The Future of Public Service: A Search for a New Balance

Public administrations are vehicles for expressing the values and preferences of citizens, communities and societies (Bourgon 2007). Some values and preferences are constant; others change as societies evolve. Periodically, one set of values comes to the fore, and its energy transforms the role of government and the practice of public administration. Reflecting back on the last three decades, we can now see how public administrators around the world embarked on an astonishing journey of experimentation and innovation. The nature and pace of change has been extraordinary. Australian practitioners and scholars have contributed far more than their expected share to the international public administration community. You have inspired and influenced reforms around the world. Looking ahead, the Australian government's new agenda for the public service heralds more change and reform. It challenges you to experiment and innovate further. Your peers around the world are watching with great expectations. We are eager to continue learning from your experience. Many of the changes your government is calling for in its new agenda for the public service point to the need to search for ‘a new balance’ in public administration. If you will indulge me, I would like to focus briefly on this metaphor because it is significant for practitioners and scholars in many other parts of the world. The theme of the Conference is ‘The Future of Public Service: Striking the Right Balance’. So what might it mean to strike a new balance? Does such a balance exist? And, if it does, how would this help us to serve citizens in the 21st century better? We have lived through an extraordinary period in the last 30 years. Think for a moment about some of the monumental developments during this time. We have witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. The construction and expansion of the European Union brought peace and prosperity to half a billion people. There has been an unprecedented convergence towards a global market economy, which has contributed to a prolonged period of growth. We have seen the rise of China and India into new global economic engines. We have embraced the Internet and other technological innovations. These have transformed the world economy, our global society, the role of government and citizens' expectations. This list could go on. ‘May you live in interesting times,’ someone once said. Indeed we have. During this same period, public sector reforms have swept the globe. No matter which country we come from, practitioners of public administration have all lived with and participated in widespread experimentation and a phenomenal rate of reform. If there has been a constant in our globalising world, it has been the rapid pace of public sector change and reform (Kettl 2002). No part of the planet has escaped this impulse. Many of these reforms aimed to make the public service more efficient and productive. Some strove to make governments more flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances and emerging issues. Notwithstanding the nature and number of past reforms, the pace of reform is not likely to abate. Public sector organisations are not yet aligned in theory and in practice with the new global context or with the problems they have for their missions to solve. The quest for a new balance for sound governance and good government is not over. Many of our public institutions were born in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century; a period characterised by the industrial revolution, the emergence of bureaucracies in democratic societies and the influence of scientific management. Public sector organisations were expected to perform predictable tasks under prescribed rules. The power structure was top down and hierarchical. Rigorous controls ensured performance and accountability for delegated authorities. It is not so much that the world was simpler then but that public organisations were called upon to exercise a more predictable role. This role was based in a model of compliance. In the past, this model embodied most government activities. Today, it represents a declining fraction of the work of government. The compliance model is still relevant for the regulatory functions of government. It pertains to predictable activities that require equality of treatment under the law and accountability for the exercise of delegated authorities under the law (See Figure 1). Public Sector Reforms From this compliance model of government, inherited from the industrial era, we retain and value: respect for the Rule of Law; respect for democracy; due process; and transparency and accountability. This model gave us a solid foundation. But the role of government became more complex as populations increased in size and societies changed and evolved. Governments required more flexibility. The drive for flexibility led to many responses, including: an organisational response characterised by a proliferation of agencies and various organisational models; a legislative response using framework laws giving public administrators a high degree of discretion to address a variety of needs; and a governance response striving to rebalance the role of the public sector, the private sector, civil society and citizens. Many of the reforms of the past 30 years have involved a debate about governance, including the respective roles of the private sector, the public sector, civil society and citizens previously performed by government In some these reforms led to the of functions and In the reforms led to the of government. reforms led to some degree of and an role for civil there is good governance good government and public sector these reforms brought in their a for more and government. Some in private sector to the power of as a to performance and of the last 30 the in scientific as by the unprecedented focus many reforms on and performance in government (See Figure 1). It was a period of some and some the of This period our and the for From this period we retain a number of We the of sound not need to it all for the to It to on the of We the power of which is the role of government, its with citizens and the role of public and We have a to good and have to our on and to that has has been part of our learning It has been part of a quest for sound governance, good government and public But the search for a new balance is not over. The most part is still It is that public sector reforms so far have been as if government in a predictable as if governments are in and the and the to change on their as if changes will to the of and as if is to innovation. There are some we might to in for a new there to the of the and of government to perform in an world characterised by and this role to the market with government as the of last new balance of government roles would serve our respective balance would citizens with a high of and high of governments to serve in an world would require a of reforms would likely for public sector institutions to to to to they to problems they to and to it the past is a that we live in an world. In the last years we have and economic technological and in the global There have been unprecedented like the of the like the of or the of and like the in or the and But the is not we live in a more or more world than It is our search for balance will to the and government to with of the of expectations. It is we will to to good governance in It is we will our public to innovate and to experiment the of the that have flexible and public sector have been to and public administrations are a of the international they global to with this is to with We need to continue the to of the as public we will continue to our and on from the past and to the so and prosperity and in our global The for this of public sector reforms are and experimentation (See Figure 1). In their of reform governments around the world will their on how the public sector can to the of their in the These will to into its and will on all that has including the from There is from