The Government Service Delivery Project: A Case Study of the Push and Pull of Central Government Coordination
(2002) The Government Service Delivery Project: A Case Study of the Push and Pull of Central Government Coordination. Public Management Review 4(4):pp. 439-459.
Full text available as: |
Abstract
Fragmentation and the lack of appropriately coordinated government services are widely considered to be costly problems impeding effective and efficient government service provision. Moreover, there is a growing realization that many modern social issues have developed into meta-problems that cannot be resolved by the traditional single agency approach. Coordination of services through more cooperative and collaborative networks of relationships between government agencies has become a preferred strategy for many public administrators. In this way, actors from a range of sectors form and reform into action networks to respond to existing and emergent issues. Managing these networks in order to achieve appropriate policy outcomes is an important aspect of modern day governance and strategy development. This issue is particularly important for the central agencies of state since they have a responsibility for ensuring consistent and cohesive government policy and service delivery. This paper gives an account of a public sector initiative aimed at enhancing service provision through the formation and management of inter-departmental networks of coordinative and cooperative action. It concludes that although networks are a useful mechanism of social coordination, their inherent benefits may be jeopardized when network management issues make them vulnerable to pressures from the centre.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Keywords: | Networks, government, public management |
| Subjects: | 360000 Policy and Political Science > 360200 Policy and Administration > 360201 Public Policy |
| ID Code: | 4827 |
| Deposited By: | Ridge, Stacy |
| Deposited On: | 22 August 2006 |
| Alternative Locations: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14616670210163015 |
| Copyright Owner: | Copyright 2002 Taylor & Francis |
| Copyright Statement: | First published in Public Management Review 4(4):pp. 439-459. |