Governance Arrangements and Public Service Performance: Reviewing and Reformulating the Research Agenda

Changing the nature of governance arrangements comprises one element in the public service reform programme. New governance forms include arm’s-length agencies, multi-organisational partnerships, hybrids and company structures. In theory, changed governance arrangements offer benefits in terms of public service performance. Public service performance is typically defined in terms of organisational outputs and outcomes. However alongside this needs to be considered democratic performance, the relationship between the entity and the polity. Several detailed studies of the impact of governance change on public service performance are reviewed. These offer some empirical data against which to assess theory....