the that to around the world. these point to a new balance that to the of public to innovate and to help societies in an world. Governments all the world are to with the from the to the global The emergence of and and other are changing expectations. and in the The reform of the past 30 years have been characterised by a debate about governance, which the respective roles and of the public sector, the private sector, civil society and citizens. we have about the of the role of public and civil society institutions as a of economic and can as the institutions and that the exercise of power in It to how society on of public how citizens are in public and how work to public government the change agenda and democratic and governance is how the work Public from the of and government to This is characterised by a of power and in No one controls all the or all the to address the complex that In the government and But not the can its will or complex on its government is a like the performance of the governance in the country and influence the of all other in There is public institutions and public governance is the of the It will continue to part of the reform agenda of many most to will have a of others as they an to governance that the of than for the good public is one that the the to society most is is This is we can see the with and good that for the is we how great It was in the that of to We to that are of we to see that the organisational and to is a in the of If the role of the public administration is to into solid and then public service the of to the of government, the of and the by public sector citizens can the of their It is a to the of the of the government in In we and administration are the parts of a are and values and and and service what is to with what is is the The role of the public service the It to the It to with the to It that the from past and are into can by and public It can and and and respect for Public not the most public and through public organisations how to through and In the this to changes in the as as the and Public and are is embodied in the and Figure the that and administration. The about with under the in in their can which would of public and which part of the agenda of the government in of the respective role of and of public administrators not require that they work in from There are and There is a need for democratic based on respect for and the public of the 21st century more than in the past public the and international to the in of These require more to and of government and require and public administrators to and complex Governments with a good a for and a based on respect and to democratic will have a than most to emerging and to In this is because they will to the of and in will to new as a of the increased Future in public administration from a framework of market and and and and agencies to one of to the of citizens in the 21st The of and of and is not a the influence of the public reforms during the past years have the that previously and administration 2007). This has government through the of the of and their more than a part of the not in or It in and which can help government rise and Many will the of and to and to with a for and public that respect democratic and the of law have an on Governments around the world through of delegated authorities. are for their and for the exercise of delegated to by a the structure of government is to this and of and This model was inherited from the 19th a period characterised by the It was for with the predictable role of government in tasks under prescribed rules. The world has Governments are now called upon to serve citizens in the the of their citizens in the context of an global and complex global In this most of the relevant to citizens, and are the of the and These are the most relevant and because they and is the in of for all citizens, and efficient as a of the economic performance of their country to that of others with a of the by and to the or is the of a government set that require the response of and organisations and government a is This and government and organisations on or are the most in organisational of the past years. are and to can for or and organisations share a for a or for the have in of a of Governments by and have been in the power of in of their These the model of government with the of government the of the power structure and of This is the role of the of government and of It is for the role of it is of governance that governments from other and and The of government can to in of This can their role from to in of the government agenda a framework of accountability for Governments from and under governance with of accountability to citizens can to can to the of and This the to their role. a and not to a the latter to many organisations a high of performance in a and The role of the is to a framework for the of a number of some public and others It is to and the and help on the performance of the It is to and and and and in of In a the role of a is to the a to to this role and the flexibility to their and to the of government the role of it is or they have is not by share a for and have the power to in of it is to this it is a and to the and of government and of accountability for the exercise of delegated and of the of the public sector to It the of and citizens' Some of the challenges many governments in and could through a of for delegated authorities with management. is the of public administration in the 21st It is part of the reform agenda in many it is under such as government, government. I the of and which more the of in have a for In the and performance in government became more and more Today, in many there is to about the proliferation of performance The that make a of performance is as the of new public There is that it has contributed to from the public debate and performance an of than a for learning and for and It is to the many in the In government, how are is as as what is Some controls are in a public sector respect for the democratic are a of public sector accountability. These are not and to all public In the public sector, compliance is ensured through Public sector organisations are through controls to the of they are to controls to their and of controls have more been to the in some to a proliferation of performance 2007). authorities but and agencies the of delegated controls and The end can a of controls to the expected the of the of the and a of the public to serve an and for citizens The of compliance as as the nature of the controls and on the of the to into activities and The can the to public or under some The private sector in a organisations are expected to In the public sector, it is that organisations under a of and controls as a their and is the of controls on public organisations it the role of government and rise to by citizens. and a role they set the which can exercise discretion to or they set the of for public organisations The is to the balance the of and the public of government No is if it is to with but to or if a significant part of its are to that are to and controls as performance on are in as the of the more the public and citizens to to and We are all for from a of controls to a of is an to in a public sector Public more in have in public sector reforms in many the past Many reforms have on service by of government in and There is a in many in and democratic and governance in part by new to and citizens to in and service and of public governance not live to the of democratic such the of the through and and public that a and a and the and that citizens more to the of a in such a that they are to influence public and in a that on their economic and in public or public service will part of public sector Public are No government can to have all the all the to a complex and number of complex public require the of citizens as of change in to the This is the require a change of which in the of citizens as of It is the the nature or of the legislative of the and the government's to There are a number of like from international such as global and to such