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Books > Business & Economics > Industry & industrial studies > Civil service & public sector
The need for evaluation of public sector research and development activity is critical in today's political environment to assist policymakers with resource allocation. Methodology for evaluating public sector research and development activity is described and illustrated by the author using in-depth case studies drawn from the research programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These cases range from newly formed federal laboratory research initiatives to well-established research programs. Managerial and evaluative guidelines are enunciated. The United States has supported research and development activity on both the applied and basic research levels for most of its history. The importance of public sector research has often been discussed but its effectiveness has not been adequately reviewed. The need for evaluation of public sector research and development activity is critical in today's political environment to assist policymakers with resource allocation. Methodology for evaluating public sector research and development activity is described and illustrated by the author using in-depth case studies drawn from the research programs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These cases range from newly formed federal laboratory research initiatives to well-established research programs. Managerial and evaluative guidelines are enunciated. This work should be of interest to scholars who deal with economics in general, public policy, science policy, and public administration. In addition, practitioners in public administration and managers of public sector research laboratories on federal and state levels should find the information useful. Those who depend on research and development done with public sector money or who use it to supplement their research programs will also be interested.
Public Administration in the Global Village offers a global and comparative approach to the study of public administration. It examines the ongoing international changes in the field of public administration; it defines the emerging new world order and the promises and challenges that it holds for public administration; and it stipulates the effects and side effects of these changes on developing countries. The volume seeks to promote a global and comparative perspective on public administration to counter the continuing parochialism and ethnocentrism in the field.
The relationship between civil servants and politicians is as fascinating as it is complex with their mutual interdependence requiring to cooperate despite the ever-present risk of tension and conflict. For reasons of efficiency it is important that the civil service has a certain degree of independence and detachment from the political process. The requirement of democratically legitimate and accountable decision-making however demands control at the political level.This comparative study focuses on the changing relations between civil servants and politicians in the European Union in the last two decades. As well as national case studies this book also looks into politico-administrative relations in supranational institutions such as the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Medical Professionals: Conflicts and Quandaries in Medical Practice offers a fresh approach to understanding the role-related conflicts and quandaries that pervade contemporary medical practice. While a focus on professional conflicts is not new in the literature, what is missing is a volume that delves into medical professionals' own experience of the conflicts and quandaries they face, often as a result of inhabiting multiple roles. The volume explores the ways in which these conflicts and quandaries are exacerbated by broader societal forces, including changing scientific and technological paradigms, commercialization, and strengthened consumer movements, which simultaneously expand the scope of roles and responsibilities that medical professionals are expected to fulfill, and make it more difficult to do so. Several empirical chapters analyze data from qualitative interview studies with clinicians and other stakeholders. The studies highlight the burdens on clinicians who are expected to make informed and justified judgments and decisions in the midst of competing pressures; authors describe the methods that clinicians use to address the associated tensions within specific contexts. Two conceptual chapters follow and offer some innovative ways to think about the challenges facing medical professionals as they strive to make sense of the changing landscape within healthcare. The first reflects on the challenges to clinical practice in the midst of shifting and often competing definitions of disease and associated ideologies of care. The second reflects more broadly on the utility of value pluralism as a framework for conceptualizing and working through moral and professional quandaries. The book concludes with a chapter containing suggestions for how members of the medical profession might reframe their thinking about their roles, responsibilities, and decision-making in the midst of inevitable quandaries such as those presented here. This book will be of vital reading for academics, researchers, educators, postgraduate students, and interested health care practitioners and administrators.
Medicaid is the primary means for providing medical care to the nation's indigent and disabled populations. Almost 13 percent of all Americans received some form of medical coverage, such as physician services or long-term care, through Medicaid in the early 1990s. The costs continue to rise dramatically, and state governments have become alarmed by the growing share of their budgets that Medicaid consumes. Daniels and his contributors present the efforts of 16 states to reform their Medicaid programs through a system of managed care--programs that seek to control or manage the use by patients of physicians and other heath care services. They present an overview of the inconsistency and paradox of American health care, pointing to the ways each state's unique political and economic variables give rise to individually stylized approaches to the delivery of Medicaid services. The most comprehensive look at state efforts in Medicaid reform, the book will be an invaluable resource for scholars and researchers in the fields of public and health administration, for practitioners, and for policymakers.
