The public sector

This book explores the complexities of the public sector, addressing contestable issues and analyzing shortcomings in policy science and political analysis. It examines the evolution of the public sector, highlighting trends, constitutional challenges, and the interplay between state and society, particularly in the context of the welfare state. The discussion includes the phenomenon of 'quangocratization' and the difficulties in measuring public sector effectiveness. The text delves into the relationship between guidance, control, and evaluation, emphasizing the need for effective coordination in administrative tasks. It reviews two decades of implementation research, shifting focus from mere control to fostering guidance and learning. Ethical considerations in bureaucracy and performance analysis are also scrutinized, alongside a cybernetic perspective on these relationships. Additionally, the book compares various institutional forms of coordination, including the dynamics between markets and hierarchies, and reconsiders the roles of solidarity and professionalism. It discusses interorganizational policy coordination and presents a method for institutional analysis, culminating in a critical evaluation of interorganizational networks and their control mechanisms. The work concludes with contributions from various authors and comprehensive subject and author indexes.