Reinvention is about replacing bureaucratic organizations with entrepreneurial organizations. It is about creating public organizations and systems that habitually innovate, that continually improve their quality, without having to be pushed from outside. It is about creating a public sector that has a built-in drive to improve - what some call a 'self-renewing system.'
-From Banishing Bureaucracy by David Osborne and Peter Plastrik, pp. 10-14
This annotated bibliography was commissioned by The Public Strategies Group, Inc. to highlight historical (1998-2001) articles and books regarding the movement to reinvent or reform government. The list of articles and books includes examples of reinvention projects, tools for doing reinvention, studies of the effectiveness of reinvention, as well as critiques of the movement. This bibliography should give researchers and practitioners a good sense of the terrain. Happy reinventing!
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Becker, Davis O., George, Michael A., Goolsby, Adrienne E., and Grissom, Douglas C. 1998. "Government: The Ultimate Service Turnaround." The McKinsey Quarterly. (Winter) n1, p.116(10).
Tracks the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) efforts to improve the service quality, integrate products and services, and provide employees incentives through private sector management practices. This article shows how DHS gained public support by holding public meetings to explain the purpose of reorganization and the new integrated client service system. It also shows how DHS developed new measures to monitor individual client progress, program results, organizational development and instruments by which the secretary of DHS can update the general public on DHS' progress.
Borins, Sanford. 2000. "Loose Cannons and Rule Breakers, or Enterprising Leaders? Some Evidence About Innovative Public Managers." Public Administration Review. (November) v60i6 p498.
One element of the debate over New Public Management concerns public sector entrepreneurship. Critics see entrepreneurs as people prone to rule breaking, self-promotion, and unwarranted risk taking, while proponents view them as exercising leadership and taking astute initiatives. This article examines two samples of the best applications to the Ford Foundation--- Kennedy School of Government Innovation awards, one between 1990 and 1994 and the other between 1995 and 1998, to see whether they are consistent with either the critics' or the proponents' views. The second sample closely replicates the first, and the evidence from both strongly supports the proponents' views.
Breen, Jeff. 2000. "At the Dawn of E-Government: The Citizen as Customer." Government Finance Review. (October) v16i1 p.15.
This article displays the results of a survey of top management in state-level governments around the world and highlights how those governments are using electronic government to improve customer service.
Brudney, Jeffery L., Hebert, Ted F., and Wright, Deil S. 1999. "Reinventing Government in the American States: Measuring and Explaining Administrative Reform." Public Administration Review. (January) v59i1 p.19(1).
This study examines whether reinventing government is the state reform wave of the 1990's. Using a mailed survey of more than 1200 agency heads, who represent 93 types of agencies across all 50 states, it examines the extent to which agencies have implemented 11 reinvention reforms. While the results indicate that agencies are selectively adopting specific reinvention reforms--- most notably strategic planning and some reforms addressing customer service--- and that a few states are more active than others, the principal conclusion is that a concerted reinvention movement does not appear to be underway across state government.
Brudney, Jeffrey L., Rainey, Hal G. (editor), O'Toole, Laurence J. (editor), and O'Toole Jr., Laurence J. (editor). Advancing Public Management: New Developments in Theory, Methods, and Practice. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 2000.
Leading scholars contribute advances in theory, methods, and practice in the field. Selections address the nature and impact of public management, new research methods, reform and change, and new models and frameworks for improving public management.
Caiden, Gerald, E. 1999. "Administrative Reform- Proceed With Caution. (Special Issue on Administrative Reform in Global Perspectives)" International Journal of Public Administration. (June) v22i6 p.815(1).
This article offers some perspective on administrative reform in public organizations by highlighting past reengineering efforts around the world. The author imparts a message of caution and warns of unrealistic expectations when embarking on reform efforts.
Cohen, Burton. 1999. "Fostering Innovation in a Large Human Services Bureaucracy." Administration in Social Work. (Summer) v23i2 p47(1).
One of the fundamental challenges facing human services organizations is how to foster innovation by drawing on the experience, knowledge, and creativity of staff members. However, innovative behavior is often hard to find in bureaucratic organizations, and may even be discouraged. The author describes a program designed to make it possible for staff to develop and test out new ideas in the context of a large public agency.
