Performance Measurement and Performance Information in New Democracies

__Abstract__ This article explores the introduction of performance measurement tools in new democracies by presenting a qualitative study based on Estonian governmental documents and performance audits. A set of specific factors help to explain difficulties in introducing performance measurement tools in immature policy environments: instability, poor strategic planning and policy analysis, an implementation gap and uncritical, uninformed transfer of Western performance management initiatives. Although the authors recognize the limits of generalizations based on the Estonian example, the presence of such ‘transitional’ factors is likely to make the development of performance measurement in new democracies even more complicated than in the West

Literature review on cutback management

Introduction The literature review at hand is the first deliverable of Work Package no. 7 The global financial crisis in the public sector as an emerging coordination challenge of the EU Seventh Framework program project Coordinating for Cohesion in the Public Sector of the Future (COCOPS). The main purpose of the review is to give an overview of the cutback management literature and its findings of cutback strategies in the public sector in the 1970-80s. The aim is to look at the application and impact of various cutback management and decision-making practices and discuss whether lessons could be learnt for the current crisis. The recent global financial and economic crisis, followed by fiscal crisis, have lifted the topic of cutback management back on the research agenda, as many governments in Europe and elsewhere either plan or have already implemented austerity measures in order to cope with the concurrent problems of lower revenues and high public debt. It can be expected that the large-scale cutbacks, undertaken by numerous governments, would lead to changes in public administration practices. Thus, the impacts of the global crisis and the subsequent retrenchment on public administration and governance is and will continue to be a challenging issue for several years to come (Pollitt 2010; Thynne 2011; Coen and Roberts 2012). Looking at the patterns of cutback management during the previous era(s) of austerity can therefore provide useful insights for coping with the current crisis. ..

The governance of social cohesion: innovative coordination practices in public management

Introduction This report presents the main findings and policy implications of the COCOPS Work Package 5 (WP5) “The Governance of Social Cohesion: Innovative Coordination Practices in Public Management” (April 2012-May 2013). WP5 focused on searching and identifying innovative coordination practices and related steering instruments in public management in European public sectors, analysing their functioning and assessing their contribution to countering public-sector fragmentation and delivering public value. The WP was led by the University of Bergen (Professor Per Lægreid and Dr. Lise H. Rykkja) in close cooperation with Tallinn University of Technology (Professor Tiina Randma-Liiv and Dr. Külli Sarapuu). In total eleven COCOPS partners were engaged in WP5 (see Table 1). In addition, four non-COCOPS researchers working on the public sector coordination contributed to the study of emerging coordination practices

Civil service careers in small and large states The cases of Estonia and the United Kingdom

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN030340 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo