How is the New Public Management applied in the occupational health care system? - decision-makers' and OH personnel's views in Finland

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In many countries occupational health care system is in change. Occupational health studies are mainly focused on occupational health substance and content. This study offers new perspectives on municipal OHS and its operations from management perspective.</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>The aim of this study is to analyse how New Public Management (NPM) doctrines are applied in the Finnish occupational health care system (OHS). The main focus is to describe and compare the views of decision-makers' and OH workers within the framework of NPM.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The data were collected by semi-structured interviews from 17 municipal decision-makers' and 26 municipal OH workers. Data was analyzed by examining coded data in a theory-driven way according to Hood's doctrine of NPM.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The doctrines were not as compatible with the OH personnel view as with the decision-makers' view. Decision-makers and OH personnel highlighted the strict criteria required for operation evaluation. Moreover, decision-makers strongly accentuated professional management in the public sector and the reorganization of public sector units. These were not equally relevant in OH personnel views. In OH personnel views, other doctrines (more attention to performance and accomplishments, emphasizing and augmentation of the competition and better control of public expense and means test) were not similarly in evidence, only weak evidence was observed when their importance viewed as medium by decision-makers. Neither of the respondents group kept the doctrine of management models of the private sector relevant.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The NPM and Hoods doctrine fitted well with OH research. The doctrine brought out view differences and similarities between decision-makers and OH personnel. For example, policymakers highlighted more strongly the structural change by emphasizing professional management compared to OH personnel. The need for reorganization of municipal OH, regardless of different operational preconditions, was obvious for both decision-makers and OH personnel. The adaptation of more clarify management to a municipal context is not trouble-free. The municipality systemic structure, complex operational environment, and reconciliation of political and officer authority set challenges to management of municipalities.</p

Understanding governmental activism

This article seeks to understand an understudied phenomenon: governmental players joining forces with non-governmental players in contentious actions against policies they want to prevent or redress. This behaviour, which we call ‘governmental activism’, problematizes important assumptions in the social movement literature on state–SMO dichotomies and on seeing ‘the state’ as a homogeneous and unified actor that solely provides the context for SMO activities. Governmental activism also problematizes assumptions on cooperation and ‘new’ modes of coordination in the governance literature. To understand governmental activism, we build on the strategic interaction perspective from social movement studies and on third-phase institutionalism from political science. In our analysis, we show the particulars of governmental activism. Our arguments are illustrated by empirical material on a case of municipal amalgamation in the Netherlands

Towards screening Barrett’s Oesophagus: current guidelines, imaging modalities and future developments

Barrett’s oesophagus is the only known precursor to oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). Although guidelines on the screening and surveillance exist in Barrett’s oesophagus, the current strategies are inadequate. Oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) is the gold standard method in screening for Barrett’s oesophagus. This invasive method is expensive with associated risks negating its use as a current screening tool for Barrett’s oesophagus. This review explores current definitions, epidemiology, biomarkers, surveillance, and screening in Barrett’s oesophagus. Imaging modalities applicable to this condition are discussed, in addition to future developments. There is an urgent need for an alternative non-invasive method of screening and/or surveillance which could be highly beneficial towards reducing waiting times, alleviating patient fears and reducing future costs in current healthcare services. Vibrational spectroscopy has been shown to be promising in categorising Barrett’s oesophagus through to high-grade dysplasia (HGD) and OAC. These techniques need further validation through multicentre trials

Open innovation in public management: analysis of the Brazilian action plan for Open Government Partnership

Este estudo objetivou analisar o Plano de Ação brasileiro para o Governo Aberto, baseado na teoria da inovação aberta na gestão pública. Utilizou-se de uma pesquisa documental, com vistas a aprofundar o conhecimento do fenômeno em questão. O documento foi escolhido intencionalmente, por ser exemplo basilar das políticas públicas relacionadas à inovação aberta brasileira. Os resultados mostram que os compromissos firmados pelo governo brasileiro estão consoantes com o processo de inovação aberta pública. As ações previstas no Plano estão especificamente relacionadas a transparência, abertura de dados e preparação do corpo estatal para o processo aberto de inovação. _________________________________________________________________________________________ RESUMEN: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar el Plan de Acción de Brasil para el Gobierno Abierto con base en la teoría de la innovación abierta en la gestión pública. Se utilizó una investigación documental, con el fin de profundizar el conocimiento en el fenómeno en cuestión. El documento fue elegido intencionadamente porque es fundamental para las políticas públicas relacionadas con la innovación abierta brasileña. Los resultados muestran que los compromisos asumidos por el gobierno brasileño son compatibles con el proceso de innovación abierta pública. En concreto, las acciones contenidas en el plan están relacionados con la transparencia, los datos abiertos y preparación de la estructura de gobierno para el proceso abierto de innovación. _________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT: This study aims to analyze the Brazilian action plan for Open Government, based on the theory of open innovation in public management. Documentary research was used, in order to deepen of the knowledge the phenomenon being discussed . The document was intentionally chosen because it is essential for public policies related to Brazilian open innovation The results show that the commitments made by the Brazilian government are compatible with the public open innovation process. The actions in the Plan are related specifically to transparency, open data and preparation of the governance body for the open innovation process

Making better use of information to drive improvement in local public services: A report for the Audit Commission

This report on making better use of information to drive improvement in local public services was commissioned from the School of Public Policy at the University of Birmingham, by the Audit Commission. It explores how decision makers use information when making decisions. These decision makers can be politicians, top managers, operational managers, planners etc. The focus of this report is not on the use of performance indicators sensu stricto, but on the use of information more generally. Rather than studying how existing information is used or not used in decision making, this report is looking at how decision makers go about searching, analysing, summarising, processing and interpreting information when they need to make a decision. The report consists of three main chapters. - A summary of key government policy initiatives in the UK to stimulate the use of information in decision making - A review of the relevant research literature. This is the main section of the report. In it, we review the role of information in decision making theories, the organisational and structural context of information use, and psychological factors in the use of information in decision making - A presentation of a number of international perspectives on the use of information in public sector decision makin