New Public Management & Distribution Of Public Services
New Public Management
Introduction
Firstly, I would like to give a definition of new public management (NPM) before I explain the task given to me. NPM is “an influential set of management techniques on private sector criteria and practises” (Lapsley, 2009). The task I have been given is about reforms that has been argued by Brunsson and Olsen (1993) is that reforms in public sector have become so frequent, because of organisational forgetfulness over previous ‘reform’ failures, that they have become routine. Therefore, I have been given task to critically discuss the observation in the context NPM reforms in the UK public sector. I will also adopt a broad approach as this will give me an opportunity to discuss many important features like NHS, audit explosion and many more.
“The rise of NPM are connected” (Hood 1991) with four administrative megatrends which were “attempts to slow down or reverse government growth in terms of overt public spending and staff” (Dunsire and hood 1989). “The shift towards privatization and quasi-privatisation and away from core and away from core government institutions with renewed emphasis on subsidiary in service position” (Hood and Schuppert 1988).
The development of automation, particularly in information technology in the production and distribution of public services
The development of much more international agenda, increasingly focused on general issues of public management, policy design decision sites and intergovernmental cooperation, on top of the older tradition of individual country specialisms in public administration. One example of reform is audit. Auditors are criticised heavily by the public for not noticing the upcoming risks and misstatements in some big companies that led to the finical crisis in 2008. There has been changes since then, but the question has this improved audit or just another reform. “The changes post 2008 are changes in IFRS but this is not enough and still problematic because the standers simply cannot cover all eventualities” (Loxton, 2013.) Therefore, this shows there has been change but nothing to say this procedure will not fail. Also, now looking at the NHS which always been so turbulent for so many years which started in 1980 with annual efficiency savings then in 1983 there was an introduction of general managers, 1984-86 Clinical budget, 1991-97 international market, 1997-2010 new labour modernisation and then finally 2011 regulated market in England.
However, these reforms have just become routine nothing else because ambulance crews have a target of 8 minutes to respond emergency calls regardless of patent outcome Lapsley, 2009) plus patients should be treated within 4 hours into admission into A&E- dysfunctional consequences. Which clearly shows us saving lives which is meant to be the top priory for NHS but isn’t even after of years and years of reforms. Or some reforms have been to protect against future scrutiny rather than to improve the service as the police is a perfect example (Flanagan report, 2007) one example is the police have spent weeks doing door-to-door investigations to turn one case of theft into more than 500 different cases and one man was actually cautioned by the police for being found with an egg with intent to throw and finally a child in Kent who removed a slice of cucumber from a tuna mayonnaise sandwich and threw it another youngster was arrested because the other parents claimed it was an assault.
Universities have also seen many changes and PM is now widely used in universities to improve the universities efficiency, economy and effectiveness (Hood, 1995). This has been criticised by (Lewis, 2014) who has called for “more careful examinations of the links between academic’s attitudes, behaviours and the research they produce”. So far reforms have failed, and the UK should look at what other countries are doing instead of constant reforms without any signs of improvement. For example, Finland’s universities are publicly owned set by the performance ministry of education and culture and Finland’s universities are funded based on performance evaluations and has been working well since the 1990’s and the UK should look at this method.
If u look at France they have one of the best health care services in the world they have fully integrated network of public hospitals, Private hospitals, doctors and medical service providers. It is open to all irrespective of wealth, age etc. The French health care system is funded by both by the government and the public. Going to the GP in France users must pay a small fee of 23 euros and the price has been unchanged for four years which makes it affordable but still useful and the price is irrespective of time taken. In France they have also have paramedics that are called on emergency and provide on the spot assistance before transporting them to the nearest hospital unlike. Also, GP and specialists can refer patients to hospitals only if they think it is necessary and patents would have to pay a small fee of 18 euros per day hospitalisation fee and rest of the bill is paid by the state insurance scheme and complementary health programs (France 2018.) whereas UK has nothing like this and if we had this method of paying a fee every time someone visited a GP this would surely help the NHS who don’t have enough money or recourses and having paramedics like in France would save lives instead of getting people to hospital in a certain amount of time regardless of the patent outcome.
Conclusion
In conclusion to this task I would have to say I strongly agree that yes that reforms have become so routine because of constant failures of previous reforms. Also, there is no improvement to been seen in the new changes and it tells us it’s only a new reform that will fail and be changed again. UK is always looking for changes and instead we should look at what other countries in Europe do and should adapt to their systems to help our public services like the police, universities, NHS.
References:
- Lapsley, L. (2009) New Public management: the cruellest invention of the Human Spirit? pp.1-2 Brunsson, N and Olsen JP (1993) The reforming organization pp. 1-20Hood, C. (1991) A Public Management for all seasons? Public administrations, 69 (1) pp.3-19.Hood, C and Schuppert, A (1988) Delivering public services in Western Europe: sharing Western European experience of para-government organization PP. 1-30 Dunsire, A and Hood, C (1989) ‘Cutback Management in Public Bureaucracies’ pp. 1- 242 Lewis, J. M. (2014),’ Research productivity and research system attitudes. Public Money & Management’, pp. 417–424.Hood, C. (1995), The ‘new public management’ in the 1980s: variations on a theme. Accounting, Organizations and Society, pp. 93–109. economia. icaew. (2013) ‘https://economia.icaew.com/features/september-2013/financial-reporting-after-2008’ (Accessed at 30/09/18)about-France. (2018) ‘https://about-france.com/health-care.htm’ (Accessed at 30/09/18)Flanagan Report, (2007 The Review of Policing: Interim Report, Home Office, PP1-124
