Organizational Development In Public Administration

Cultural, economic and political trends are changing the way public administrations are organized and this book examines the new challenges managers face, with the need for a shift from a traditional bureaucratic model to a competency-based approach to organizational design and management in the areas of recruitment, training, career development and assessment. Through the analysis of an experimental project launched jointly by the Italian National School for Administration (SNA) and the Prime Minister’s Office, this book showcases how a competency-based system can be a key tool in reforming HR in the public sector, with significant effects on the organization and management of public administration.

This book defines organizational development (OD) and discusses the philosophy of OD in terms of its assumptions and values. It addresses the issue of change in organizations and deals with groups and group processes since they are the forerunners of teams in organizations.

This book identifies nine guidelines for the conceptual development of public administration. It shows how one specific approach—the laboratory approach to organization development (OD)—can facilitate the development of public administration.

The context and environment of public services is becoming increasingly complex and the management of change and innovation is now a core task for the successful public manager. This text aims to provide its readers with the skills necessary to understand, manage and sustain change and innovation in public service organizations. Key features include: the use of figures, tables and boxes to highlight ideas and concepts of central importance a dedicated case study to serve as a focus for discussion and learning, and to marry theory with practice clear learning objectives for each chapter with suggestions for further reading. Providing future and current public managers with the understanding and skills required to manage change and innovation, this groundbreaking text is essential reading for all those studying public management, public administration and public policy.

Through change and development, human service organizations can promote the well-being of their clients more effectively. This important book describes and analyzes recent research on organizational change and development in the social and human services. It is particularly relevant in light of the significant changes in these organizations during the last decade and the lack of literature in the area. Organizational Change and Development in Human Service Organizations brings together the work of scholars who deal with social welfare administration and change in human services, combining research studies with theoretical approaches to change and development. It helps readers better understand the process of change and the role of the environment in creating change. Insightful chapters encourage practitioners, scholars, and students to plan change in organizations, utilize models of change and organizational development in real life, and evaluate change and its results and impacts. This much-needed book addresses a variety of topics, including: the uses of force field analysis in assessing prospects for organizational change planned change in voluntary and government social service agencies interorganizational coordination of services to children in state custody early stages in the creation of self-help organizations organization and community transformation organizational development in public social services strategic and structural change in human service organizations a developmental approach to program evaluation Many readers will find the information in Organizational Change and Development in Human Service Organizations to be extremely beneficial in their daily work. Covering the important issues, it gives readers a deeper insight into the processes of change and development so they can provide better services to their clients. This book is a vital resource for social workers, professionals in public administration, individuals involved in MSW programs, and students in the social sciences, including sociology and political science.

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.