Coulson-Thomas, Colin J. 1999. "Managing Innovation in Public Services: European and International Experience." Total Quality Management. (May) v9n2-3 p.213(10).
A client-centered approach can help public service managers improve delivery and performance. Possible methods include shared learning and development for staff, flexible operating and decision making structures, identification of capabilities and deficiencies, and an overall vision to drive objectives. This is similar to the business process reengineering approach used in the private sector.
Donahue, John D. Making Washington Work: Tales of Innovation in the Federal Government. Washington DC: Brookings Institution Press, 1999.
In 1995 the Innovations in American Government Program opened up for federal agencies to compete and approximately one third of all winners have been at the national level. The author profiles the 14 award-winning federal programs.
Epstein, Jeffery H. 1998. "Reducing Government Bureaucracy." The Futurist. (January-February) v32n1 p10(2).
Strategies are presented to reduce bureaucracy in the government. These include government self-examinations, decentralization of government power, creation of practices for customer satisfaction, and the privatization of some government functions.
Fredrickson, George H. and Johnston, Jocelyn M. Public Management Reform and Innovation: Research, Theory, and Application. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1999.
A guide for public administrators who are charged with carrying out the politically popular but often not well thought out programs to reinvent government. Addresses such questions as whether the private sector model is suitable and effective when applied to reforming public and governmental organizations, what the major political forces affecting reforms are, and how reform can be accomplished in a constitutional democratic government.
Gabis, Gerald R., Grenell, Keenan, Ihrke, Douglas M., and Kaatz, James. 2000. "Managerial Innovation at the Local Level: Some Effects of Administrative Leadership and Governing Board Behavior." Public Productivity and Management Review. (June) v23i4 p.486(19).
This article considers how perceptions of leadership credibility toward the chief administrative officer within local government settings associate with perceptions toward innovation success and policy board behavior. The authors' preliminary findings suggest that as perceptions of leadership credibility held toward the chief administrative officer increase, so do perceptions of reform success and cooperative board-staff relationships.
Gillon, Steven M. That's Not What We Meant to Do: Reform and Its Unintended Consequences in Twentieth Century America. New York ; London: W.W. Norton, 2000.
The author looks at the mixed record of American government activism since the New Deal. He describes the good intentions, tangled legislative history, and unexpected results of such cornerstones of the liberal regulatory state as the de-institutionalization of the mentally ill, affirmative action, and campaign finance reform. He urges that we continue to experiment while being aware of the potential for unforeseen problems.
Huchinson, Peter and Sundin, Louise. 1999. "Great Teaching By Design." DLC Blueprint. (Fall)
Drawn from his experience running the Minneapolis Public School system, the author outlines some of the lessons he learned about recruiting, keeping, and motivating good teachers.
Johnson, Robin A. (editor) and Walzer, Norman (editor). Issues and Trends in Privatization and Managed Competition. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books, 2000.
Examines issues related to privatization of public services, managed competition, and contracting in cities. Provides information on recent innovations in privatization in various US cities, referring to specific practices and case studies that will help readers evaluate experiences of local public officials and administrators. Examines recent issues and trends, operational aspects of contracting arrangements, and results and future prospects.
Kearney, Richard C., Feldman, Barry M., and Scavo, Carmine P.F. 2000. "Reinventing Government: City Manager Attitudes and Actions." Public Administration Review. (November) v60i6 p535.
This article reports results of a national survey of city managers on attitudes towards and actions taken to implement principles of reinventing government. A large majority of managers support key principles of reinvention. Managers action taking is influenced by certain characteristics of city managers, their communities, and their governments, including managers' attitudes and experiences, slack resources, and region.
Kettl, Donald F. Reinventing Government: A Fifth Year Report Card. Washington DC: Brookings Institution Press, 1998.
This book assesses the contributions of "reinventing government" to date. The author shows that the movement is real and is producing real results, but the movement has missed the most important trend: the transformation of the federal government from direct delivery of services to indirect management of others, from state and local government grantees to private contractors who do most of the work instead. This transformation has created a host of "fuzzy boundaries," the author concludes, that the federal government must learn to manage if government performance is truly to improve.
Kwon, Soonman, and Tang, Shui-yan. 1988. "Reinventing Government: a Critique From an Institutional Perspective." International Journal of Public Administration. (October) v21n10 p.1449(23).
