130 likes | 800 Views
Public sector change management – looking back to look forward. Dr. Richard Boyle Head of Research Institute of Public Administration Dublin Presentation to ACESA Conference 1 st October 2009. Where did pressure for change come from – the influence of theory. Public choice theory
E N D
Public sector change management – looking back to look forward Dr. Richard Boyle Head of Research Institute of Public Administration Dublin Presentation to ACESA Conference 1st October 2009
Where did pressure for change come from – the influence of theory • Public choice theory • Agency theory • Management theory
Change context • Proportional representation • Pragmatism rather than ideology • Consensus and partnership building • Social partnership
Public service reform: some key developments • Launch of Strategic Management Initiative (1994) • Delivering Better Government (1996) • Public Service Management Act (1997) • PMDS (2000) • Decentralisation (2003) • Regulating Better (2004) • Organisational review programme (2007) • Output statements (2007) • OECD review of the public service (2008)
Top down drivers of change • Political direction • Central agencies • Department of the Taoiseach • Department of Finance • Department of the Public Service – a cautionary tale
Middle out drivers of change • The role of senior management – critical mass • The role of change teams
Bottom up drivers of change • The involvement of front line staff • The voice of the citizen
The current change climate – lessons from Canada • Fiscal reform on the scale required leaves little room for other substantial reforms • Across the board cuts that affect programmes in an undifferentiated way have significant perverse effects • ‘Doing more with less’ is not a viable solution to eliminating a sizeable deficit
Be wary of • Changing structures as an ‘easy’ option • New initiatives added on to existing ones • Focusing on the process rather than the outcome Reform of the public service is a means to an end, not an end of itself.