Public sector reform – a global experience
The recent delivery of the National Commission of Audit (NCOA) report to the Australian Government (NCOA, 2014) has generated significant discussion in the public domain with regards to the report’s recommendations. Part B of the NCOA’s report outlines governmental and public sector reform, both from the perspective of the programmes delivered by government and the government institutions that administer said programmes.
There is merit in reflecting on the experience of recent reform programmes undertaken by the UK and NSW governments (Cabinet Office (CO), 2012 and Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPMC) 2011). Their findings provide timely evidence and a contemporary reference to the balance of achieving transformational change whilst continuing to deliver the services and programmes expected of Government. This report examines two closely aligned elements of reform – Open Government and Citizen Engagement and Empowerment (Engagement) – in both the UK and NSW programs, and how these elements may both challenge and support the current Australian reform agenda.
The context for reform
The Public Value model of public sector management, as articulated by Mark Moore (1995, p296) proposes the notion that the ‘task of a public sector manager is to create public value’. As Alford and O’Flynn note (2009, 173-175), public value is considerate of both outputs and outcomes and operating within Moore’s strategic triangle of ‘Legitimacy and Support, Operational Capabilities and Value’, the public sector manager may find that the effort required to appease each of these factors can result in trade-off’s that invariably leave the original requirement unsatisfied.
In the case of reforms regardi...
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...eforms outlined in the NCOA report are significant and transformational for Australia, with the potential reform of the public service reflecting what ‘governments should do and what citizens can do for themselves (NCOA 2014, xiv), yet little detail is provided regarding proposed devolution of services. Reflecting on the UK and NSW experiences, the best possible outcomes will be achieved where all members of the Australian community have access and ability to participate fully in consultation and decision making processes, and the strong recommendation of this report is to apply the principles of Open Government, and engage with the broader citizenry regarding the reform process. This will engender a sense of co-ownership of services and assets between community and government, and drive lasting reform that is welcomed and understood rather than imposed and feared.
...e service users, for instance from a supportive role to a safeguarding role. Paul Burstow, Minister of State for Care Services is trying to introduce the idea of the state as an enabling partner rather than a paternalistic authoritarian symbol of power. This is an important aspect of the personalisation, it should not entail only financial freedom from the state in the context of independent care budgets, and it should become apparent within the attitude towards service users. Leadbeater’s understanding of personalisation is astounding, he proposes subtly the application of the Nordic Model which will be discussed later on. “. . . putting users at the heart of services, enabling them to become participants in the design and delivery, services will be more effective by mobilising millions of people as co-producers of the public goods they value.” Leadbeater (2004)
Through these areas, the impact of the Whitlam government can be clearly seen as a government with a vision to change Australia drastically, to create a fairer and better society, not only for the present, but for the future.
As of April 1, 2010, many changes in the health care structure is changing. Many of these changes are reorganizing the responsibilities of who makes the decisions on how services are commissioned, the way money is spent and issuing more involvement from local authorities and opening up comp...
Farnham, D. Horton, S. (1995) Managing the new public services (3rd edn) (Macmillan Press Ltd)
When you think of the “land down under” you don’t really think of the kind of government they have. I chose to write about the Australian government because I really don’t hear much about Australia. It currently has a pretty interesting story to tell when it comes to their government. I became a bit interested in Australian politics when I saw a political animated cartoon on the internet that depicted Kevin Rudd, the last Prime Minister, on a news television show and it was quite humorous. I am going to give a quick history lesson on Australia then go into how the government formed and came to be. Then I will talk about the Australian constitution, the Australian arms of government, their federal system, political parties and Australia’s current Prime Minister.
NSW Government 2014, Courts & Tribunal Services Attorney General & Justice, viewed 30 April 2014, .
In the contrary, governments have the responsibility of ensuring all the citizens access quality health care, more so in public health facilities (Duckett, 2008). Despite the various forms taken by health care systems in the world, they seem to have common goals. These goals include the good health of their populations, equity and equality in health care funding among others. To achieve these goals, the functions to be executed include the generation of more resources, delivery of health services, and good leadership/management. This paper explores the Australian health care system, particularly its challenges, strengths, weaknesses, and the proposed reforms.
Service user involvement and participation has become a standard principle in guiding social care planning in order to improve in the developing and delivery of service to meet diverse and complex needs in a more effective way. Key pieces of legislation states plainly that service users through a partnership approach should be enabled to have voice on how the services they are using should be delivered (Letchfield, 2009). The Scottish Executive (2006a:32) helpfully state ‘Increasing personalisation of services is both an unavoidable and desirable direction of travel for social work services. Unavoidable in the sense that both the population and policy expect it; desirable in the extent to which it builds upon the capacity of individuals to find their own solutions and to self-care, rather than creating dependence on services’
Ryan, C. (2010), An open letter to all members of New South Wales Parliament, Sydney, viewed 15 May 2014, http://www.piac.asn.au/sites/default/files/Open_Letter.Dec_3.pdf.
Germov, Poole, 2011, Public Sociology – An introduction to Australian society, 2nd edn, Allen & Unwin, Australia
...r pillars of public administration are equally important in the process of public administration and complement one another in the provision of quality public service. When public administrators have economy in mind they focus on the best combination of available resources to provide optimum public service. To ensure that public service is not limited to only a section of the public, the issue of equity is taken into consideration so that public interest is realized. Efficiency and effectiveness additionally go hand in hand in ensuring that allocated resources are used in the best possible manner to attain set goals. Thus whereas the first three public administration pillars – Economy, efficiency and effectiveness are concerned with how public service is provided the fourth and most recent addition (Equity) concerns with for whom public service is provided.
This essay discusses the radical transformation of the principles and foundations of public administration from traditional to New Public Management. Firstly the essay will attempt to define the key terms of traditional public administration and the doctrine of New Public Management. Rabin J. (2003) explains that New Public Management embodies “a process in public administration that uses information and experiences obtained in business management and other disciplines to improve efficiency, usefulness and general operation of public services in contemporary bureaucracies.“Traditional Public Administration progresses from governmental contributions, with services perceived by the bureaucracy.
Public Managers are uniquely positioned to positively affect policy process due to their tenure, job security, absence of political pressure and expanded role in the society. The
Despite these criticisms, the reforms in public administration have had a widespread impact across this country and around the world. The principles underlying these reforms have enhanced government performance and accountability, public administration has employed various strategies to streamline management and enhance pubic service. It is important to keep in mind that while there may be significant improvement in productivity as a result of technological advances or reform, the most meaningful long-term gains will come about as a result of attention to the humans side of the organization. Successful public administration demands a successful balance between the concerns of the technical side of the agency and paying attention to people.
Since the 1980s vast change initiatives has been undertaken in the public sector of the developed countries. The inflexible, hierarchical and bureaucratic form of Public management which was common during the twentieth century is shifting to more flexible, market-oriented form of public management. This dramatic shift alters the role of government and the relationship between government and citizens. Traditional public administration has been questioned in practice, and the acceptance of new public management means the rise of a new model in public sector management (Hughes, 1998).