Understanding Public Services: A Contemporary Introduction

Front Cover
Understabding Public Services: A Contemporary Introduction
Copyright information
Dedication
Table of contents
List of figures, tables and boxes
Notes on contributors
Introduction: Defining and understanding public services
	Defining public services
		Public service functions
		Public service functions and the policy process
	Public services and social policy
	Overview of book
	Language use
	Pedagogical features
	References
PART I Public services and the welfare state
	1 Public services and public policies
		Introduction
		The policy process
			Actors and ideas
			Conflicting goals and wicked issues
		Public services and public policies
			Public services and the implementation of public policies
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
	2 Mixed economy
		Introduction
		Emergency public services and mixed provision
		Mixed provision of welfare services
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
	3 Public services and the law
		Introduction
		Supranational institutions and the law
			The UN
			World Trade Organization
			International Criminal Court
			European Union
		National law: the UK context
		Regional and local law
			Devolution and UK regional law
			Local law
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
PART II The internal dynamics of public services
	4 Organisations and institutions
		Introduction
		External dynamics driving organisational change
			Political influences
			Economic influences
			Social influences
		Managing internal dynamics of organisational change
			Techniques to manage change
			Barriers to change
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
	5 Strategy and strategic management
		Introduction
		Strategic management: context, content and process
			Strategic context
			Strategy content and strategic choices
			Strategy processes: formulation and implementation
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
	6 Leadership and management
		Introduction
		Understanding leadership
			Leadership theory
		Understanding management
			Classic theories about management
			Modern management
		Bringing management and leadership together
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
PART III Achieving social and environmental impact
	7 Public services and the challenge of sustainability
		Introduction
		Sustainability: a multidimensional concept
			Sustainability challenges: from the tragedy of the commons to conflicts and trade-offs
		Sustainability in practice: a focus on public purchasing
			Sustainable public procurement
			Sustainable public purchasing between cost considerations and social impact
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
	8 Public services and equality
		Introduction
		Considering equality
			Equality for whom?
		Equality and public services
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
	9 Public services and the environmental crisis
		Introduction
		The environmental crisis
			The environmental crisis and inequality
		Public services and the environmental crisis: between adaptation and mitigation
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
	10 Adapting organisations: public services, climate change and the energy transition
		Introduction
		Setting the policy context for public service actors in the climate change era
			Climate change as a challenge
			Non-energy transition compatible strategies are no longer an option
			Public services’ importance as actors for the mitigation of climate change
		Public services as actors in the energy transition
		Trends and developments
		Summary
		Key points
		Questions
		Further reading
		References
	Conclusion: Current developments and the future of public services
		Recent, current and future challenges and changes
			Changing balance of power among different political levels
			Changes in public service management in response to political change
			Technological change: challenges and opportunities
		Considering solutions
		The future of public services and the 21st-century civil servant
		References
Index