Chapter 10: Administrative Reform, Productivity, And Perform

Chapter 10 Administrative Reform, Productivity, and Performance  LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1. Understanding the motivations for contemporary administrative reform movements 2. Examining how NPM and reinvention are related to issues of quality and productivity 3. Exploring the impact of advances in technology on government and governance 4. Understanding the importance of performance measurement in the public sector 5. Learning about productivity improvement strategies  SUMMARY OVERVIEW Chapter 10 addresses contemporary administrative reforms and the role of technology in changing the way in which government works. The authors note that the field of public administration as a discipline emerged during the Progressive Reform Movement, which sought to reduce corruption and increase professionalism in public service. Since that time, the field has undergone an ongoing series of reform efforts that represent, at least in part, an attempt to reconcile the often-conflicting needs of administrative efficiency and democratic accountability. This chapter focuses on efforts aimed at increasing administrative efficiency and productivity. The authors first review contemporary reform efforts embodied in New Public Management (NPM) and the “reinventing government” movement. These concepts, based on the idea that the systems underlying public organizations lack the capacity to meet twenty-first-century challenges and opportunities, focus on issues of performance and accountability in government and are concerned with improving government quality and productivity without increases in costs. This discussion traces the evolution of NPM, which has emerged in several countries over the past several decades and is aimed at creating public organizations that are mission-driven, decentralized, and incentive-based, and the “reinventing government” movement, which is based on many of the NPM principles. “Reinvention” is centered around the concept that more entrepreneurial forms of government—more streamlined, flexible, and responsive systems of public policy and administration—are needed to enable public administrators to deal with public problems effectively and to capitalize on opportunities in contemporary society. Included here is an overview of how these approaches have been incorporated, in varying degrees, into the management agenda at the federal level and how it has driven calls for reform in the nonprofit sector as well. This section concludes with a discussion about results achieved by these reforms and the concerns expressed by critics of these approaches. The chapter then turns to an examination of the impact that advances in technology have had on the way in which government operates, noting that technology has been a central part of the drive to improve government performance. This discussion notes that by the beginning of the twenty-first century, these advances had governments turning increasingly to online resources for many of their core functions, including economic development, human and social service delivery, health care, and citizen engagement. This has created a new paradigm in which technology will be applied in ways that will make the relationship between government and citizens more direct and inclusive. This section addresses the concepts of e-government and e-governance, noting distinctions between the two terms, and looks at several specific examples of the use of technology at all levels of government. The interactive set of technologies known collectively as Web 2.0, is reviewed, and the section concludes with a discussion about the challenges and limitations of technology and the potential that has yet to be realized from its use. The final section of the chapter deals with performance measurement in government, which has become an important form of public-sector management reform as governments have come under increasing pressure to demonstrate that their programs generate substantive outcomes. This section examines the development of federal regulation requiring agencies to link planning and performance outcomes to budgeting decisions and highlights efforts at state and local levels to implement performance measurement in order to assess how well they are meeting programmatic goals and outcomes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the issues involved in implementing quality, productivity, and performance initiatives, and suggests a series of steps that should be considered in any improvement effort.  CHAPTER OUTLINE I. NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT, REINVENTION, THE MANAGEMENT AGENDA, AND NONPROFIT REFORM A. The New Public Management B. Reinventing Government C. The Management Agenda D. Nonprofit Management Reform E. The Results of NPM and Reinvention II. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES A. Technology and Management Reform B. E-Government and E-Governance III. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT ï‚« Exploring Concepts: SEEING EYE TO EYE: PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT MATTER TO CITIZENS ï‚« Exploring Concepts: PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT: THEORY AND PRACTICE A. Implementation Issues in Quality and Productivity B. Steps to Productivity Improvement IV. SUMMARY AND ACTION IMPLICATIONS Chapter 10: Administrative Reform, Productivity and Performance 127  KEY TERMS Benchmarking Targeting specific goals based on previous performance levels, standards set by similar organizations, objectives created through strategic planning, or any combination of these. Citizen-centered public administration Citizens are viewed as owners who elect leaders to represent their interests and who engage with government to achieve public outcomes. Customer-centered public administration Puts citizens in a role that is limited to liking or disliking services, assuming that administrators will make changes in services if enough customers are dissatisfied. E-governance The use of technology to not only provide government services and administration but also to facilitate democratic processes and the relationships among citizens, civil society, the market, and the state. E-government The government’s use of technology to provide information, deliver services, support operations, and interact with citizens, businesses, and other governments at any time from any place. Entrepreneurial government Systems of public policy and administration that are more streamlined, flexible, and responsive. Managerialism A belief that government could and should be run like a business based on strictly economic principles. New Public Management A set of principles and practices in the public service designed to create organizations that are mission-driven, decentralized, and incentive-based and guided by principles of accountability, responsiveness, and a commitment to outcome- based governance. Performance measurement A means to produce quantitative evidence about government program outcomes that demonstrates how well a program is meeting its goals. Quality circle Small group of people who do similar or connected work and meet regularly to identify, analyze, and solve work-process problems. Reinventing government An entrepreneurial approach to government and public administration that combines competition and empowerment with more attention to public outcomes and action based on customer priorities rather than bureaucratic imperatives. ð WEB LINKS The following is a link to global perspectives on New Public Management: OECD Public Management and Governance Service: ( The following are links to information about digital government and governance: National Center for Digital Governance: ( Center for Technology in Government: ( National Science Foundation Digital Government Research Program: ( The following are links to information about government performance: Performance.gov: ( Office of Management and Budget: ( OMB Watch: ( Congressional Institute: (

Paper For Above instruction

The chapter on administrative reform, productivity, and performance in public administration explores the evolution, implementation, and impact of various reform strategies aimed at enhancing efficiency, accountability, and citizen engagement within government. It emphasizes contemporary movements such as New Public Management (NPM) and the reinvention of government, both grounded in the premise that public systems must adapt to meet modern challenges through decentralization, innovation, and performance-driven approaches.

The rise of NPM, originating in several countries over recent decades, advocates for mission-oriented, incentive-based structures that promote accountability and responsiveness. Similarly, the reinvention movement underscores the importance of adopting entrepreneurial, flexible governance systems capable of effectively addressing societal issues. These reforms aim to create a more responsive and efficient government, emphasizing outcomes over traditional bureaucratic procedures.

Technology plays a crucial role in these reforms, particularly through advancements in information and communication technologies (ICT). The chapter highlights the development of e-government and e-governance, which leverage digital tools to facilitate service delivery, transparency, and citizen participation. The integration of Web 2.0 technologies exemplifies the shift toward more interactive forms of engagement, though challenges such as digital divides and security concerns remain significant.

Measurement of performance stands out as a core component of modern reforms. Governments at various levels now prioritize performance assessment to demonstrate program outcomes and effectiveness, influencing budgeting and policy decisions. Implementation of performance measurement involves establishing clear metrics and targets aligned with strategic objectives, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.

Despite promising advancements, critics raise concerns about the limitations of these reforms, including the risk of overly emphasizing quantitative metrics at the expense of broader democratic values or equity considerations. Additionally, technological innovations require substantial investments and pose issues related to privacy and cybersecurity. Effective reform implementation depends on careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and adopting a comprehensive approach to public sector modernization.

References

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