Isomorphism Without Legitimacy? The Case of the Business Excellence Model in Local Government

The White Paper 'Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People' suggested the Business Excellence Model as a way for local authorities to demonstrate Best Value in service delivery. The author uses the concept of isomorphism, developed within institutional theory, to explain the progress of the Model in local government. She draws out some important lessons: first, central government needs to be beware of its ability to create coercive isomorphic forces, which can lead to unintended consequences. Second, local authorities should embark on new initiatives only if they are convinced of a practical benefit to the organization. Alternatively, where conferment of legitimacy is the desired result, they should wait until the bandwagon is well and truly rolling towards a named destination before they join it.     

Delivering Public Services Under the New Public Management: The Case of Public Housing

One of the biggest changes in public sector housing practice in recent years has been the introduction of New Public Management techniques. Housing associations, promoted by successive governments to supplement local authority provision of social housing, have readily taken on the new management agendas of performance indicators and business disciplines in service delivery. The author identifies a conflict between the social purposes of public funding for housing and the business practices of housing associations. The limited accountability of housing associations allows for practices that lead to social exclusion. For local authorities, a parallel conflict arises because of government emphasis on 'what works' in public housing management, rather than on 'what matters'.     

LOCAL AUTHORITY E-GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS IN ENGLAND: A CASE STUDY

This paper uses a case study of an e-government partnership of ten local authorities to consider how governance structures, financial arrangements and performance management systems may promote or inhibit successful collaborative working. The case is considered within the contexts of continuing new public management reforms including the balance between formal performance measurement indicators imposed by higher authorities and the scope for dialogue in the development of performance management systems. The case supports a view that collaborative working can benefit from a governance structure supporting a consistency of objectives of the partners operating within similar political and regulatory environments. Externally imposed performance indicators are significant to the partner authorities but their influence does not exclude the possibility of more dialogue-driven performance management systems being developed within the partnership. Sustainability of the partnership is never assured and tensions develop as a result of developing priorities of individual authorities, the possibility of local government reorganisation and changing national policy initiatives.     

中部地区地方政府支农实证分析

本文从中部地区基层地方政府财政收入来源、财政支出结构、财政支出影响因素角度,分析了当前中部地区财政支持新农村建设的问题。结果表明,中部地区基层政府财政收入较多的依赖中央政府的转移支付,其支出受制度安排影响,缺乏财政决策权;财政支出类别繁多,资金利用效率不高;基层政府教育负担过重;回归分析表明,增加基层政府本级财政收入,能显著增加基层财政的农业投入和教育投入。本文提出,合理界定各级政府的事权,合理划分税权,加强基层财政资金的监督和管理,将有助于中部地区地方政府充分发挥在新农村建设中的重要作用。     

ASSESSING COMPETITION AMONG LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN ENGLAND AND WALES

The government has directed a series of initiatives at local authorities in England and Wales with a view to reducing the volume of current expenditure. In particular, in 1981 the government recommended that local authorities in England and Wales should publish various indicators of activity in their annual reports. The objective was to stimulate competition between authorities, and thereby both influence their spending plans and improve efficiency. This paper examines the trends in the published data over a five-year period to determine whether there has been any detectable increase in competition in local authorities. The results are negative.     

GOVERNMENT POLICY AND THE CHANGING MARKET IN RESIDENTIAL CARE FOR THE ELDERLY: A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR

The market in residential care for the elderly is in a state of flux. Key factors are the increasing proportion of elderly (particularly the 85+ age group) and central governments new community care agenda. The mixed economy of public, private and voluntary residential provision will continue but community care policy changes will entail (a) the new role of case managers in the local authorities and (b) an anticipation that the private sector will play a more significant role than hitherto not only in meeting the demand for residential care but also in leading the way by diversifying into new types of care provision. These issues are addressed by (1) examining and commenting on government policy towards the care of the elderly and (2) examining, in detail, the profitability and financial viability of a random sample of private residential homes for the elderly. This financial analysis suggests that, at present, the ability of the private sector to innovate and expand into new forms of service provision is constrained by the number of homes which operate at the margins of viability. The implications of this are that (a) government policy may be founded on an optimistic view of the ability of private sector provision to respond as expected to the new community care agenda and (b) case managers in local authorities may have to exercise considerable financial expertise in identifying financial vulnerability, as well as social work skills, in the deployment of available funds for residential care for the elderly.     

Social justice in a cold climate: Could social accounting make a difference?

