Collaboration in Public Services: The Challenge for Evaluation

by Andrew Gray (Editor), Bill Jenkins (Editor), Frans Leeuw (Editor), John Mayne (Editor)

Overview

The International Group for Policy and Program Evaluation (INTEVAL) serves as a forum for scholars and practitioners of public policy to discuss ideas and developments as a community dedicated to enhancing the contribution of evaluation to government. From the group's studies has emerged a concern with the impact of public management reforms. Collaboration in Public Services examines collaboration in the delivery of public policies and identifies the challenges for policy and program evaluation.

Written by a mix of academics, program managers, evaluators, and auditors, this volume explores the forms and challenges of collaboration in different national contexts. Chapter 1 introduces the notion and manifestations of collaboration and discusses emerging issues. Chapter 2 examines partnerships and networks of public service delivery. Chapter 3, drawing on Dutch and British data, reveals the QUANGO as both a collaborative end and means. Chapter 4 analyzes Israel's push to enhance collaboration with voluntary organizations. Chapter 5 examines the Canadian and Danish experiences.

Chapter 6 suggests that the creation of markets to improve quality has not been totally successful at least in Nordic countries. Chapter 7 suggests that traditional service values such as trust and parliamentary accountability are challenged by the complexity of collaboration, but, using illustrations from Canada and other OECD countries, argues that results-based governance can increase trust, flexibility, and empowerment. Chapter 8 demonstrates from Dutch and Canadian experiences that auditor responses to collaborative delivery tend to overlook traditional roles as guardians of accountability on behalf of parliaments. Chapter 9 deliberates the efficacy of programs involving multiple partners. Chapter 10 discusses the lessons and challenges of evaluation and collaborative government.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765801838
Publisher:	Transaction Publishers
Publication date:	07/31/2003
Series:	Comparative Policy Evaluation
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

John Mayne is currently audit principal in the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

Frans L. Leeuw is the director of the Justice Research, Statistics and Information Center, affiliated to the Dutch Ministry of Justice and professor of law, public policy, and social science research at Maastricht University. He is one of the founders of the European Evaluation Society.

Table of Contents

1: Collaborative Government and Evaluation: The Implications of a New Policy Instrument; 2: Networks and Partnering Arrangements: New Challenges for Evaluation and Auditing; 3: Quangos, Evaluation, and Accountability in Collaborative Government; 4: The Politics of Evaluating Government Collaboration with the Third Sector; 5: Collaborating for Public Service Quality: The Implications for Evaluation; 6: Collaboration by Contract and Pooling Resources: The Implications for Evaluation; 7: Results-Based Governance: Collaborating for Outcomes; 8: Auditing and Evaluating Collaborative Government: The Role of Supreme Audit Institutions; 9: Evaluation, Accountability, and Collaboration; 10: Evaluation and Collaborative Government: Lessons and Challenges