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Local public authorities have traditionally been an area for experimenting with reforms of varying impact for the overall institutional framework. In implementing these reforms, a prominent part has been taken by mayors in their role as the highest-ranking officials in their organisations. This article reports evidence for, and reflects on, the connection between the figure of the Spanish mayor (in the way mayors perceive their own role) and their relations with both the municipal governments they head and the processes of transformation to which these governments are exposed. Based on data obtained from the project entitled "Political Leaders in European Cities", concerned with identifying mayors' attitudes towards several aspects of local government, this article develops its argument in two stages. In the first stage, we describe the profiles of Spanish mayors, with a prime focus on how they perceive their functions and the importance they attach to their role as managers of the local authority. In the second stage, we analyze the connection between these perceptions and the relations the mayors establish with the local authority (that is, the relations between politicians and public executives and governmental employees). Finally, based on the classifications made, the positions taken up by mayors in relation to various processes of government reform are determined. The conclusions allow for various scenarios of administrative reform to be established based on the degree of involvement of the respective mayors, and they also point to further lines of research. ; Las Administraciones públicas locales han sido tradicionalmente un espacio de experimentación de reformas de diverso calado en cuanto a su incidencia en el marco institucional general. En la puesta en práctica de estas reformas, los alcaldes han desempeñado un papel destacado como responsables de mayor rango en sus organizaciones. El artículo aporta evidencias y reflexiona sobre la conexión entre la figura del alcalde español (en la forma en que ellos conciben su propio papel) y sus relaciones tanto con el Gobierno municipal que dirige como con los procesos de transformación a los que dichos gobiernos están expuestos. A partir de los datos obtenidos del proyecto «Líderes políticos en ciudades europeas» sobre percepciones de los alcaldes respecto de varios aspectos del gobierno local, este artículo desarrolla su argumento en dos estadios. En el primer estadio identificamos los perfiles de los alcaldes españoles atendiendo especialmente a cómo perciben su rol y a la importancia que otorgan a su actividad de dirección de la autoridad local. En el segundo estadio analizamos la conexión entre estas percepciones y las relaciones que establecen los alcaldes con la autoridad local (es decir, las relaciones entre políticos y directivos y empleados públicos). Por último, y a partir de las clasificaciones realizadas, se determinan las posiciones adoptadas por los alcaldes en relación con diferentes procesos de reforma del Gobierno. Las conclusiones permiten establecer diversos escenarios de reforma administrativa basados en la implicación de los respectivos alcaldes, y también se apuntan líneas de investigación adicionales.

As a contribution to the academic debate on the use of outsourcing as a formula for the provision of local public services, this article aims to highlight political and institutional factors. The article firstly provides a literature review on the main arguments related to outsourcing, providing then empirical elements as result of a cross-sectional study based on data from all the municipalities with over 5,000 inhabitants in Catalonia, a Spanish Autonomous Community. In order to study the effects of political-institutional variables of local governments when outsourcing public services, the study determined a typology of municipalities by analyzing the main elements a set of variables and conducting a cluster analysis. After that, an analysis of variance was conducted to identify differences in the percentage of outsourcing among types of municipalities. The results show the relevance of political-institutional factors in the selection of the formula for service provision and allow identifying three strategies that propose outsourcing as a mechanism of flexibility in public management. ; A modo de contribución al debate académico sobre el uso de la externalización como fórmula de provisión de los servicios públicos locales, el artículo plantea focalizar la atención en los factores político-institucionales. A partir de la revisión de los principales argumentos presentes en la literatura se plantea su contraste empírico a través de un estudio transversal que comprende todos los municipios de más de 5 mil habitantes de Catalunya, una Co­munidad Autónoma española. Se construye una tipología de municipios mediante un análisis de componentes principales y un análisis clúster y se contrasta la existencia de diferencias en el porcentaje de externalización entre tipos de municipios. Los resultados muestran la relevancia de los factores político-institucionales en la selección de la fórmula de prestación de servicios y permiten identificar tres estrategias que plantean la externalización como mecanismo de flexibilidad en la gestión pública. ; Como contributo para o debate acadêmico sobre o uso da terceirização como um meio de fornecer serviços pú­blicos locais, o artigo se propõe a chamar a atenção para os fatores políticos e institucionais. A partir da revisão dos principais argumentos presentes na literatura, seu contraste empírico surge por meio de um estudo transversal que compreende todos os municípios com mais de 5 mil habitantes da Comunidade Autônoma da Catalunha, na Espanha. Elabora-se uma tipologia de municípios mediante uma análise de componentes principais e uma análise de clusters em que se contrastam as diferenças de percentagens de externalização entre diferentes tipos de municípios. Os resultados mostram a importância dos fatores políticos e institucionais na escolha da fórmula de prestação de serviços e permitem identificar três estratégias que enfocam a externalização como um mecanismo de flexibilidade na gestão pública.

