envisaged by the reform programmes during this period.FindingsThe explanatory insights of Burgelman's model show how the resilience of traditional institutional features minimised the transformational impact of the reforms.Research limitations/implicationsBurgelman's model is able to facilitate a greater understanding of the 1989‐1997 French administrative reform process through identifying those conditions conducive to micro‐organisational actors exercising greater autonomy in their operational management. In this way, the organisational dynamics that constrained the transformational impact of the reforms could be highlighted and an explanation provided of why the respective reform programmes had minimal effect at field service level.Originality/valueThe paper will be of relevance to those interested in the effect of the new public management agenda on national administrations in Europe and the applicability of private sector models in affording explanatory insights into such processes of change.

Modernizing Government in the Channel Islands: the Context and Problematic of Reform in a Differentiated but Feudal European Polity

This paper explores the dynamics for changes to the machinery of government and public administration in the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. Although constitutionally Crown possessions and under the jurisdiction of the UK, both territories are self‐governing and are neither part of the UK nor the EU. Their importance as major offshore tax havens means that questions should be asked about their ability to effectively police the money that is invested through them, an issue that has acquired increased significance in the wake of recent terrorist events. Questions of financial probity inevitably lead to questions about governance and governmental efficiency and effectiveness. This paper explores the Bailiwicks’ reactions to this within the theoretical context of the differentiated polity and the modernizing government and new public management agenda. The paper suggests the unique and entrenched political culture of the Bailiwicks is resistant to change but will embrace it if that change ensures the continuance of their autonomy, within the context of being Crown possessions.

Towards a post-new public management agenda

Towards a post-new public management agenda