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The role of the ‘centre’ in public service reform

Author

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  • MacCarthaigh Muiris

    (School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, Queen’s University Belfast, NorthernIreland)

Abstract

Amongst his many interests in public administration, the practical and challenging task of implementing and evaluating public service reform has been a consistent feature of the oeuvre of research over Richard Boyle’s career (cf. Boyle, 2004, 2016; Boyle & Joyce, 1988; Boyle & Lemaire, 1999; Boyle & MacCarthaigh, 2011). In this article, the focus is on the role played by the ‘centre’ in public service reform both conceptually and in practice. The article first considers what is meant by the centre in Irish political– administrative life, before reflecting on how we might understand different forms of public sector reform governance and then applying them to the Irish case. The centre-led reforms that occurred between the 1960s up to the late 2000s are reviewed, before more recent efforts from 2011 up to the present are presented. A final section summarises the contribution.

Suggested Citation

  • MacCarthaigh Muiris, 2020. "The role of the ‘centre’ in public service reform," Administration, Sciendo, vol. 68(4), pages 27-40, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:admini:v:68:y:2020:i:4:p:27-40:n:4
    DOI: 10.2478/admin-2020-0022
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Niamh Hardiman, 2006. "Politics and Social Partnership - Flexible Network Governance," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 37(3), pages 343-374.
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