For the People: Can We Fix Public Service?

Description

In the 21st century the stakes are high for public service. In the United States and elsewhere security concerns - after years of quiescence - are surging to the foreground. New or neglected economic and social problems demand fresh thinking and deft action. Technology-driven improvements in the business sector raise citizens' expectations for government performance. Yet government's capacity to deliver falls far short of the challenges facing public service. Young stars increasingly shun government careers, not just in the United States but even in nations with deep traditions of elite public service. Organizations at every level of government have trouble attracting and retaining top talent. Personnel reforms often stall, or fall far short of expectations. Here, a team of Harvard scholars examine what's broken in public service and the prospects for fixing it. The book's three sections probe the defects of the public-service status quo, craft criteria that define success in reshaping public service,and assess specific prescriptions for reform. Chapter topics include the evolving definition of public leadership, the misunderstood facts of comparative pay in business and government, the special public-service challenges of developing countries, the prevalence of "in-and-outers" in top federal posts, and the history (and possible futures) of education for public service, and "moral competence" as a key component of the public servant's skill set. An overview by the editors ventures the cautious conclusion that we are witnessing no the end of public service, but its "evolution".