as of or to such as and will to have a in they are expected to an role or to the in public is not a and with It can and rise to a number of issues. these are of the and are likely to have or and the balance of It can a for and have an role in the degree of in public under This from by government to public to citizens' citizens the to influence and the exercise of power by citizens that matter most to which a degree of in public is not a for is it a of societies have citizens the to giving citizens a and on that most is the of the democratic and of democratic It is citizens with a to their values and preferences in to the that most will likely a of public sector reform in the 21st century (Bourgon 2007). of the in past reforms has the The for on in the of service Reforms in this have and will continue to focus on an a that citizens to make on their as of and these reforms will continue to in that are of accountability and they have the of the of public administration on its are a a which is government back to the and of the for increased is by the of and which citizens to have to most if not all the by their that is of to to government is an of citizens in service it is an It not citizens the of service It not on the of the service and it not to influence the will in the than to government has been the of 2007). But the of is not so much about and this is an to the for service around and some of the by public on of citizens, to citizens as of government and have the to citizens to their public institutions so that citizens could to government to their on their and the of their new for citizens to an role in service service most the of service innovation. in service unprecedented for and of government all this to reforms on in service will likely a of power government and citizens. These reforms will the of power from public to of public and will a government, citizens and public can the framework and laws of a as and public require to exercise discretion and so citizens. can and by a which the can exercise its share of and This has not been in the framework of most a the to citizens is by and to the to in or other It is to more power to citizens not the it our of This discretion of power in most The is not a of how to the discretion required to citizens, but how it can from government and the to the what is these new as as they power from But of these will work from the that it has to about a to these make it the power of the Looking can in and public administrators are to a share of their power for to the in the 21st century will require new of accountability to the public and public administrators to citizens for for the exercise of power by public has an and It has an because it to a more It the public and transparency and accountability. It the which citizens can make (Bourgon 2007). has by public debate which to in of government In that it the and the of of government (Bourgon 2007). us back to It us to the of government and public sector Public sector reforms have the to democratic in their on the and of citizens' and to citizens to an role in the and of and is more than Public sector reforms will require new to service that the power of in a government, the private sector, and civil society and the will for complex the of and will make it to the for to of the service and for society to for in service this the of a years of in government and It how public and public sector organisations make to their new and to their into their the more public innovate not because of or and not because they are they are innovate because of a public service from their to The now is to go and innovation. Some of the would the and the pace of in government a on governance which the to with others and on and the of and government as a to the and to as a for and of public and a of the of compliance to an more to innovation. these reforms would help to the of government to an role the But is it The by are the of because in the past to their The of are not The and of change they will the of societies and the international to In an world, governments a their role as compliance under the good of service through performance which a degree of and the of last the most brought about in our world. of governments to an role by their to and to and to and to to of the of are than the of It would a high for or it would require some degree of to this latter would require governments to new and change the need for new I would We need to the in the public sector to emerging and Many of the reform of the past 30 years have on service a the of government has been and is We need to a new to and in the of and Many of our most problems will not go we our and for the or about such as change will if we this the will In many early and a more We need to to in the and This is this in many of our There have been about these the in in government and in the legislative that need changing Public and public sector organisations in parts of the world have they can But most have been to a of in their public Some of have to for and in government. a a and a new of or have not with the on performance to the need to and and experimentation are If governments more they will need to to are the of public sector innovations. and of their and to a governments need to focus on the of public governments need to that of work and for as a for Governments can the of the public service to innovate by communities of practice government and their learning and experimentation and This has the of government, and of and in the most of practice in the public role other and the and in the of the public share a to to government and an response in of government as they a for in of and problems they In to the to governments have a to and communities of In they need to focus significant on the of In governments can organisational for innovation. There are many in the organisational and organisational theory on this will continue to focus on into and it is to all organisational This and this will focus on how organisational can and through government and with and organisations of government. and into organisational to innovate require changes government 2007). These new to set the and make It new to and in It require new and the of In many the are of the many in government this help to problems and it might help to early that problems from But is it In the the of a world are by society as a This is unprecedented are transformed into new It is are The role of government is to help the of our societies to in to the of to and to from Governments it There is back to the role of the government in the context of our we that one of the of such an was the of through citizens' on the government and the In back the and the role of government, one of the we is that governments some of their to and to These reforms to in other In so they the work that was required to and through in their In about their and reforms into the governments to a on through their and they are in citizens, communities and The by which governments go about their work is as as the they towards on of citizens. In this the towards governance, and parts of a for more governments in citizens in and governments not for they citizens' to to and new and In an of and on their learning that these can in the context of their with It to to and to and It public It to with to it to and to a learning society that is to and is not to to the of governance and the power of governments help to in In in governance and increased from and of these and in a of communities can more and governments can to a society by their and In the balance in governance and public governments how they will a private sector and a civil society that organisations and a of public In the quest for sound governance and good government, many are for a new balance in the various roles they government to some of and (See Figure they might other roles I have not or Striking a will which journey country will will which balance will serve our respective and the of citizens in our global community. we will once live in interesting our search for a new balance I to the of and