New development: State-owned enterprises as powerhouses for innovation—the Russian case

There have been many analyses of innovation in Russia’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and most conclude that the way forward requires the SOEs to transform into innovation powerhouses. Hence, in 2011, the Russian government set up an ambitious initiative to push innovation in the largest SOEs, which will run until 2020. This initiative has now begun its second phase. Using major case studies, for example Aeroflot and Russian Railways, this article examines the impact of the initiative. Understanding the Russian experience of transforming SOEs provides important lessons for many other emerging economies.     

New development: Reviews of public sector performance—groundhog day?

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this article is to canvass, and comment on, the main features of the recently completed Review of Governance, Performance and Accountability legislation/framework at the national level of government in Australia. Most of the Report’s 52 recommendations are procedural and will only be discussed when they may be of particular relevance in a broader context. The review reported on 4 September 2018. It continues the long line of reform reports conducted over the last 30 to 40 years. However, before the review was even completed, the Australian government announced (on 4 May 2018) another wide-ranging Independent Review of the Australian Public Service (APS), with a reference group of national and international experts having ‘diverse public and private sector experience’. Some suggested that the latter review should encompass the findings and recommendations of the former and be considered together, particularly as the announced chair was also a member of the earlier two-person review team. While no one would question the need for continuous learning, the main issue is about effective implementation of agreed recommendations that would improve performance and promote greater public confidence and trust in government.     

New development: Leveraging ‘big data’ analytics in the public sector

This article examines the opportunities presented by effectively harnessing big data in the public sector context. The article is exploratory and reviews both academic- and practitioner–oriented literature related to big data developments. The findings suggest that big data will have an impact on the future role of public sector organizations in functional areas. However, the author also reveals that there are challenges to be addressed by governments in adopting big data applications. To realize the benefits of big data, policy-makers need to: invest in research; create incentives for private and public sector entities to share data; and set up programmes to develop appropriate skills.     

New development: Faith and foreign policy—a perspective from the Vatican

Religion matters in foreign policy as much as it does in domestic society and, to understand the world in which we live, we have to comprehend religion as a source of influence and motivation in people's lives. That is not always easy for foreign policy specialists and diplomats. Britain's relations with the Holy See go back to 1479 when England sent its first resident ambassador overseas. The Holy See is one of the world's most global bodies—touching directly 17.5% of the world's population through the Catholic Church. It is a unique hybrid of the global and the local, which helps to form global public opinion. Today, the UK's oldest embassy is working on a whole range of issues with the Holy See from tackling climate change, disarmament, international development, interfaith dialogue and preventing and ending conflict.     

New development: Commercialization of the English National Health Service: a necessity in times of financial austerity?

ABSTRACT

This article examines income received by National Health Service (NHS) providers from non-NHS sources. In 2015–2016, it amounted to 9.1% of their revenue. In the English NHS, there is an increasing reliance on non-NHS income to provide revenue for NHS organizations, due in part to government’s austere financial plans. This article is the first comprehensive analysis of these financial data for all English organizations. It provides new evidence in the ongoing debate about the nature and values of public service organisations and the role of commercial imperatives.     

New development: New global health care PPP developments—a critique of the success story

Health care public–private partnerships (PPPs), where clinical services as well as infrastructure are delivered by the private sector, are coming under the spotlight as governments seek to achieve value for money in health budgets. Existing examples have been widely reported as successful. However, this article urges caution as a closer look at the evidence shows that handing over control of service delivery to the private sector is difficult to monitor and evaluate, carries cost implications which remain largely unquantified and can create additional risk.     

New development: Local public audit—the changing landscape

This article considers the implications for local public audit of the abolition of the Audit Commission and its audit practice (District Audit). The audit regime of NHS foundation trusts, where the Audit Commission is not responsible for auditor appointments or their oversight, is investigated to provide insights for the future of local public audit.     

New development: Integrating risk management in management control systems—lessons for public sector managers

Exploring multiple dimensions of management control systems (MCS), this article proposes a new framework to integrate risk management with strategy, MCS and performance measurement systems (PMS). Considering the public sector as a focal point, the article points to some enterprise risk management (ERM) issues and argues that ERM-enabled MCS has potential to improve PMS and strategic decision-making, leading to a more proactive risk management framework and a culture that promotes performance driven accountability. Consequently, the article calls for further research towards solving the public sector’s risk management problems, motivating its managers to adopt best practices, and stimulating suitable policy developments.     