Building on the argument that justice should be the transcendent principle in accounting, we argue that social accounting invokes notions of community, shared social values, and fairness in the distribution of social resources. These ideas are elaborated in relation to local government, which provides a window on how communities make decisions about distributing their social resources and the accounting processes which guide these decisions. Fieldwork in two large but contrasting English local authorities suggests that the potential of social accounting is not reflected in the predominant accounting systems in local government organisations, but in more subtle and successful forms of ‘enacted social accounting’. Its utility relates to the achievement of short-term social goals where social injustices persist and accountants, managers and politicians seek to accommodate financial pressures to protect the most vulnerable members of the community. We identify local government accountants as morally responsible for the further development of social accounting which envisions a future for local government, and establishes links between social justice, environmentalism and localism.     

农村社会保障及政府承担力的一个基本判断

从国家财政、地方财政以及区域财政不平衡角度,对未来社会保障财政负担率进行预测,研究结果表明,随着经济逐年增长和财政收入的增加,建立农村社会保障制度,不仅有广泛的经济基础,而且还有政府财力的保障。     

The Distribution of Public Expenditure across the UK Regions

The distribution of UK revenue to the regional and territorial governments, administrations and authorities that spend the money is based on a hotchpotch of badly designed formulae. This is widely recognised. The Barnett formula, which allocates money to the devolved territories, has been attacked from all sides, its consequences described as ‘terribly unfair’ by its progenitor, Lord Barnett. The mechanism by which resources are distributed to local authorities within the English regions has been abandoned by the government, although its replacement has not yet been determined. This paper argues that a common basis for government spending across the regions and territories of the UK will be more equitable and efficient, and may even depoliticise the financial framework of the UK.     

社会保障城乡统筹发展、地方政策革新与农民社会公民权演进——以基本养老保险制度变迁为例

中国自2002年以来推行了一系列旨在统筹城乡发展的社会保障制度革新。本文以地方基本养老保险制度变迁为例,探讨这些制度革新如何影响农民社会公民权的发展以及中央和地方在此过程中的不同角色。研究发现,农村居民的社会权利发展基于其不同的身份(职业)类型和所处地区而呈现时序、内容上的明显差别。近年来,地方政府受本地利益驱动积极打破社会保障供给的身份、职业区隔,但这些政策革新主要惠及本地农村居民。由于地方政府倾向于将权利和资源的分配限定在本辖区内,外地农村居民的社会权利受到限制,农民享受的权益存在地区间不公平。中央政府在弱化社会保障的地域边界上发挥了一定的作用,但仍需强化财政责任和统筹协调职能,促进在全国范围内形成更包容、公平的社会保障体系。     

Intervention or Persuasion? Strategies for Turnaround of Poorly-Performing Councils

This article provides early results from a long-term evaluation of the turnaround strategies by poorly-performing local authorities in England. The history and theory behind central government interventions into local government is reviewed, focusing on the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). The journeys taken by 10 local authorities, after being labelled as 'poor' or 'weak', are described and these responses are located within the literature on theories of turnaround and public sector service improvement. The authors conclude by setting out a research agenda for the future.     

Transforming Local Government: Innovation and Modernization

This article is based on research investigating why local authorities innovate and what happens when they do. The authors show how local authorities have responded to the current normative climate for innovation, and explore the interaction between central policy and local action. The article demonstrates the importance of the policy climate set by central government in fostering—or constraining—innovation at a local level.     

The Use of Budget Reforms to Modernize Governance in German Local Government

This article provides early results from a long-term evaluation of the turnaround strategies by poorly-performing local authorities in England. The history and theory behind central government interventions into local government is reviewed, focusing on the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA). The journeys taken by 10 local authorities, after being labelled as ‘poor’ or ‘weak’, are described and these responses are located within the literature on theories of turnaround and public sector service improvement. The authors conclude by setting out a research agenda for the future.     

Public Participation and Citizen-Centred Local Government: Lessons from the Best Value and Better Government for Older People Pilot Programmes

This article examines the contribution that public participation can make to the development of 'citizen-centred government'. It draws upon the evidence of two major initiatives established by central and local government to develop and test out new approaches to service delivery (the Best Value and the Better Government for Older People pilot programmes). Evaluation of these two sets of pilots suggests that the notion of 'citizen-centred government' and the forms of participation that are required to achieve it are liable to a range of different interpretations. In particular there is an important distinction between approaches which seek to promote community planning and user-focused services, and those that envisage a much more active role for local people in designing and delivering local services.     

