Improving Public Management

"Better management" is a seductive call for contemporary governments facing the problems of coping with increasing demands and rapid change while living with tight resource constraints. This book examines the lessons of one of the most comprehensive attempts at improving public management in the United Kingdom from 1979 to the present. The authors, both of whom have worked in the British Civil Service, are uniquely placed to assess the government's efforts to improve administrative performance by increasing cost-consciousness in the use of resources and creating flexibility for management change. They provide a broad overview of the changes, and analyze major themes such as decentralization, information systems, and organization design. Rich with ideas and theory, and well grounded in empirical facts, this is a major contribution to the growing field of public management. "...valuable not only for its detailed examples but also for its theoretical perspectives." --Directions in Government "This is the first full-length study of the Rayner reforms available. Well referenced. For all college students and general readers." --Choice "Rich in ideas and breadth of theory, and well grounded in empirical fact, this book is a major contribution to the growing field of public management improvement." --Canadian Public Administration "A well written and carefully crafted discussion...rich with ideas and concepts that policy makers, researchers, scholars, practitioners, and students could use in understanding, appreciating and improving public management in the United States....highly readable and rich with useful and practical ideas....Those looking for insights and ideas which address the myths and realities of public management will cherish this work." --American Review of Public Administration "A valuable account....The depth of the authors' analysis is enhanced by a tight discussion of conceptual problems and an excellent knowledge of the inner workings of departments thanks to their previous involvement in teaching at the Civil Service College." --West European Politics "An excellent introduction to the subject matter." --Organizational Studies