Suchergebnisse

This article begins by reviewing developments in the field of public administration over the past 50 years and identifying factors that have served, in some cases unintentionally, to undermine public confidence in the actual practice of public administration. It then examines a number of important conditions that must be addressed in the preparation of the next generation of public administrators and the professional development of those currently in the field. The most important of these involves the recognition of the centrality of government, and thus public administration as well, for the building of an effective and productive society. Before concluding, a major initiative to encourage enhanced excellence in the education and training of public administrators, which was initiated by the United Nations in conjunction with the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration, is examined.

Cooperative service delivery—the utilization by the public sector of civil society and/or the private sector for the delivery of public goods and services—is a growing phenomenon. In this article, the author examines three important aspects of these emerging relationships. These include the reason for this growing phenomenon; the forms which these relationships take; and the structural arrangements necessary to ensure the effectiveness of such efforts. It is noted that while philosophical and managerial beliefs are frequently cited reasons for such developments, political factors are equally important. The various approaches which government takes in the delivering of public goods and services are reviewed and it is seen that all of them lend themselves to cooperative initiatives. A number of necessary preconditions for effective cooperative service delivery are specified.

Résumé La prestation de service concertée – lorsque le secteur public fait appel au secteur privé et/ou à la société civile pour la prestation de biens et de services d'intérêt général – est un phénomène de plus en plus répandu. Dans cet article, l'auteur examine trois aspects importants de ces nouvelles relations : la raison à l'origine de ce phénomène de plus en plus prononcé, les formes que prennent ces relations et les arrangements structurels nécessaires pour assurer l'efficacité de ces efforts. L'auteur note que tandis que les croyances philosophiques et managériales sont souvent évoquées pour expliquer ce type de phénomène, les facteurs politiques sont tout aussi importants. Nous examinerons les différentes approches adoptées par l'État dans la prestation des biens et des services d'intérêt général et nous verrons qu'elles se prêtent toutes à des initiatives concertées. Nous définirons les différentes conditions préalables nécessaires à la mise en place d'une prestation de service concertée efficace.

Governance and Decentralisation. Learning from Experience.
The decentralisation movement has thrived on the disillusionment surrounding the capacity of centralised systems to realise necessary reforms effectively. Amongst the advantages of decentralisation, the influence that it may have on civil society should be stressed. The existence of active local authorities brings with it a proliferation of opportunities for citizens to act. The fact that this opening may also have negative consequences should not be overlooked. Democratisation must be accompanied by a fair allocation of responsibilities. With there being no a priori applicable model, adjustments are inevitably necessary.

As our legion of obviously highly observant and dedicated readers will immediately note, this issue of the Policy Studies Review is marked by the introduction of a new feature which we have chosen to characterize as policy advocacy essays. Specifically, the two essays featured in this issue—"Strategic Treasury Debt Management in Public Policy" by Campbell R. Harvey and "How the Clinton Administration Can Make Foreign Aid Work" by Neil S. Zank—are significantly different from our typical articles. They go a good way beyond the usually rather cautious recommendations for policy change that are upon occasion put forward at the conclusion of our typically quite analytical and often empirically based articles. In contrast, neither of the two essays that follow intend to be objective. Rather, both authors, as individuals with long‐time expertise in the areas about which they are writing, have quite decided opinions about significant reforms in major areas of national policy which they would like to see implemented.