Polforsk Phd-course:: Public Administration: Organising the public sector

Short description:

The aim of the stream is to provide empirical and theoretical knowledge about changing modes of governance and management and we are interested in conceptualising and explaining the appearance and consequences of these modes.

Theme and aim

Contemporary public administration is governed by mixes of hierarchical orders, market mechanisms, interactive networks, and forms of self-organisation and self-governing. Often reforms of the public sector/public administration are justified (at least rhetorically) in the name of efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation and they aim to capture the ‘best way of organising’. Different modes of governance and management are, however, based upon deviating premises, distinct understandings of the state, as well as different expectations regarding policy instruments, their use, and consequences. The use of conflicting principles and instruments often leaves it to public servants to navigate in complexity. Moreover, enhanced efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation are by no means always the outcome of reforms.

The purpose of this Ph.D. course is to discuss and further our understanding of key elements of contemporary public administration carried out in public sector reforms. We wish to provide empirical and theoretical knowledge about changing modes of governance and management and we are interested in conceptualising and explaining the appearance and consequences of these modes.

The course is designed to contrast and discuss two different understandings of the challenges and tasks of governing modern states which we have labelled “The performance movement” and “Governmentality”. The former addresses the way in which public management gradually seems to reform into systems of performance measurement and decentralised decision-making. The latter parts from a substantially different analysis of how societal steering takes place and hence a different view on the use of tools and instruments placing particular emphasis on self-governing and self-organising and the way in which management accounting and calculation regimes shape such endeavours. We discuss consequences and potentials of the two understandings applied to contemporary public administration in relation to political processes, political goals (e.g. redistribution of wealth or innovation), organisational and individual constructions, identities, performance, and the interaction between organisations and their environment (e.g. citizens and politicians).

Structure of the course

The course is structured as follows. We set the scene by sketching the intellectual history of public administration examining paradigms of steering characterising the development of public administration/public sector reforms, discussing main empirical and theoretical challenges and comparing different modes of governance and management. Next we dig into two broad responses to the current challenges of public sector administration and reform and their analysis. Thus we explore the performance movement and the concept of governmentality. Finally, we offer some conjectures of future public management principles and reforms. Throughout our days together there will be paper presentations and discussions.

Programme

Monday

10.00-11.30 Welcome to the Course & Setting the Scene:

The development of public administration paradigms

Lecture by Bente Bjørnholt & Bodil Damgaard

In the first lecture we outline the intellectual history and development of public administration discussing different modes of governance and management. We examine different forms and principles of steering differentiating between hierarchies, marked, interactive networking and self-organising. We discuss different analytical and theoretical perspectives characterising central paradigms ending at post-NPM perspectives.

We compare the assumption behind the different paradigms and discuss the challenges in combining the paradigms in public sector reforms. Focus will be on the analytical span between individual and collective action and the expected rationalities and motivations in the paradigms, and we touch upon the expected role and function of the state, the possibilities for the state to steer, and the empirical consequences of different modes of organising.

11.30-11.30 Coffee break

11.45-13.00 Setting the scene (continued)

Conclusion: Competing understandings and recommendations for post-NPM PA:

• Performance measurement / performance governance

• Governmentality as instrument for steering

Discussion

13.00-14.00 Lunch

14.00-15.00 Governmentality as an analytical approach

Introductory presentation by Associate Professor Paul Henman, Social Policy Unit, School of Social Work and Human Services, University of Queensland, Australia

15.00-15.15 Coffee break

15.15-16.15 Governmentality (continued)

Paul Henman

16.30-18.00 Group discussions on governmentality Moderator: Bodil Damgaard

At approx. 19’ish we suggest to dine together at a place in Roskilde (at your own expense).

Tuesday

The performance movement

The day is devoted to lectures, group discussions on performance measurement and decentralised decision-making, and paper presentations.

9.00-11.00 Post-NPM: Performance governance

Lecture by Carsten Greve, CBS

We give an overview of recent management reforms: From performance management to performance governance. The plurality and complexity of public sector reforms are discussed and we identify hybrid ways of organising.

11.00-11.30 Coffee break

11.30-13.00 Group discussions on performance governance Moderator: Bente Bjørnholt

13.00-13.45 Lunch

13.45-15:45 Paper presentation I

15.45-16:00 Coffee break

16.00-18.00 Paper presentation II

Wednesday

Self-governing and innovation

The day is devoted to lectures, group discussions on governmentality and reflexive steering, and paper presentations.

9.00-10.45 The Governmentality of Performance Measurement Governance

Paul Henman

The lecture will discuss how governmentality links to the governance of performance measurements.

10.45-11.00 Coffee break

11.00-13.00 Paper presentation III

13.00-13.45 Lunch

13.45-15.45 Paper presentation IV

15.45.16.00 Coffee break

16.00-17.00 Paper presentation V

17.00-18.00 The future of PA and its analysis

Bente Bjørnholt & Bodil Damgaard

On the basis of earlier discussions we sum up and draw the perspectives for future modes of governance and management. Brief evaluation of our days together.

Paper presentations

We have (so far) received 9 titles/themes on papers that will be prepared for discussion. Deadline for handing in final papers is August 6^th.

Tuesday

Wednesday

NB: If you present a chapter draft the text must feature an introduction explaining the aim of chapter, i.e. in which context it should be read.

Course literature

The state of NPM

Greve, C. (2010) “Whatever happened to new public management”, paper presented at the Panel on “New Public Management” at the Danish Political Science Association meeting, 4-5 November.

Pollitt, C. (2008) Time, Policy, Management: Governing with the Past, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Pollitt, C. (2011) “30 years of public management reforms: Has there been a pattern?”, A background paper for the World Bank consultation exercise, accessible at http://blogs.worldbank.org/30-years-of-public-management-reforms-has-there-been-a-pattern

New public governance

Osborne, S. (2006) Editorial: the new public governance? Public Management Review, Vol. 8 No. 3, pp. 377-387.

Osborne, S. (Ed.) (2010) The New Public Governance? Emerging perspectives on the theory and practice of public governance, Routledge, London.

Governmentality

Rose, N. & Miller, P. (1992) “Political power beyond the state: problematics of government”, British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 43 No. 2, pp. 173-205.

Dean, M. (1999): Governmentality. Power and Rule in Modern Society. London: Sage. (På dansk: Governmentality. Magt og styring i det moderne samfund. København: Forlaget Sociologi.

Miller, P. & Rose, N. (2008) Governing the Present: Administering Economic, Social and Personal Life, Polity Press, Cambridge.