This article contributes to the debate on the use of alternative formulas for public service provision with arguments related to epistemic communities' influence. Drawing on the literature on models of local public service delivery, the role of internal epistemic communities is discussed and tested through the consideration of two different communities related to specific municipal areas such as personal and urban services. The results demonstrate that the association of urban services' epistemic communities with alternative formulas for direct provision to deliver services is greater than in the case of personal services' epistemic community. Those findings contribute to the academic debate not only with arguments and evidence that reinforces the role of variables included in previous research but also by introducing the role of epistemic communities in determining some policy options (as the use of local public-service delivery formulas).

A partir de la segunda mitad de los años 90, y mientras se desarrollaba la discusión sobre qué actividades deben ser realizadas desde el sector publico, muchas administraciones se movían en un contexto de programas de modernización en constante revisión y de planes estratégicos que se mantenían como referencias. Paralelamente, y para dar respuesta a los retos que planteaban un entorno cada vez más complejo y cambiante, muchas administraciones optaban por la introducción de técnicas de gestión privadas, sin sopesar suficientemente su adecuación y validad a la realidad organizativa del sector público. Esta traslación casi mimética llevó a fracasos y fue fuente de frustración em diversas áreas — por ejemplo los intentos de introducir la dirección por objetivos, las modificaciones en los mecanismos de presupuestación o la propia planificación estratégica.

Résumé Une recherche portant sur 72 instances de régulation dans quatre secteurs stratégiques (secteur pharmaceutique, télécommunications, finances et pensions) dans dix-huit pays d'Amérique latine révèle que l'institutionnalisation des pratiques méritocratiques dans le recrutement et l'évolution professionnelle de leur personnel n'est pas répandue, même dans les pays dont la bureaucratie est professionnalisée. L'application de la méritocratie peut s'expliquer en partie par le secteur stratégique et l'influence des communautés épistémiques, tandis que les autres explications, comme l'héritage administratif ou l'autonomie des instances de régulation dans la formulation et la mise en œuvre des politiques du personnel, jouent un rôle moins important. L'institutionnalisation de la méritocratie dans des « îlots d'excellence » a des implications stratégiques pour le maintien des stratégies basées sur le mérite pour la fonction publique. Remarques à l'intention des praticiens La présente étude révèle que l'institutionnalisation de la méritocratie n'est pas répandue lorsque l'on considère le recrutement et l'évolution professionnelle du personnel dans 72 organismes de régulation d'Amérique latine. Les pratiques méritocratiques abouties s'expliquent en partie par le secteur stratégique dans lequel ces organismes agissent. Les secteurs économiques régulés (services financiers, paiement des pensions et télécommunications) sont plus méritocratiques que les secteurs sociaux régulés (secteur pharmaceutique). Deux explications sont proposées pour expliquer cela. D'une part, il semble que la méritocratie soit influencée par des communautés épistémiques bien définies, dans lesquelles la concurrence joue un rôle important (par exemple, les économistes). D'autre part, les organismes doivent renforcer leur crédibilité et inspirer confiance aux bailleurs de fonds internationaux et aux entreprises réglementées privées. Ces observations donnent à penser que l'instauration de la méritocratie pourrait être envisagée plus efficacement dans le cadre d'un processus davantage individualisé (en ciblant les différents organismes), plutôt que de lancer des réformes globales de la fonction publique, aux conséquences incertaines.

Research into 72 regulatory authorities in four policy sectors (pharmacy, telecommunications, finances and pensions) in 18 Latin American countries shows that the institutionalization of meritocratic practices in the recruitment and careers of its staff has not been widespread, even in countries with a professionalized bureaucracy. The implementation of meritocracy could be partially explained through the policy sector and the influence of epistemic communities while alternative explanations like administrative legacies or the autonomy of the regulatory authorities to devise and implement personnel policies play a less important role. The institutionalization of meritocracy in 'islands of excellence' has policy implications for sustained merit-based strategies for the civil service.Points for practitionersThis research has shown that the institutionalization of meritocracy is not widespread when considering recruitment and staff careers in 72 regulatory Latin American agencies. Successful meritocratic practices are partially explained by the policy sector in which these agencies operate. Economic regulated sectors (financial services, delivery of pensions and telecommunications) are more meritocratic than social regulated areas (pharmacy). Two explanations have been offered for this. On the one hand, meritocracy seems to be influenced by particular epistemic communities in which competition plays an important role (for instance, economists). On the other hand, agencies need to increase their credibility and attract the confidence of international donors and private regulated enterprises. These findings suggest that the introduction of meritocracy could be more successfully approached through a more individualized process (i.e. by targeting individual agencies) instead of launching overall civil service reforms with uncertain consequences.

In the context of state reform and democratisation in Latin America, reinforcing public institutions becomes critical to sustaining and consolidating realised gains. In this area, civil service reforms are critical. But civil service reform initiatives in Latin American countries were designed with different degrees of compatibility with countries' administrative traditions and with the role played by the civil service within the political system. The results of different initiatives are described in a brief review of six key features of nine Latin American civil services. Discussion of these results allows us to draw conclusions about the capacity to generate learning dynamics. A new conception of the civil service and its role in the political system appears more evident, unless the required political consensus for implementing and consolidating the new reform strategy for most Latin American public administrations is not confirmed.