Frans L. Leeuw

The Performance Paradox in the Public Sector

Administrative reform has led to a strong increase in the use of performance assessment instruments in the public sector. However, this has also led to several unintended consequences, such as the performance paradox, tunnel vision, and “analysis paralysis.” These unintended consequences can reduce the quality of the knowledge about actual levels of performance or even negatively affect performance. Examples can be found in all policy sectors. The authors argue that certain characteristics of the public sector–such as ambiguous policy objectives, discretionary authority of street–level bureaucrats, simultaneous production and consumption of services, and the disjunction of costs and revenues–increase the risk of a performance paradox, either unintentionally or deliberately. Performance assessment should therefore take the special characteristics of the public sector into account and develop systems that can handle contested and multiple performance indicators, striking a balance in the degree of “measure pressure” and minimizing dysfunctional effects.

Performance auditing, new public management and performance improvement: questions and answers

It is believed that public sector auditing leads to a more efficient and effective performance of the public sector. This assumption recently has been challenged by adherents of the new public management (NPM). Describes characteristics of NPM such as freeing up controls over and devolving greater responsibility to managers. Answers the question, why should performance auditors be interested in this phenomenon? Discusses the difficulties and challenges that performance auditors are confronted with when they want to contribute to the performance of the public sector. These refer to unintended side‐effects of auditing such as ossification but they also deal with the lack of communication between auditors and auditees. Challenges implicit feedback theory, which underlies work of auditors. Gives suggestions on how to handle some of these challenges.

On the Impact of the Dutch Educational Supervision Act Analyzing Assumptions Concerning the Inspection of Primary Education

This article uses a policy scientific approach to reconstruct assumptions underlying the Dutch Educational Supervision Act. We show an example of how to reconstruct and evaluate a program theory that is based on legislation of inspection. The assumptions explain how inspection leads to school improvement. Evaluation of these assumptions is used to predict the (in)effectiveness of this legislation. The article concludes by discussing the advantages and drawbacks of this kind of approach as a starting point for impact and effect studies. As the program theory of inspection includes elements common to other kinds of educational interventions and reforms, these elements can also be considered for other types of program theory.

Evaluating Anti-Corruption Initiatives Underlying Logic and Mid-Term Impact of a World Bank Program

This article reports on a mid-term evaluation of the impact of a recent anticorruption program developed by the Banks Economic Development Institute (EDI). Central in EDIs approach is helping to develop and/or reinvigorate a countrys National Integrity System (NIS). Integrity pillars, amongst others, are administrative reforms, watchdog agencies, Parliament, civil society, public awareness, the judiciary, the media and political will. The evaluation focuses on two African countries. It describes goals and instruments of the EDI approach, and puts these in an institutional context. The underlying ‘program logic’ is reconstructed. This reconstructed ‘logic’ is confronted with findings from a literature review, document analysis and on-site interviews in Uganda and Tanzania.This (realist evaluation) approach highlights the importance for evaluators to unravel (behavioural and social) mechanisms that underly programs. Conclusions are drawn about the program and its delivery including participants assessment of workshops and likely wider impact in the societies concerned.

Evaluation Activities in Europe: A Quick Scan of the Market in 1998

The Debates, Notes and Queries section provides an opportunity for evaluation-related issues to be debated as well as for more genera! interchange. Debates can take the form of sustained arguments by the advocates of different approaches or of briefer thoughts or notes. Contributors may also wish to comment and raise questions about material that has previously appeared in the journal or simply use the section to draw readers attention to relevant issues, ongoing research, evaluation activities and other events.

The effects of microcredit on women's control over household spending in developing countries : a systematic review and meta-analysis

The main objective of this campbell systematic review was to provide a systematic review of the evidence on the effects of microcredit on womens control over household spending in developing countries. More specifically, we aimed to answer two related research questions: 1) what does the impact evaluative evidence say about the causal relationship between microcredit and specific dimensions of womens empowerment (womens control over household spending); and 2) what are the mechanisms which mediate this relationship. We prioritise depth of analysis over breadth, thus the scope of this review is narrower than previous systematic reviews on microfinance (stewart et al., 2010; duvendack et al. 2011; stewart et al., 2012). We focused on specific aspects of womens empowerment which allowed us to combine statistical meta-analysis and realist (context-mechanism-outcome) synthesis. From the different searches we identified an initial number of 310 papers that were selected for full text examination. Eventually, 29 papers were retained for further analysis, corresponding to 25 unique studies. In line with three recent other reviews on microfinance (stewart et al., 2010; duvendack et al., 2011; stewart et al. 2012) we found that the microcredit evidence base is extensive, yet most studies are weak methodologically. From those studies deemed comparable and of minimum acceptable quality, we concluded that overall there is no evidence for an effect of microcredit on womens control over household spending.

Accumulation of advantage and disadvantage in research groups

This articles presents a test of the accumulation of advantage (AOA) hypothesis applied to differences in duration of research groups. Data are presented on the collaboration within groups both before and after the implementation of a policy measure. An extensive discussion of the findings is given as well as an elaboration of the AOA hypothesis.

Networks and Evaluating Public-sector Reforms:

Concentrating on ways of describing and measuring organizational networks as a form of social capital, and how it is affected by changes in public-sector procedures, this article advocates a particular approach to the evaluation of public-sector reforms. The authors report on an empirical investigation conducted in the Netherlands, in which they monitored relationships between social capital and government reforms and used network methodology. Social networks—the social capital of the organization— greatly contribute to the productivity of individual employees as well as organizations. It is argued that well-intentioned reorganizations or reforms may well turn formerly existing social capital into sour capital, and lead to a consequent deterioration in efficiency, effectiveness and customer satisfaction.

Sociology in the Netherlands

LA. estime que la sociologie aux Pays-Bas est tres tournee vers les recherches de niveau international. Il souligne le fait que le nombre des publications en langues etrangeres et notamment en anglais redigees par des universitaires hollandais na cesse de croitre entre 1979 et 1990. Il affirme que les sociologues jouent un role social et politique important dans ce pays ou lon compte le plus grand nombre de sociologues par rapport au nombre dhabitants. Il examine letat de la profession aux Pays-Bas depuis 1980, son importance en dehors du cadre universitaire ainsi que les cadres de recherche et les theories qui interviennent dans son developpement actuel

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