Public Sector Management

The Fifth Edition of this popular textbook provides students and practitioners with a jargon-free description, analysis and critique of the management of the public sector by the UK government. Fully revised and updated, it assesses the policies and performance of the second and third Blair administrations with completely new material on Public-Private Partnerships, Private Finance Initiative and the management of the railways and London Underground.

Written in a highly accessible yet analytical style, Part One of this book provides readers with the financial and political context of public sector policies within a historical perspective stretching back to the foundation of the welfare state. It assesses how the main areas of public policy have changed and the impact these changes have had on public sector workers.

Part Two examines the mechanics of specific management arrangements in more detail, distinguishing between services provided directly by government and those outsourced to third parties. Using current data on spending and performance, it draws on a rich set of case studies to critically consider:

• How are services designed and delivered?
• How are services audited and inspected?
• How is performance managed?
• How are markets managed and organized?
• How are contracts written and monitored?

The Fifth Edition includes chapter summaries, thematically organized further reading, and a website with resources for students and lecturers.

This book is core reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying public sector management in the fields of Business, Management, Social Policy, Politics, or Sociology.