The significance of this study on women executives is twofold: one, the book is about women in the public sector, and two, it is written by a woman in the executive service of the government itself. The treatise is a well-documented study of seventy-eight women executives who advanced into the upper reaches of the government executive service. The work analyzes the significant experiences, individuals, developmental stages, and barriers that these women encountered. It provides constructive information for women employees, women managers, and managers of women and minorities. The introductory chapters review learning theories and models, literature, and data collected. The book then proceeds to its main theme, the experiences and lessons of SES women. Various supervisory experiences in task forces, projects, and turning around an organization are analyzed. Role models, bosses, and mentors and their impact is detailed. Successful handling of an executive job, balancing life and work, and dealing with invisible barriers are also addressed. The book concludes with 100 Steps to the Top. The original survey questionnaire, key charts, and graphs are included. This book will be beneficial to human resource professionals and for inclusion in courses in human resource management, women's studies, and a worthwhile addition to college and university collections.
This book offers a critique of the dominant conceptualization of heritage found in policy, which tends to privilege the white, middle and upper classes. Using Britain as an illustration, Waterton explores how and why recent policies continue to lean towards the predictable melding of cultural diversity with tendencies of assimilation.
Risk assessment is a highly important activity of numerous governmental health and regulatory bodies. It is on the accuracy of quantitative and qualitative measurement that the decisions of government policymakers depend. Those decisions, of course, are intended to manage risks. That management frequently involves regulations over a wide range of individual and environmental exposures. Bailar and his colleagues examine the methodological challenges faced by federal agencies involved in risk assessment and the sometimes controversial implications and consequences of methodological considerations. The authors query how, given a choice of methods, one is chosen; the role that method-related issues and problems may have in the acceptance of risk assessment findings; and what impact the controversies regarding methods have on the role of risk assessment in overall risk management. Ten hazards, as assessed by a range of federal agencies with a variety of assessment methods, give topicality and specificity to the analysis. Among the risks addressed are ethylene dibromide, formaldehyde, passive smoking, and the use of mammography for breast cancer screening. The authors conclude with a setting of priorities for risk assessment because risks to human health clearly outstrip resources available for accurate assessment.
Combining practical experience with academic analysis this book explores the social and organizational dynamics of performance indicators. It moves beyond the technicalities of measurement and indicators and looks at how performance information is changing the public sector.
This is a very timely book! Public procurement for innovation has become a prominent tool of demand-side innovation policy in recent years. A better understanding of the underlying assumptions and intentions, as well as the opportunities of this bundle of instruments and their limitations, is highly relevant for both innovation policy analysts, students and practitioners. The book presents the latest knowledge and insights of world-leading experts in the field of public procurement for innovation.' - Stefan Kuhlmann, University of Twente, the Netherlands, President of the European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and InnovationPublic procurement for innovation (PPI) is a demand-side innovation policy instrument. It occurs when a public organization places an order for the fulfillment of certain functions or needs, which cannot be met at that moment or within a reasonable period of time through a new or improved product. Providing evidence of the benefits to public and private actors from selective use of this policy instrument, this book illustrates the requirements and constraints for its operationalization. It significantly improves our knowledge of the key determinants of effective public procurement, aiming to promote innovative capabilities in the supplying sectors and beyond. It also provides case studies and conceptual contributions that help extend the frontier of our understanding in areas where there are still significant knowledge gaps. Scholars interested in the study of innovation policies and practitioners involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of PPI will benefit from this state-of-the-art exploration. Contributors: Y. Caloghirou, J. Edler, C. Edquist, A.T. Furtado, L. Georghiou, Y. Li, J. Nauta, P. Panaghiotopoulos, A. Protogerou, C. Garcia Ribeiro, J. Rigby, M. Rolfstam, L. Tsipouri, E. Uyarra, V. Valovirta, H. van Meerveld, N.S. Vonortas, G. Whyles, J. Yeow, J.M. Zabala-Iturriagagoitia
This book originates from a multiple year research project on ICT and justice in a number of EU countries. Among the projects major objectives was the development of new methodologies for facilitating ICT-based innovation in the judiciary.
