Arthur Ringeling

Results-based agreements for the police in the Netherlands

– The purpose of this article is to present the findings of research into the impact of a new performance system for the police in The Netherlands., – For this research, the international literature about the effects and side effects of performance steering in the public sector was scanned and more than 150 local stakeholders in five Dutch police regions were interviewed in semi‐open interviews, using a checklist. The study analyzed the specific impact of the results‐based agreements in various branches., – On the whole, the police do not get isolated as a consequence of the results‐based agreements and they do not disassociate themselves from the societal networks they participated in before. The authors offer several explanations why many of the expected negative effects have not occurred., – Valuable in this article is the focus on the situational context and the implementation context for an adequate assessment of the significance of performance‐based steering of the police in practice. It gives an update of the Dutch state of affairs and recommends another starting point for police performance measurement in the near future.

Mayors in Seven European Countries: Part I. Selection Procedures and Statutory Position

Abstract Western European countries differ according to the ways in which they organise local government, not least in the manner in which mayors are selected and in the mayors’ statutory positions and responsibilities. The question is to what extent is mayoral performance affected by selection procedures and the statutory position of the mayoral office? In two exploratory articles, the results of a number of comparative empirical studies will be presented. In this first part the focus will be on the theoretical and methodological framework of the study, and on the variations in selection procedures and statutory positions. In the second part (to be published in the next issue of this journal) we will relate these findings to evidence on mayoral performance.

Mayors in seven European countries, Part II : Performance and analysis

Abstract Western European countries differ according to the ways in which they organise the selection and the statutory positions of mayors, as was described in Part I of this study. The question to be answered now is: ‘To what extent is mayoral performance affected by selection procedures and the statutory position of the mayoral office?’. It will become clear that there are huge differences in mayoral performance. Several factors influencing that performance will be identified. The most important conclusion is that mayoral selection procedures and statutory positions do affect mayoral performance, although not as much as expected. Other factors are at stake.

An Education Strategy for Practitioners in Public Administration Master’s Programs

Abstract Master’s programs in Public Administration (MPA) may contribute to a better platform for exchange between the academy and the field of practice. But how should such programs be designed and run to meet the ambition of bringing together study and work experience? This contribution analyzes that question and develops an educational philosophy of de-linking and re-linking. It reports on the educational practice of the MPA program for practitioners at Erasmus University Rotterdam, which is based on this analysis and philosophy. The thesis of the paper is that programs like this one need a specific pedagogical approach. An outline of such an approach is presented.

The Dynamics of Democratic Learning

In the first chapter, we observed that the reforms in European local democracies are remarkable for their similarities, despite significant differences in historic development, structure and cultural in European countries. This isomorphism is illustrated in several recent studies, both in country-by-country comparative studies (among others Loughlin (ed.) 1999; Caulfield and Larsen (eds.) 2002; Denters and Rose (eds.) 2005) and in thematic ones (Back, Heinelt and Magnier (eds.) 2006; Berg and Rao (eds.) 2005); Back, Gjelstrup, Helgesen, Johansson and Klausen (eds.) 2005).

How public is public administration? A constitutional approach of publicness:

Both in Public Administration and in practice, there is a loss of the concept of public. A view became dominant in which markets were superior to governments and public to private. Not only did the esteem of the public sphere diminish, but also its significance in our reasoning and teaching. It became less clear what the public sphere stood for. In this contribution, renewed attention for the concept and for related concepts like public interest and public values is asked for. Attention for these concepts should stimulate the reflection of our students on the relevance of the publicness of public administration, the relevance of the public sphere, the discussions about these subjects and of the study they follow. We should do so because this theme is crucial for our discipline and what it can deliver in education.

What We Seem to Forget in Modern Public Administration

Modern Public Administration seems to have lost insights that are crucial for the discipline. This is a result of the dominance of the Anglo-Saxon, or perhaps more accurately American, model of Public Administration, with its emphasis on management and economics. The attention given to law and politics has correspondingly diminished. These phenomena are now typically considered as factors external to the subject matter. No longer is the democratic Rechtsstaat considered as a crucial object of study for current Public Administration research or for the way the field developed. Public Administration has become a technical discipline, all but abstaining from values other than those of effectiveness and efficiency that now govern public affairs.

Some Reflections on the Development of Education for Public Administration in Europe

The chapter presents an overview about the evolution of the teaching dimension in the academic debate within the EGPA community. Major topics of EGPA’s permanent study group on “PA and teaching” over the last decade are displayed. From a more general perspective, the authors discuss the various types and target groups of academic programs in Public Administration and their change over time. They also shed some light on the change of contents and pedagogical approaches in the last decades. Furthermore, different patterns and degrees of institutionalization of Public Administration as academic discipline across Europe are illustrated. In a short resume the authors reflect about future educational developments in our field and about the role of EGPA.

Reflections on the Distinctiveness of Public Administration as a Discipline

Abstract Th e paper discusses some issues which are relevant for the further development of Public Administration as an academic discipline. Firstly, there is reason to be skeptical about universal features of this discipline, as there is much variety in the practice of Public Administration around the world. Secondly, the orientation of Public Administration towards public values is emphasized. Th irdly, the relevance of the concept of a democratic Rechtsstaat as a starting point for the design of Public Administration content must be stressed. And finally, the paper discusses institutional issues, e.g. the question if education of future civil servants should take place at government-controlled schools or within universities.

The Effectiveness of Instruments for Environmental Policies in the Industry: Regulating Packaging Waste

The EU plays a role of growing significance in the environmental policy making processes of its member states. Since 1973 the EU has had its own environmental policy and by now EU environmental regulation includes more than 200 pieces of legislation. In many member states the amount of environmental community law outweighs that of purely domestic origin (cf., Majone 1996). The Environmental Action Programs set out the broad outlines of EU environmental policy. As the environmental problems increased in range and complexity, the scope of the Action Programs broadened over the years. The fifth and most recent Action Program was adopted in 1992 and focuses on sustainable development. In order to successfully apply this concept of sustainable development it is important to pay attention to the precise means by which the environmental policy is implemented in the member states. As a supranational organization the EU has the ability to adopt legislation that binds its members. When the policy takes the form of a directive, member states are required to translate it into their own national policy. In case of a regulation, which is directly applicable, it might be necessary to take complementary measures to enable the proper functioning of the regulation. In other words, the directive or regulation needs to be embedded in the national policy of the field in question to make it an integrated part. Therefore, EU decisions have a direct influence on the member states, which in return encourages involvement in the development of those policies.