Conceptual structure of new public management: design methodology of new public management and system maintenance

: Social systems analysis consists of how to deal with the objectives such as phenomena, persons under certain social circumstances and how to utilize resources to achieve the target of the social systems. Social systems function properly as far as the relations among social circumstances, objectives, resources, and targets are appropriate. But it also has to be realized that these appropriate relations may not be able to be maintained unless the continuous maintenance and organizational and personnel management and clear management policy are performed under the change of factors related to social systems. It is not just enough that we have appropriate social systems. Social systems consist of processes and rules to deal with mutual relations among factors. They also consist of systems of processes and rules to determine the social systems. Thus systems to determine appropriate systems also have to function properly and they have to be confirmed. For the social systems analysis, we have to study on durability of the social systems, and evaluate the mechanism of the social systems from the social science point of view as well as engineering science point of view though New Public Management procedure associated with Logic Model. 1. Background of New Public Management In general Management of social capital has to be discussed as a system of New Public Management (NPM), since public service for citizens are mainly provided by social capital of software and hardware which is also the major investment of the government. Appropriate management of social capital has to be derived from the investigation on NPM and social capital which is related with investment and operation. It is difficult to identify one definition of NPM since researchers and critics have their own definitions. Some definitions have a specific and systematic concept such as an actual process, decision making and evaluation standard for public management target. On the other hand, at Japan and at many other countries definition of NPM varies very much, although necessary functions of NPM can be defined as follows. 1) Enable efficient public management and investment 2) Enable selection of optimal countermeasures for public target 3) Fulfill accountability and process transparency In order to provide a new concept of NPM for social capital, it is necessary to summarize and evaluate methodology or process of existing what is called “NPM” systems. Public management can be divided to investment/planning work and routine public service work as well as investment planning and public administration. Planning procedures for investment are to make an appropriate investment plan, to execute a plan, and to improve a plan which themselves are the procedure of the NPM. On the other hand, appropriate public service works are output of the improvement procedure of NPM systems as well as that of investment plan. The traditional management improvement cycle of the private firms which is well known as “Plan Do Check Action” cycle is what deployed at public management for the same improvement purpose. Either for investment plan or for public service works fundamental procedure and activities are the same as shown below. Social capital or infrastructures from hardware to software are to be planned, to be constructed, and to be operated, to be maintained in a single management system in order to provide public services to citizens for a long term efficiently and steadily. As a result of NPM system, investment plan has to assure future service level and efficient maintenance, and maintenance system has to assure optimized function to maintain service level efficiently. Asset Management System for Social Capital or infrastructures is an actual example of the output of NPM system procedure for efficient management system. 2. New Public Management and Logic Model In order to construct NPM system for strategic target, theoretical relationship between strategic target and actual countermeasures or services has to be investigated in multiple points of view such as cost and benefit. Theoretically obscure relationships do not provide us accountability for the governmental budget, and it result in that citizens become skeptical to the public management. Logic Model describes how actual countermeasures and investments are theoretically connected to final strategic target, and it also functions in multiple ways for NPM procedure and policy/strategy evaluation systems. Program Logic Model introduced at “Logic Model Development Guide” published by W.K. Kellogg Foundation is an example of Logic Model, which is defined as, “Basically, a logic model is a systematic and a visual way to present and share your understanding of the relationships among the resources you have to operate your program, the activities you plan to do, and changes or results you hope to achieve. “ However it is not designed for actual function and procedure which are essential factors of NPM. Here, a new definition of “Logic Model” is introduced to define NPM system structure. The Logic Model for NPM which provides Asset Management System of social capital or infrastructures has to function as a theory that explains which budget expenditure, investment or countermeasure is appropriate to fulfill public management target, as an evaluation standard for the selected portfolio of them, as well as a total management structure, and that is why its definition is very important. [Five New Definitions of Logic Model for NPM] No1. : Logic Model is a theoretical description of relationship structure among strategic management target as an outcome and performance of investment, services, countermeasure as outputs. It theoretically explains how these outputs relate and contribute to an outcome. No2. :Logic Model is a management structure itself, since it explains the theoretical relationship and the portfolio of investment, services, and countermeasures which public management has to execute. No3. :Logic Model is able to be applied for evaluation of the portfolio performance and accomplishment rate of strategic management target, since it dose not only show relationship but also can show that quantitatively. No4. :Logic Model is a management structure which is designed to function under social circumstances, environmental circumstances, technical circumstances, so that Logic Model can be applied for revision or confirmation tool of management system. No.5 :The investment, services, countermeasures selected to form output of Logic Model is a portfolio to accomplish strategic management target. Figure.1 How Logic Model is related to NPM system 3. Logic Model for New Public Management Public management starts by setting the strategic target either politically or administratively. For example if some local government set a strategic target to vitalize local economy and citizens life as a primary outcomes, they have to be connected to lower outcomes, which also have to be connected to actual investment, services, and countermeasures. If effect and cost of these investment, services, and countermeasures can be measured and evaluated Concept Structure of NPM Operation system of infrastructures or services