Public Value Governance: Moving Beyond Traditional Public Administration and the New Public Management

TLDR

A new public administration movement seeks to transcend traditional public administration and New Public Management by addressing the challenges of a networked, multisector world and emphasizing democratic values beyond efficiency and effectiveness. The article aims to highlight value‑related issues in this new approach and outline a research and action agenda to realize its promise. The authors present an agenda for research and action to guide the implementation of the new public administration paradigm.

Abstract

A new public administration movement is emerging to move beyond traditional public administration and New Public Management. The new movement is a response to the challenges of a networked, multisector, no‐one‐wholly‐in‐charge world and to the shortcomings of previous public administration approaches. In the new approach, values beyond efficiency and effectiveness—and especially democratic values—are prominent. Government has a special role to play as a guarantor of public values, but citizens as well as businesses and nonprofit organizations are also important as active public problem solvers. The article highlights value‐related issues in the new approach and presents an agenda for research and action to be pursued if the new approach is to fulfill its promise .