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It is broadly accepted that learning is important in supporting the delivery of change. Furthermore, during times of public sector budget cuts there is a growing interest in innovation and change. However, it is also generally accepted that austere times typically lead to a reduction in training and development budgets – particularly within the public sector. This paper explores the extent to which the assumed link between learning and change is contested during austerity. Fifty-one public sector managers from Wales and Scotland participated in the study, over a period of 13 months, from a wide range of public sector organisations across two devolved parts of the UK. The research explored issues surrounding motivations for learning, expectations of outcomes and perceptions around the drivers of change. It is found that public sector budget cuts are having a direct impact on learning and development opportunities across the UK public sector. Whilst budget cuts may lead to change, this is likely to be piecemeal rather than strategic. In conclusion, this research supports the view that austerity is a barrier to meaningful change in the public sector and not a driver.

Public administration as a field of work and study offers a theoretically rich yet practical tool to enact student engagement and the ideal of students-as-partners: the principles of service co-creation. Public administration, as an interdisciplinary and applied field, promoting and reflecting democratic principles, is a good source of tools for practice. As such we expect it to be particularly suitable for curriculum co-design principles. Our research sets potential benefits and challenges in facilitating a co-designed curriculum for public administration programmes. In doing so we make the case for more co-design and co-production of teaching as a tool to achieve enhanced understanding of these concepts and greater student engagement.

Public administration as a field of work and study offers a theoretically rich yet practical tool to enact student engagement and the ideal of students-as-partners: the principles of service co-creation. Public administration, as an interdisciplinary and applied field, promoting and reflecting democratic principles, is a good source of tools for practice. As such we expect it to be particularly suitable for curriculum co-design principles. Our research sets potential benefits and challenges in facilitating a co-designed curriculum for public administration programmes. In doing so we make the case for more co-design and co-production of teaching as a tool to achieve enhanced understanding of these concepts and greater student engagement.

This research explores the lived experience of those individuals charged with leading the integration of health and social care services in Scotland. The research was primarily qualitative in nature – comprising of a qualitative survey of front-line managers of integrated health and social care services from a single partnership area. The survey explored the management and leadership tasks and activities expected of those leading health and social care teams. The research uncovers a sense that these new leadership positions are both overwhelming in the scope of tasks required and lack clarity in how these tasks should be undertaken. This highlights a need for coordinated support and training for staff who are charged with leading integrated health and social care teams. Three key recommendations have been drawn from the findings of this research: more support should be provided to managers working within these complex integrated systems; a joint training programme should be developed for managers across both partnering organisations and finally relevant policies and procedures should be compiled into one reference resource for managers of integrated services.

AbstractSince 1949, the journal Public Administration and Development has gone through changes in name and scope, in author demographics and background, and in readership and the topics covered. The professional‐oriented articles in the first years of the journal have evolved to become more academic theory‐oriented articles in recent years. Drawing on mixed methods, the authors conducted in‐depth analyses using data from the journal to highlight changes in research themes and geographic foci. The study provides insights into the historical development of public administration in developing contexts, the journal's contributions to the field, and maps out potential future research trends.

AbstractOver the last 30 years significant efforts have been made to ensure that Public Administration: An International Quarterly lives up to its international title. In this review article, we highlight some of the key research articles that have been published by the journal which illustrate an international approach to the study of public administration. We show how the journal's historical inclusion of a diverse spectrum of philosophies, methodologies, theories and contexts has contributed to this internationalization. In doing so the journal has contributed to our understanding of equity, social justice and inclusion; ethics, public value and corruption; networks, governance and participation; and environmental governance and crisis management. This historical review also reveals how global challenges, particularly as a consequence of the climate emergency, drive the transnationalization of public administration, which in turn requires further international scholarship.

AbstractThis paper analyzes a UK polity that is characterized by fragmentation, differentiation, and decentered governance which is evident at multiple layers of public policy and administration. The development of devolved governments as well as ongoing debates around regional and local governance have created increasingly fragmented places. The intensification of policies associated with the new public management has fragmented the provision of public services. And the absence of a common approach to professional development has led to growing fragmentation of public service workers from different professions and sectors. We argue that these trends reflect many of the aspects of an advanced or late‐stage new public governance. This is ripe territory for further research and demonstrates that UK public administration continues to have much to offer to international scholars. It also raises important questions about what forms of public administration might emerge next.