The book examines the various aspects of non-financial central public sector enterprises (PSEs) in India, for a period from 1986-87 to 2010-11. The analysis is based on all the key financial ratios; namely, profitability, efficiency, liquidity, leverage and productivity. Liberalization and globalization have caused competition in India and have lowered the profit margins. At the same time, Indian government has reduced subsidies and budgetary support for PSEs to curtail their own fiscal deficit. Strategic and economic reforms were also introduced in PSEs to make their operations commercially profitable so that they are not dependent on the government to meet their financial requirements on the one hand, and have their own earnings to finance their expansion/modernization requirements as well as their social obligations, on the other. To what extent, the PSEs have succeeded in this objective constitutes one major aspect of the present research work. The other equally important aspect examined is financial performance of the PSEs which have opted for disinvestment and have signed memorandum of understanding (MoU)/ self obligations. The Indian Government has desired the central PSEs to be profitable in their operations in post-liberation era of 1990s. For this purpose, two major instruments, namely, disinvestment and MoUs, were introduced. This book examines, in detail, financial performance of PSEs which had opted for disinvestment and have signed MoU. Based on analysis/ findings and literature on the subject, the book contains some concrete suggestions that would prove extremely helpful to Indian Government to further improve their financial performance. "
This authoritative text examines the arrangements at the centre of Whitehall for advising the British prime minister and Cabinet, especially during the Thatcher and Major governments. The traditional coordinating centre has shifted from the Treasury to the Prime Minister's Office and the Chief Whip's Office in Downing Street, and to the Cabinet Office in Whitehall. Exploration of the separate but interlinking contributions made by these three parts of the centre shows they form a flexible but not entirely adequate support for modern government.
Kempe Ronald Hope provides, for the first time, a clear analysis and synthesis of economics and development administration, as well as an appraisal of the problems associated with the application of these concepts in Third World nations. Combining both theory and practice, and providing concrete examples, Hope begins by detailing the evolution of the concept of development from the inter-war years through the 1950s when the expression Third World first emerged, to the 1970s and the present when wholesale technology transfer and other new approaches emphasizing economic independence began to take precedence. The chapters that follow chart the history of modern development administration focusing on important issues such as the role of the development administrator in the implementation of public policy; the function of the public servant versus that of the politician; bureaucracy in government; and the increasing need for technical personnel to carry out development policies.
Collaboration between governments, business, the voluntary and community sectors is now central to the way public policy is made, managed, and delivered. This book provides the first comprehensive and authoritative account of the theory, policy, and practice of collaboration. Written by two leading authorities in the field, the book explores the experience of collaboration in regeneration, health, and other policy sectors, and assesses the consequences of the emergence of public-private partnerships contrasting the UK experience to that elsewhere in the world.
Without jargon or mathematical theory to hinder a quick understanding and use, here are the research tools and techniques you can grasp and immediately apply to obtain research services from others or do research yourself. Johnson makes clear that to succeed in any public agency management position, you have to be able to think analytically and know how to assess the quality of research results. By providing the underlying concepts and just enough methodology to operationalize them, she gives you exactly what you need--in a clear, straightforward way that takes the fear out of learning. You will find here an especially wide range of practical guidelines and examples, all from the author's own and others' experiences in a variety of settings within the public sector. Throughout her book she emphasizes the "how" of research--how to do it, how to make sense of its findings--and covers all the basic statistical tools, concetrating steadily on interpreting research results. An important, reader-friendly text for students of public administration, and for their often perplexed colleagues already on the job. Johnson explains that public administrators do not do research themselves all that often. But with the rising demand for results measurement, balancing scorecards, benchmarking and assessing customer satisfaction, they do need to understand the basics of what research is and at least have more than just a glimmer of how it is done. Her book offers both--a simple, easily grasped presentation of research concepts and principles, plus all of the essentials of doing program evaluation, policy analysis, and applied social science. It is especially useful as a text in such courses as researchmethods, program evaluation and introduction to applied statistics, usually found in public administration programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. And for people already in jobs outside the academic community, people who are now asked to do tasks that they seldom did before--and never expected they would be asked to do--it is essential.
Beyond the New Public Management is an important book which provides a comprehensive analysis of current conceptual debates in public management and governance; and critically reviews attempts made over the last two decades to apply the 'new public management' model in developed and developing countries. The book brings together a number of outstanding specialists who examine the range of ideas and concepts of the new models of reform, paying particular attention to the 'new public management' model and to strategies of good governance. It evaluates progress made by governments and aid donors in putting these ideas into practice. Using case studies from both the developed and developing world, it emphasises the extent to which public management and governance reforms are being applied throughout the international arena. The examples used focus on the problems of policy and institutional transfers between the industrialised world and developing countries. Multidisciplinary in its approach, the book draws on literature and research from management studies, political science, sociology, economics and development studies; and points to issues likely to dominate the future research agenda. This thoughtful and wide-ranging book will be essential reading for academics, students and practitioners of public management, public policy, governance and development.
