Improving Government Performance An Owner's Manual

by DiIulio, John J.; Garvey, Gerald; Kettl, Donald F.

• ISBN13: 9780815718550
• ISBN10: 0815718551
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1993-07-01
• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Summary

This book provides practical and timely guidance to those trying to improve government performance and offers specific proposals to address change and reform in government over the long-term.

Author Biography

John J. DiIulio, Jr., is professor of politics and public affairs at Princeton University and nonresident senior fellow at Brookings Gerald Garvey is professor of politics at Princeton Donald F. Kettl is professor of political science and public affairs at the University of Wisconsin. Madison

Table of Contents

Introduction: Two Metaphors of Reform--Invention and Evolution	p. 1
Thinking beyond the Rhetoric of Reform	p. 4
The National Performance Review	p. 5
An Incremental, Evolutionary, Experimental Process	p. 6
Some Lessons--and Some Temptations	p. 7
The Evolution of the Federal Bureaucracy	p. 13
A Pattern of Agency-by-Agency Growth	p. 13
Functional Specialization and Boundary Problems	p. 15
The Contemporary Critique of Bureaucracy	p. 18
The Risks of Bureaucratic Discretion	p. 19
Controlling Discretion through Executive and Legislative Means	p. 20
Controlling Discretion through Internal Procedures	p. 24
Worker Quality and Motivation	p. 28
Three Special Concerns	p. 29
The Federal Government's Responsibilities	p. 31
Dividing the Job	p. 32
Reforming the Federal Procurement System	p. 33
Remaking the General Services Administration	p. 37
Revitalizing Federalism	p. 39
Rebuilding Government Capacity	p. 41
Smarter, Not Bigger, Government	p. 42
Strengthening Financial Management	p. 43
Upgrading Technology	p. 44
Performance Budgeting	p. 46
Serving Customers and Total Quality Management	p. 48
Streamlining the Bureaucracy	p. 55
Improving Middle Management	p. 55
Reducing the Number of Midlevel Political Appointees	p. 57
Consolidating Anachronistic Field Systems	p. 58
Reinstating the President's Reorganization Authority	p. 59
Coping at the Boundaries	p. 59
The Most Important Boundary of All	p. 62
Deregulating the Civil Service	p. 64
Modernizing the Service in an Era of Proxy Government	p. 66
Attracting and Keeping the Best	p. 68
Remaking the Office of Personnel Management	p. 69
Cultivating a Culture of Performance	p. 73
Culture and Institutional Leadership	p. 73
Risk Taking within the Federal Service	p. 76
Rebuilding Public Trust and Confidence	p. 77
Conclusion: Two Deficit Problems--Budget and Performance	p. 79
Notes	p. 83
Index	p. 86
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.