Backstage in a Bureaucracy

by Chandler, Susan M.; Pratt, Richard C.

• ISBN13: 9780824835019
• ISBN10: 0824835018
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-02-28
• Publisher: Univ of Hawaii Pr

Summary

Backstage in a Bureaucracy provides a first-hand day-to-day look at running a large bureaucracy. Susan Chandler candidly shares her experiences while serving as director of the Hawai'i State Department of Human Services for eight years, while Dick Pratt, a public administration professor and advisor to numerous public and private organizations here and abroad, offers his thoughts on what these experiences tell us about the inner workings of government agencies. Their stories-some sad, some funny, but all educational-reveal the challenges and rewards of public service. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Susan M. Chandler is director of the Social Sciences Public Policy Center and professor of public administration at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. Dick Pratt is professor and director of the Public Administration Program at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
List of Abbreviations	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
What Kind of Person Should Be in These Jobs?	p. 9
Organizational Setting	p. 11
In the Beginning	p. 13
Getting to Know the Agency and Its Culture; or, Can Anyone Tell Me What's Going On?	p. 25
If Only the Boss Really Had Power; or, It's Not So Lonely at the Top	p. 35
Finding the Right Help; or, With a Little Help from My Friends	p. 37
Speaking in Different Tongues; or, When Cultures Meet	p. 42
The DHS Storybook; or, Hunting and Gathering	p. 48
Meeting the Legislature; or, Honoring the Honorables	p. 52
Community Advocates; or, It Is So Much Easier to Advocate Than Administrate	p. 62
The Governor; or, the Guy Who Holds the Purse Strings	p. 66
The Cabinet; or, When Collaboration Seems Like…Getting Clobbered	p. 70
The Auditor; or, Uh-oh, Here She Comes Again!	p. 78
The Press; or, The Unkindest Cut of All	p. 81
The Federal Presence; or, Will This Be Good for Us?	p. 84
Innovation and Change: Can Anyone Do This?	p. 87
Procuring Services; or, Hey, Didn't We Contract That Out?	p. 97
Lessons Learned	p. 105
Final Thoughts	p. 111
References	p. 119
Index	p. 121
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