This collection of essays seeks to improve decision making among public administrators who operate organizations in an increasingly complex and interdependent world. Contributors with different expertise examine the theories and experience of public management in an effort to find ways to deal more effectively with the complex programs, policies, and problems confronting academecians and professionals in all the social and behavioral sciences. This entirely new analysis builds upon the thinking of two Minnowbrook conferences that have studied basic theory and decision making in public administration. An introduction looks back toward these conferences, and an epilogue looks ahead. The first part of the work finds a new multiversalist paradigm by studying the implications of interconnectedness for public managers. The second part of the book analyzes the reality and other challenges to the emergence of new public administration practice. Interconnectness, democracy, and epistemology is the subject of the third part of this study of major new directions in the field. A lengthy bibliography completes the overview that the book offers.
The new context and character of public service - shifting values, entrepreneurship, information technology, multi-sector careers - require enhanced technical, ethical, and leadership skills. This concise and readable work describes what it means to be a consummate professional public servant. Essential reading for both professionals and students, it sets standards for everyone who conducts the public's business, and links them with performance management, human resource administration and information technology skills. The book identifies the ethical foundations of public service and how to integrate them in practice. It also addresses individual leadership, what it means and how it is based on a foundation of technical and ethical skills. Filled with original illustrative examples and case studies from government, the non-profit sector, and business, The Professional Edge is an ideal supplement for any introductory course in Public Administration or Ethics in the Public Service.
The first serious study analysing Labour's impact on Whitehall. It offers a theoretical engaged, but empirically rich account drawing from an extensive set of primary interview material to examine a 'New Labour' effect on the Civil Service, including its reforms to improve policy delivery and whether it has politicised Whitehall. It concludes by arguing that New Labour's approach to Whitehall have been part of a broader strategy to reconstitute the power of the Westminster Model.
This text examines the impact of public sector reforms and reorganisations on the experiences of the UK public sector's six million workers and those employed in the private sector but providing public services. Chapters bring long-standing topics up-to-date, such as worker representation and reward.
Murray seeks to demonstrate how Eastern philosophy can contribute to the development of Western public administration theory and practice. She views the end of the 20th century as an epoch-making time in which the limitations of modern thought need to be examined. Murray shares the belief held by many public administration scholars that a reconceptualization of the field is in order. She contributes to that end by focusing on individual administrators and the problems they face as they continuously struggle to balance political exigencies and governmental processes in a society that simply does not understand. As caretakers of the public trust, administrators deserve a profession that provides a philosophy of administration designed to guide them in the maturation process that is essential to self-development. Murray has chosen ideas and characters from the East as a guide to development of a philosophy of administration for individuals committed to public service. Coupled with certain Western teachings, particularly Jungian analytical psychology, this book inquires into the elevation of human thought and action. Murray challenges public administrators to aspire to their profession as to a higher calling. This will be of particular interest to scholars and researchers in public administration, and to administrators as well.
This volume provides information about the structures and composition of the higher civil service and its position in the political structure through a comparative analysis of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Greece, Denmark and Sweden. The book explores how higher civil service has developed in the light of the massive changes in European societies in the past 30 years. Changes include the size of the top level of the civil service, the growing social diversity of its ranks and well as the tendency to recruit from outside the civil service. The book also examines how wider social changes, such as the democratization of education, the growth of interest groups, and the increasing importance of the European Union impact on the higher levels of bureaucracy producing similar patterns of change throughout Europe.
Britain's famous overseas civil services - the Colonial Administrative Service, the Indian Civil Service and the Sudan Political Service - no longer exist as a major and sought-after career for Britain's graduates. In this detailed study the history of each service is presented within the framework of the need to administer an expanding empire. Close attention is paid to the methods of recruitment and training and to the socio-educational background of the overseas administrators as well as to the nature of their work. The prestigious incumbents of Government House are revealingly examined. The impact of decolonisation on overseas officials and the kinds of 'second careers' which they took up are documented. This authoritative narrative history is enlivened by recourse to Service lore and anecdotes.
As increasing numbers of women enter the workforce, it has become more and more common to find husbands and wives who are both committed to careers in the public sector. This book offers the first detailed analysis of this important new segment of the workforce. Based on extensive surveys, it presents a comprehensive profile of public sector career couples and explores solutions to common problems faced by human resource managers in this field. The authors first examine dual-career couples as a segment of the workforce, the lifestyles of these couples, and the challenges they face in work and family life. Current management practices in the public sector are carefully considered, with special attention to the recruitment and retention of dual-career couples in the face of prevailing anti-nepotism policies. In addition to providing guidance on legislative issues and judicial policies that affect the employment of dual-career couples, the authors develop a model of interpersonal and management skills for integrating dual-career couples into the workplace. Finally, strategies for resolving policy obstacles are suggested. A valuable tool for human resources professionals, this book will also be of interest in the areas of labor relations, public administration, and policy studies. |
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