Improving Public Management
1st Edition
Published on 20. August 1987
Book
Hardback
260 pages
978-0-8039-8103-4 (ISBN)
Description
Since taking office in 1979, Mrs Thatcher's Conservative government has adopted an Efficiency Strategy, to reduce public spending and reform management in government.
Metcalfe and Richards describe and assess the Efficiency Strategy as an exercise in improving public management. They explain how the strategy has gone about improving administrative performance by increasing cost-consciousness in the use of resources and creating flexibility for managing change. They analyse major themes such as decentralization, information systems and budgets as management tools, organization design and the management of interdepartmental relations.
Metcalfe and Richards describe and assess the Efficiency Strategy as an exercise in improving public management. They explain how the strategy has gone about improving administrative performance by increasing cost-consciousness in the use of resources and creating flexibility for managing change. They analyse major themes such as decentralization, information systems and budgets as management tools, organization design and the management of interdepartmental relations.
Reviews / Votes
`The most authoritative (study) to date' - New Statesman, 11.9.87`This study is a useful and important contribution to the analysis of Thatcherism and the development of recent administrative methods' - International Review of Social Sciences,
`provide(s) a useful introduction to, and critique of, developments in civil service management between 1979 and 1985.' - Parliamentary Affairs,
`The depth of the authors' analysis is enhanced by a tight discussion of conceptual problems and an excellent knowledge of the inner workings of departments thanks to their previous involvement in teaching at the Civil Service College. - West European Politics
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Weight
500 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8039-8103-4 (9780803981034)
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Schweitzer Classification
Content
Preface
Thatcherism and Raynerism
Management and Efficiency in Government
Management Information and the Minister as Manager
Centralize In Order To Decentralize
Spend to Save
Statisticians as Professionals in Government
The Efficiency of the Efficiency Strategy
Market Approaches to Public Management
The Financial Management Initiative
The Politics of Efficiency and Management of Change
Thatcherism and Raynerism
Management and Efficiency in Government
Management Information and the Minister as Manager
Centralize In Order To Decentralize
Spend to Save
Statisticians as Professionals in Government
The Efficiency of the Efficiency Strategy
Market Approaches to Public Management
The Financial Management Initiative
The Politics of Efficiency and Management of Change