This paper critically examines the recent reinventing government movement from an institutional
perspective, focusing on principal-agent problems in management and political contexts of public agencies. Based on this perspective, the article analyzes the problems and prospects of the National Performance Review in the United States and suggests that an institutional perspective can prove useful in redesigning government- not by achieving a single set of insights common to all contexts, but rather by focusingattention to particular situations and institutional contexts.
Light, Paul. Sustaining Innovation: Creating Nonprofit and Government Organizations that Innovate Naturally. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999.
Any organization can innovate once. The challenge is to innovate twice, thrice, and more to make
innovation a part of daily good practice. This book shows how nonprofit and government organizations
can transform the single, occasional act of innovating into an everyday occurrence by forging a culture ofinnovation.
Maggs, John. 1999. "High Voltage Innovation." National Journal. (March 6)
v31i10 p.633(1).
This article tracks the Health and Educational Facilities Authority (HEFA) of Massachusetts as an example of successful reinvention.
McClendon, Bruce. 2000. "Taking Customer Service to the Next Level." Public Management. (December) v82, p.12.
Local governments are already using the obvious and highly visible aspects of customer service to meet citizens' needs. The author asserts that they are not going far enough however, and local governments must do more to truly meet the needs of their "customers."
Miller, John R. 1999. "Transforming Government for its Customers: Innovative Public Management, Not Just technology, is Key at State and Local Level." Quality Progress. (August) v32i8 p.84(4).
There are many more challenges associated with innovation in government than in the private sector.
However, some state and local governments in the US have been successful in overcoming these
challenges. Research undertaken by KPMG indicates that most state and local governments are
competently managing the current environment, services and needs, but they must also manage and serve the emerging environment.
Minogue, Martin (editor), Hulme, David (editor), and Polidano, Charles (editor). Beyond the New Public Management: Changing Ideas and Practices in Governance.1999.
This book provides an analysis of current conceptual debates in public management and governance and
reviews attempts made over the last decade to apply the "new public management" model in developed and developing countries.
Osborne, David. 2001. "Paying for Results." Government Executive. (February)
This article examines how federal agencies are setting up rewards and sanctions for employees in order to meet performance goals. Successful examples are highlighted as well as providing tips on setting up objective measures and providing the right incentives.
Osborne, David. 2000. "Lessons from Abroad." Government Executive. (January)
This article looks to Great Britain and New Zealand as examples of what the future of public management will look like. Trends such as a move towards public-private partnerships while still maintaining the importance of central government, removing political pressure from administrative agencies, more flexibility coupled with strict results accountability, and the citizen as customer are discussed.
Osborne, David. 2000. "Higher Standards." Government Executive. (July)
Using the Social Security Administration as a case study, this article recommends ways to improve
customer service in public sector organizations. Suggestions include involving customers and employees in the process, specifically defining the standard for all stakeholders, and publishing the standards as well as the results.
Osborne, David. 1999. "Healthy Competition." The New Republic. (October 4)
This article profiles the charter school movement and praises charter schools as a competition mechanism through which existing districts could be forced to reform.
Osborne, David and Huchinson, Peter. 2000. "Winning Compliance." Government Executive. (June)
This article suggests methods agencies can use to encourage and improve compliance activities.
Suggestions include using a performance-based approach to regulation, educating compliers about
expectations, treating different types of compliers differently, and creating market incentives to encourage compliance.
Osborne, David and Plastrik, Peter. The Reinventors Fieldbook. Jossey-Bass: San
Francisco, 2000.
This book includes hundreds of practical "lessons learned," "do's and don'ts," "steps to take," and "pitfalls to avoid," in public management and governance. Based on dozens of case studies from five countries, this book covers the waterfront of high performance organizations, including:
- customer choice and customer service standards,
- performance measurement,
- performance management and performance budgeting,
- employee empowerment and labor-management partnerships,
- managed competition and asset privatization,
- partnerships with communities,
- culture changing strategies, and
- administrative system reform.
Osborne, David and Plastrik, Peter. 2000. "The Culture Chasm." Government Executive. (September)
Many reinvention strategies are not as successful as they might be because bureaucratic culture fights back. Some people comply with change but don't embrace it. Others avoid or openly resist it. Even when the culture changes, it rarely does so fast enough. These realities have led experienced reinventors of government to conclude they need a strategy that seeks to reshape the culture consciously and deliberately—in specific, intended ways. This article examines ways to change habits, touch hearts, and win minds.