New development: Bullying in a reforming context—a holistic,layered model of the interpersonal interaction

Public services have been transformed, with health services, in particular, in a state of almost constant change with reforms leading to a blurring of the nature of work across sectors and a bullying rate at epidemic levels. A new holistic model of the drivers of bullying is presented. The model is a powerful tool for understanding and addressing workplace bullying.     

Has the global financial crisis produced a New World Order?

Described by Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as the worst financial crisis in global history, the economic impact of the global financial crisis would have been much worse had it not been for Asia (excluding Japan). In broad terms, the crisis has accelerated the secular emergence of Asia, whereas the US recovery is weak by historical standards and problems in Europe continue. What accounts for this two-tier pattern of world growth? Does this juxtaposition signal a permanent re-ordering of world business - in other words, a New World Order?     

New development: Wang Anshi's Wanyanshu as the origins of modern public management?

The drive for efficiencies across all areas of public spending in the UK has accelerated the need for improvements in service performance. This article considers how police performance might be improved through the adoption of a ‘Lean’ philosophy. This is seen as a potential driver for internal police improvements and is made in response to the government's call for reform and to address the challenges of a decrease in future police funding.     

New development: Where there's a will,there's a way—acting beyond cutbacks

A sustainable solution to the recent financial crisis requires a sea-change in governments' thinking, rather than just cutting expenses. Governments need to re-examine the managerial and cultural factors that lie beyond the crisis: the way budgets are prepared, the (lack of) strategic management, the limited room left for innovation, and excessive reliance on public entities for the solution of social problems.     

New development: Making partnerships work—a local politician's guide to leadership

Local strategic partnerships are non-hierarchical structures requiring facilitative leadership. The authors describe research that shows that facilitation demands acceptability, the development of a shared vision and the ability to deliver it. This implies a plethora of skills and relevant qualities, supported by favourable partners and an enabling political environment, with enough time to get it right.     

New development: Procurement and policy outcomes—a bridge too far?

This article furthers the discussion in the March 2015 (Vol. 35, No. 2) issue of Public Money &; Management on ‘Public procurement policy and practice— international lessons and debates’. In particular, it illustrates some of the major difficulties in achieving the required policy outcomes through the procurement processes. The numerous ‘failures’, particularly in the defence acquisitions area, are of ongoing concern both in terms of ‘blow-outs’ in costs and, more unfortunately, in achieving strategic defence capability and overall policy outcomes in required timeframes. Can current public sector reforms and observed better practice provide any encouragement for, discipline on, participants to achieve the required results or is it all just too difficult?     

New development: In pursuit of WGA—Research findings from the UK

In 1998, the UK Treasury and National Audit Office recommended the publication of whole of government accounts (WGA) and set out timelines for a full set of audited accounts to be made available for 2005–06. So far nothing has been published. This article considers the promises, practical pursuit and evaluation of WGA.     

New development: The future of public service regulation—the professional's perspective

Regulatory failures have shifted the debate from the burden of regulation to its effectiveness. In response, regulators will be more sceptical of self-assessments, more responsive to consumers, provide better information, investigate inputs as well as outcomes and work more collaboratively.     

New development: Time for a consequential impact tax to support the NHS?

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is facing its most serious financial crisis since its inception and positive, enduring, fundamental changes need to be made if the NHS is to survive as a financially sustainable entity. This article looks at the costs of lifestyle self-abuse behaviour (over 15% of the total NHS spending) and proposes a new tax to offset the costs of treatment and preventative education. The idea is applicable to other countries facing similar problems.     

New development: Fundraising in UK charities—stepping back from the abyss

Fundraising techniques used by charities can enhance or diminish public trust. The dangers of questionable and over-aggressive fundraising practices are very real. In particular, in the UK, the ‘Olive Cooke affair’ in 2015 triggered a highlevel examination of fairly widespread dubious practices. In this article, the reflections of a key actor on the events surrounding the affair, and subsequent fallout, are examined. It is argued that this whole saga has the potential to encourage the development of a charity sector that is more trusted by the public; a sector that has stepped back from the abyss.