Christophe Favoreu

Strategic management in the public sector: a rational, political or collaborative approach?

Although experimented within public organisations for over 30 years, strategic planning and management still raise a number of questions and doubts as to their ability to improve public performance. The purpose of this article is to look into the strategy formulation processes in the public sector and the type of strategic approach that best matches the characteristics of this sector. It sets out to do so by first drawing up a theoretical analysis grid, based on the three main approaches to strategy in the public sector. This is followed by an exploratory case study that brings to light a complex strategic process that combines and alternates rational, collaborative and political decision-making logics, and a planned and incremental development. Points for practitioners This research highlights the need to combine different logics and approaches in the strategic control of public organisations: a rational logic, a political logic and a collaborative logic. It underlines, in particular, the importance for public managers to build skills in the development and management of inter-organisational networks and interpersonal relationships. The ability to create interactions between a variety of stakeholders, both internal and external, to mobilise and channel collective intelligence towards the definition and implementation of public projects and policies is a key component of the strategic management of public organisations.

Performance management in the local public sector in France: an administrative rather than a political model

The purpose of this research is to analyse and characterize the practices of French local authorities in the field of performance management. It sets out to do so, as a first step, by putting forward a theoretical analytical framework of the different models of local performance management. It then goes on to draw on this framework and test it empirically in order to understand the nature of the French model of local performance management. The results of our research demonstrate the existence of a French, ‘performance administration’ type model evident in the trends common to French local authorities with regard to the instrumental and methodological content and the methods of steering public performance. Points for practitioners The managerial and practical contributions of this research on local performance initiatives are twofold. First of all, it will provide an analytical and evaluative framework for this type of initiative, not only structured around planning, accountability and evaluation tools but also around steering methods. Second, this study makes it possible to take stock of and characterize French practices in the field and their limitations compared to more mature international practices. Thus, a local authority adopting this path can therefore draw on this study to determine the scope and structure of the tools to be rolled out, depending on their purpose, be it administrative and/or political.