Peters, Guy B and Savoie, Donald J. Taking Stock: Assessing Public Sector Reforms. Montreal: McGill-Queens University Press, 1998.
In the last few decades, governments have invested a great deal of time, money, and political capital in reforms to make the public sector more efficient. They have, however, invested little in evaluating the effectiveness of their efforts, accepting many of the reforms because of a belief in a particular approach to governing or an ideological commitment on the part of politicians. This collection of essays "takes stock" of these reform measures and their impact on public administration.
Peters, Guy B. 1998. "Administration in the Year 2000: Serving the Client." International Journal of Public Administration. (December) v21n12 p.1759(18).
One component of the increasing emphasis on management in the public sector is a focus on serving the "customer" of public sector agencies. This article looks at whether citizens should be thought of as customers in the same way as in the private sector. The author asserts that that a simplistic adoption of a customer orientation in government requires serious rethinking.
Pollitt, Christopher and Bouckaert, Geert. Public Management Reform: A Comparative Analysis. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
The authors offer an integrated analysis of the wave of management reforms that have swept through so many countries in the past twenty years. The reform trajectories of ten countries are compared and key differences of approach are discussed. The volume offers coverage of "New Public Management" (NPM) and "non-NPM" or "reluctant-NPM" countries as well as management improvements within the European Commission.
Saint-Martin, Denis. Building the New Managerialist State: Consultants and the Politics of Public Sector Reform in Comparative Perspective. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
This book examines the role of management consultants in public sector reform, especially looking at
reforms in Britain, Canada, and France.
Shine, Sean. 1999. "Giving the Citizen More for Less." Management Accounting. (June) v77i6 p26.
Governments around the globe are working with private sector companies in order to provide better public services at lower costs. In this article the author looks at one of these novel arrangements- strategic sourcing.
Temin, Tom. 1998. "Government Agencies: Different Mandates, Common Goal-Customer Responsiveness." Government Computer News. (January 12) v17n1 p.S4(1).
Surveys show that Americans distrust government more than ever. This article looks at ways the skillful use of IT by agencies can reverse that trend.
Thompson, James R. "Reinvention As Reform: Assessing the National Performance Review." Public Administration Review. (November) v60i6 p.508.
The conclusion of the Clinton Administration presents an opportune time to investigate the outcomes of the National Performance Review (NPR). In order to provide a fair analysis, the author coupled a broad review of government-wide survey results with an in-depth investigation into the impact of NPR on a single agency, the Social Security Administration. The author concluded that many of NPR's higher order objectives were not met on a systematic basis.
Wamsley, Gary L. 1998. "From Reorganizing to Reinventing: Sixty Years and We Still Don't Get It." International Journal of Public Administration. (Feb-April) v21 p.323 (52).
Sixty years ago the "Brownlow Committee Report" was written by some of the most prominent members
of the emerging field of public administration. Its recommendations had serious consequences for the way both our democratic republic and the field of public administration have evolved. This article examines these concepts of organizations, management, and governance.
Williams, Daniel. "Reinventing the Proverbs of Government." Public Administration Review. (November) v60i6 p522.
The current "reinventing government" reforms, which follow largely from the writings of David Osborne and his co-authors, claim to establish a new governmental paradigm based on liberating employees and citizens to do their best and using new management methods to get the most out of what government does. The author asserts that this advice cannot be applied because it is inconsistent. According to the article, no new paradigm is established, and more importantly because of the ahistorical nature of these texts, Osborne proposes discredited ideas for administrative reform and misleads the reader concerning the significance of his findings.
Wise, Lois Recascino. 1999. "The Use of Innovative Practices in the Public and Private Sectors: the Role of Organizational and Individual Factors." Public Productivity and Management Review. (December) v23i2 p.150(19).
Many think management reform efforts are impeded by organizational factors commonly found in public
bureaucracies and attitudes typical of civil servants. This article looks at the characteristics of individual decision-makers as factors that might account for managers' willingness to engage in innovative practices. The findings suggest that certain factors need to be taken into account when developing models of organizational reform.
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