边缘地区主导产业理论研究述评

边缘地区主导产业研究依托于区域主导产业研究,目前重点集中在三个方面：一是区域主导产业选择影响因素;二是主导产业选择基准;三是主导产业形成的制度环境、文化环境和培育途径方面。缺乏深入研究的是：对边缘地区的产业链问题未给予充分关注,对微观层面企业组织对边缘地区主导产业的形成以及作用机制未深入研究。在理论实践上,边缘地区主导产业政策在制定时往往忽视划分中央与地方政府财权与事权,导致产业政策制定缺乏灵活性、时效性、契合性。这些将会是下一步边缘地区主导产业研究的主要方向。     

地方政府债务违约的博弈理论分析

伴随着财政分权,世界范围内,地方公共债务的日渐膨胀以及拖欠或违约已不是个别现象, 情况严重的甚至引发了一国宏观经济的不稳定。但是,要全面考察地方政府债务违约和中央政府救助动机绝非易事。本文试图梳理解释地方政府债务违约的博弈理论,分析地方债务违约博弈中,双方的动机,以探索控制地方政府债务违约的制度、经济、政治等方面的基本因素。     

The UK Landfill Tax: Financial Implications for Local Authorities

Local authorities in the UK are responsible for waste management. Since the introduction of the landfill tax in 1996, the costs of disposing of municipal solid waste in landfill has increased markedly. The money collected is being paid to central government, through Customs and Excise. Some remission of landfill tax money can be claimed by commercial organizations to develop sustainable waste management, but local authorities, which also have an important role in this, cannot do so. The authors explain why the hypothecation of landfill tax revenue would be helpful and why local authorities need additional funds to develop sustainable waste management projects.     

How to arrest the decline of local government

In political terms, the case for abolishing rates and substituting a local income tax has frequently been made, notably by the Layfield Committee of Inquiry into Local Government Finance: political independence of local government can only come through financial independence from central government grant. The financial case, which has so far tended to go by default, is based on the premise that local spending decisions can only be made responsibly if the cost of these decisions is felt on the authorities’ own tax base. With the existing level of government support, that is impossible ‐ at least with a Government which appears reluctant to follow through the logic of its new block grant and make rates take the strain of extra spending. Historically, local government has lost its powers in direct proportion to the decline in its tax base. Only local income tax will allow expansion of local responsibility in the longer term, and provide the basis for proper financial accountability. That should appeal to a Government which has often professed its support for such an expansion, and yet is also concerned with making sure that taxing and spending decisions are taken together.     

Japan’s New Special Zones for Regulatory Reform

Japan’s Special Zones for regulatory reform were established in 2003 as an endeavor to enhance nationwide regulatory reforms based on local government initiatives. These Special Zones are not like the free trade zones inviting foreign capital that have been taken on as national projects in Ireland or China. In fact, this scheme acts to stimulate regulatory competition between municipalities to attract new business activities by both foreign and domestic firms in the local areas. This approach is a significant step towards mobilizing local government initiatives under a highly centralized administrative system in Japan, and marks a shift toward a more market-based economy.JEL Code: H77, K20     

Toward a 21st Century Social Contract

This article makes the case for a new contract between business and government that will help us address the critical challenge of our time: the globalization of commerce, and its disruptive effects on labor, local communities, and the environment. The authors begin by showing how globalization has created a new playing field for government and business in which our current governance models and a social contract that proved remarkably effective during the 20th century can no longer ensure economic stability and social progress. While the private sector has for the most part demonstrated its ability to adapt and flourish in a global economy, governments have struggled, thanks in large part to complex decision‐making processes and centralized bureaucracies that were created in response to 20th‐century realities. The result has been ever more indebted nations and governments that have been unable to maintain the core foundation and social investments on which their economic competitiveness and the social well‐being of their citizens depend. Our challenge now is to create a new social contract between business and government that is equal to the challenges of a global economy. The authors identify a number of key issues that must be addressed in creating this new framework, and explore recent and emerging business leadership initiatives that are working to address them. These range from initiatives that encourage greater self‐regulation by business of its impact on society and the environment to those that explore ways for the private sector to help governments deliver services more cost effectively. As part of the fallout from the recent financial crisis, business, broadly speaking, no longer enjoys the level of public trust it once did, which has added significantly to the challenges it now faces in taking on greater social responsibility. To direct its considerable resources to the greater public good while continuing to produce a competitive return to shareholders will require a degree of innovation and leadership that many companies will find difficult. But without this increased participation of business and its leaders, it is hard to see how we will prosper in the increasingly uncertain future we now face.