Creating An Effective Public Sector

This book offers an in-depth look at developing effectiveness in the public sector and how to achieve the best possible outcomes for people rather than just good or efficient outputs. In 15 comprehensive chapters, the authors present structured ideas and practical approaches for achieving a more effective public sector. The book sets out a framework for visualising success in complex situations with multiple stakeholders. Topics include how you stimulate change and influence people to adopt changes, how you manage politics, set targets and standards, and measure them, and how you create a culture of high performance with a focus on getting the right things done. Effectiveness does not arise from excellence in one area alone and the book weaves together ideas on leadership, managing expectations, and keeping focus on the longer term. Creating an Effective Public Sector will be of interest to decision makers in the public sector, project managers working on central and local government projects, and senior civil servants. It will also be invaluable for advanced undergraduate and post-graduate students studying in the fields of government, project management, and public-sector management.

It is widely believed that the state in developing countries is weak. The public sector, in particular, is often regarded as corrupt and dysfunctional. This book provides an urgently needed corrective to such overgeneralized notions of bad governance in the developing world. It examines the variation in state capacity by looking at a particularly paradoxical and frequently overlooked phenomenon: effective public organizations or ‘pockets of effectiveness’ in developing countries. Why do these pockets exist? How do they emerge and survive in hostile environments? And do they have the potential to trigger more comprehensive reforms and state-building? This book provides surprising answers to these questions, based on detailed case studies of exceptional public organizations and state-owned enterprises in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East. The case studies are guided by a common analytical framework that is process-oriented and sensitive to the role of politics. The concluding comparative analysis develops a novel explanation for why some public organizations in the developing world beat the odds and turn into pockets of public sector performance and service delivery while most do not. This book will be of strong interest to students and scholars of political science, sociology, development, organizations, public administration, public policy and management.

This book presents tools, techniques, and best practices to develop public-sector leadership. Based on scholarly research as well as the authors’ professional experience as leadership trainers and consultants, it offers guidance and practical know-how for public-sector managers, civil servants and policymakers in public administration on how to create and develop leadership skills and practice. By analyzing the particular nature of political processes and public policy decision-making as well as the complex challenges of public organizations, the authors identify competencies, leadership skills and methods required for successful governance, administration, and management of public organizations. The authors also discuss different leadership styles and philosophies, cover topics such as public sector leadership training of 2020’s, and present case studies on successful public-sector leadership development and future-oriented leadership models. Balancing public-sector leadership theory with practical illustrations and examples, tools and techniques, the book helps managers master the art of public-sector leadership.

In a time of unprecedented turbulence, how can public sector organisations increase their ability to find innovative solutions to society's problems? Leading Public Sector Innovation shows how government agencies can use co-creation to overcome barriers and deliver more value, at lower cost, to citizens and business. Through inspiring global case studies and practical examples, the book addresses the key triggers of public sector innovation. It shares new tools for citizen involvement through design thinking and ethnographic research, and pinpoints the leadership roles needed to drive innovation at all levels of government. Leading Public Sector Innovation is essential reading for public managers and staff, social innovators, business partners, researchers, consultants and others with a stake in the public sector of tomorrow.

Written especially for the public sector, but applicable far beyond it, The Three Pillars of Public Management offers government managers insights that, for the first time, speak directly to their situation. Unlike other management books that promote fads and private-sector models or focus on politics, policy, and government-wide reforms, this book offers tangible suggestions to improve public service agencies or individual work sites. Proving that public service excellence is not an oxymoron but an achievable reality, The Three Pillars of Public Management provides a framework, based on the experiences of senior managers and a survey of top-performing public service organizations around the world, for building and sustaining effective public service organizations. The authors find that success in serving the public rests on three pillars: the aim, or mission, of the organization; the character of the people and the institution; and the tools available to achieve the aim. The Three Pillars of Public Management is an important resource for practitioners at all levels of the public service, from central agencies and top national departments to regional, state, or provincial governments and municipalities. With an easy-to-read style, inspiring examples, and a checklist of questions at the end of each chapter the book is a valuable tool for improving the public sector workplace and helping public servants make a difference. The Three Pillars of Public Management makes a significant contribution to the field of public sector management, providing a framework for recognizing and improving effectiveness in public organizations. It clearly fills a gap in the available literature.? Jim McDavid, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria Ole Ingstrup is Commissioner of Corrections, Correctional Service of Canada. He is the co-author of Our Story and the author of numerous articles and reviews. Paul Crookall was senior advisor, Correctional Service of Canada, and is now a consultant in private practice.

The organizational perspective on rules -- The individual perspective on rules -- The behavioral perspective on rules -- The organizational rules framework and non-union employee grievance policy -- Green tape : creating effective organizational rules -- Conclusion -- Appendix : local government workplaces study design

The World Public Sector Report will be published every two years with the intention of reviewing major trends and issues concerning public administration and governance. This inaugural issue of the report considers the process of globalisation and the challenges and opportunities it offers for the role of the public sector in countries around the world. It is increasingly being acknowledged that the State is a key actor in the development process and has a major role to play in making globalisation work for all, for example in alleviating poverty and income inequality, advancing human rights, promoting sustainable development and combating international crime. Issues discussed in the report include: the many facets of globalisation; its impact on the State; reinforcing state institutions and social policies; defining and measuring the size of the State.

Calls for performance measures and metrics sound good, but public sector organizations often lack the tools required to assess the organization as a whole and create true change.In order to implement an integrated cycle of assessment, planning, and improvement, government agencies at all levels need a usable framework for organizational assessment that speaks to their unique needs. Organizational Assessment and Improvement in the Public Sector provides that framework, an understanding of assessment itself, and a methodology for assessment focused on the public sector. The book introduces the concept of organizational assessment, its importance, and its significance in public sector organizations. It addresses the organizational theory that underlies assessment, including change management, organizational and individual learning, and organizational development. Building on this, the author focuses on the processes and demonstrates how the communication that results from an assessment process can create a widely accepted case for change. She presents a model grounded in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program criteria but adapted for the culture of government organizations. She also addresses the criteria that form the basis for assessment and implementation and provides examples and best practices. Facing decreasing budgets and an increasing demand for services, government agencies must increase their capabilities, maximize their available fiscal and human resources, and increase their effectiveness and efficiency. They often operate in an atmosphere that prizes effectiveness but measures it in silos assigned to individual programs and a structure that encourages people to do more with less while systematically discouraging efficiency. Stressing the significant and important differences between a business and a government, this book supplies the knowledge and tools necessary to create a culture of assessment in government organizations at all levels.