Theory and Practice of Public Sector Reform offers readers differing theoretical perspectives to help examine the process of public sector reform, combined with an overview of major trends in the core areas of the functioning of the public sector. The book consists of three parts, the first addresses a number of conceptual and theoretical perspectives on public sector reform. It shows how different ways of looking at reform reveal very different things. The second part addresses major changes in specific areas of public sectors - 'objects of reform.' Part three focuses on the study of public sector reform. Aimed at academics, researchers and advanced students; this edited collection brings together many of the most eminent academics in the area of Public Policy and Management seeking to link to theory in part one and insights into specific thematic areas in part two, offering readers a display of theoretical perspectives to look at public sector reform.

Multifaceted social problems such as safety, social inclusion, poverty, mobility, rural development, city regeneration, or labour market integration require integrated approaches to steering. NPM-related fragmentation of policy and fragmentation of implementation lead to unsatisfactory public outcomes and a heightened experienced loss of control on the part of policy makers. Governments are therefore looking for new instruments to address the boundary-spanning nature of many social problems. In their quest for achieving valued social outcomes, they struggle with their new role, and the insufficiency of both markets and hierarchies. In this book, authors explore new organisational mechanisms, arrangements and ideas to deal with this fragmentation. New post-NPM steering and coordination practices come in various shapes and names, and current research suffers from considerable terminological confusion. The book first looks at various new organisational arrangements and mechanisms, including whole-of-government, collaborative governance, network governance, and outcome steering. It then goes on to unpack the outcomes these new steering instruments are supposed to achieve, and explores their effect on democracy, power, and the role of government.

Theory and Practice of Public Sector Reform offers readers differing theoretical perspectives to help examine the process of public sector reform, combined with an overview of major trends in the core areas of the functioning of the public sector. The book consists of three parts, the first addresses a number of conceptual and theoretical perspectives on public sector reform. It shows how different ways of looking at reform reveal very different things. The second part addresses major changes in specific areas of public sectors – 'objects of reform.’ Part three focuses on the study of public sector reform.

Aimed at academics, researchers and advanced students; this edited collection brings together many of the most eminent academics in the area of Public Policy and Management seeking to link to theory in part one and insights into specific thematic areas in part two, offering readers a display of theoretical perspectives to look at public sector reform.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Theory and Practice of Public Sector Reform

Steven Van de Walle and Sandra Groeneveld

Part 1: Perspectives on Public Sector Reform

2. An Institutional Perspective

Johan P. Olsen

3. A Transformative Perspective

Tom Christensen and Per Lægreid

4. A Principal-Agent Perspective

Sandra Van Thiel

5. An Innovation Perspective

Victor Bekkers and Lars Tummers

6. A Change Management Perspective

Joris van der Voet, Ben S. Kuipers and Sandra Groeneveld

7. A Cultural Theory Perspective

Christopher Hood

8. An Interpretive Perspective

R.A.W. Rhodes

Part 2: Objects of Reform

9. Reforming Organizational Structures

Steven Van de Walle

10. Bureaucrats and Politicians: Reform Begets Reform

B. Guy Peters

11. The Shift toward Network Governance: Drivers, Characteristics and Manifestations

Erik-Hans Klijn and Joop Koppenjan

12. Management of Human Resources: Trends and Variation

Sandra Groeneveld and Bram Steijn

13. Public Management Reform and Public Professionalism

Mirko Noordegraaf

14. Recent Shifts in Public Financial Management

Tiina Randma and Geert Bouckaert

Part 3: Studying and Practicing Reform

15. Public Sector Reform amidst Societal and Administrative Shifts

Kim Putters

16. Two Varieties of Administrative Reform: US vs. Europe

Richard Stillman

17. Becoming a Student of Reform

Frans-Bauke van der Meer, Christoph Reichard and Arthur Ringeling/