Managing Performance: Lessons from Administrative Reforms in Public Administrations EUPAN meeting September 15th, 2009, Stockholm, Sweden Prof. Dr. Geert Bouckaert Director Public Management Institute, Leuven, Belgium President of EGPA

Similar and different starting positions Reform as following trajectories Reform as managing for performance Reform as reorganisation Reform as involving stakeholders Reform as upgrading cycles

Similar and different starting positions Shared initial problems: budget and economy, and trust Reforms: negative and positive Shared objectives of reform: Re-allocation of resources Performance of performance Responsibility and accountability

REFORM AS TRAJECTORIES

REFORM AS MANAGING FOR PERFORMANCE

Managing for performance: Steps Measuring Incorporating Using

Managing for performance: Types -Performance administration -Managements of performances -Performance management -Performance governance

REFORM AS REORGANISATION

Creation of Autonomous entities (agencies) Flatter administrations (lower depth of control, larger span of control) Decentralisation Different patterns of specialisation and coordination

Reform as reorganisation: problems -loss of control -lack of coordination -re-dis-organisation (Pollitt)

REFORM AS INVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS -co-design -co-decide -co-produce; co-implement -co-evaluate

REFORM AS UPGRADING CYCLES

Lessons from the past and Learning for the future: -Shared reform trends but cultural specificities: do not blindly imitate -Reform is technical and political: get politics and society involved for ownership -’Solving’ problems creates new problems: make ex ante evaluations of ‘solutions’ -Reform builds on what exists: make sure reform is cumulative -Performance of performance is crucial: demonstrate progress of performance

-Four models (Maintain, Modernise, Marketise, Minimise): Choose combinations which are desirable and feasible; -Linking cycles (policy/control, finance, contract): remedy the weakest cycle, add missing components

Bouckaert Geert, Peters B Bouckaert Geert, Peters B. Guy, Verhoest Koen (2010, forthcoming) Co-ordination: a seven country comparison. Palgrave. Bouckaert Geert, Halligan John (2008) Managing performance, International comparisons. Routledge, London, 440p. Vandewalle Steven, Van Roosbroek Steven, Bouckaert Geert (2005) Trust in the Public Sector. OECD, November 2005. Pollitt Christopher, Bouckaert Geert (2004, 2d expanded ed.) Public Management Reform: A Comparative Analysis. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 345.