bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE AND OBJECTIVES OF COMMONWEALTH TRADING UNDERTAKINGS: A REVIEW
Authors: Shand D. A.
Published: March 2008

Abstract: This article examines the financial structure and financial objectives of eight major Commonwealth government trading undertakings. These are the Commonwealth Banking Corporation, Qantas, TAA, Telecom, Overseas Telecommunications Commission, Australia Post, Australian National Line and Australian National Railways, all of which are providing a service which is sold to the public. Between them they have an annual expenditure (operating and capital) of $4,400 million and employ around 190,000 staff. The differing financial arrangements laid down by the Commonwealth for these major trading undertakings lead to a lack of comparability in reported profit figures between these organizations and between them and private sector companies. They also lead to different cost structures and thus to different pricing decisions and allocation of resources. Assessing the significance of any reported profit figures needs to take account of various Commonwealth government requirements placed on the organizations. Neither clear and consistent financial objectives for these organizations based on consistent definitions of “capital” nor a consistent set of pricing principles based on economic analysis have been laid down.

This article has attempted to show first, that differing definitions of capital and treatment of payments to the Commonwealth make it difficult to compare the financial results of these organizations either with each other or the private sector; secondly, that differing liability of these organizations for various taxes and charges also arguably affects this comparability of results, although it clearly affects relative financial viqbility; thirdly, that the differing financial arrangements give differing costrtructures and thus pricing policies for these organizations; fourthly, that there has been no comprehensive study of the financial objectives of these organizations based upon economic analysis (the targets vary both in their level and in the way in which they are expressed and insome cases are vague ‐ again they appear to be based largely on ad hoc arrangements and some general considerations of what the organization can “afford”); and finally, that no clear guidelines have been laid down for the operation of their pricing policies within the overall financial target, although it is recognized that considerable economic analysis is used by individual authorities in determining their pricing schedules.

In view of the significance of these organizations in the national economy the time seems right for a comprehensive economic and financial review to overhaul the existing arrangements. Matters of national resource allocation are involved and the more consistent application of economic analysis is desirable.
SOCIAL ADMINISTRATION IN AUSTRALIA: THE NEED FOR A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
Authors: Dixon John
Published: March 2008

There appear to be two current, opposing misconceptions concerning the nature of social administration. On the one hand there is the belief that it constitutes “no special or definite study but a part of that general mass of things which every earnest young man or woman should know” and, on the other hand, it is “often assumed without question to be concerned with administrative practice”1.

The domain of the subject of “social administration” is the social service industry in all its parts, its relationship with the industrial and commercial world, and its relationship with primary groups such as families, friends, and neighbours2.

Narrowly defined, social administration is the study of the development structure and practices of the social services. Broadly defined, it is an attempt to apply the social sciences — including philosophy — to the analysis and solution of a changing range of social problems3.
PRODUCTIVITY BARGAINING IN THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SECTOR: A CASE STUDY
Authors: McCarthy Terry
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Standard hours of work have been relatively uniform throughout the work force in Australia. Reductions have occurred only after careful consideration by the industrial tribunals and/or the parliaments. Provision of special treatment in this matter for particular groups of employees has been limited. The use of productivity bargaining techniques to secure reduced standard hours of work for a relatively small proportion of the work force — as occurred in the public sector in the mid‐1970s — represented a significant departure from previous practice. This is a study of the first of these cases which, in effect, set the ground rules for a series of similar cases conducted later within the Commonwealth public sector. It sets out the steps which were necessary to have the productivity agreement accepted and points out novel features which arose in the application of the productivity bargaining technique.
THE INTER‐STATE COMMISSION*
Authors: Radbone Ian
Published: March 2008

Abstract: The Inter‐State Commission (ISC), although required by Australia's Constitution, has been in existence from 1913 to 1920 only. In 1975 the Labor government introduced a bill to set up the Commission. The bill was passed in a heavily amended form, but the legislation was not proclaimed by the incoming coalition government. A brief history of the “first” ISC raises the question of whether the High Court would ever have accepted the regulatory powers that the Labor government wished to invest in the late Commission. The ISC envisaged by the Labor government's bill would have had strong powers of regulation, arbitration and investigation over interstate and overseas transport. The Senate left it with weakened investigative powers only. Our Federal system encourages many government practices which are not in the interests of the community as a whole. However, while the ISC's role in curbing these practices would have been beneficial, the States have shown themselves too powerful politically to accept such policing, even if the High Court had allowed the ISC to do so. The ISC as conceived by Labor's bill would not have been politically viable, but the ISC as provided for in the Act would be worth setting up, as it would have several advantages over existing investigative mechanisms. It would have more experience and competence than ad hoc inquiries, and its continued existence would make it difficult to shelve its reports. Its statutory basis, broader terms of reference and its ability to force organizations to divulge information would all serve to make it a better investigative body than the Bureau of Transport Economics.
THE PROLIFERATION OF PORTFOLIOS
Authors: Hughes Colin A.
Published: March 2008

Abstract: A comparison of contemporary lists of Cabinet ministers with those of the 1850s or 1900s shows a substantial increase in the number of portfolio titles and the appearance of many new titles. However examination of the record of the designation of new portfolios shows very little by way of pattern. Initially Victoria made the innovations, and overall Victoria and New South Wales account for two‐thirds of new titles. But long periods of time have elapsed between the first and final adoption of a new title, and some titles which might have been expected to be attractive were introduced relatively late in the day. Murray Edelman's view that much government activity is directed to providing “symbolic reassurance” is not substantiated, with the possible exception of the 1970s when an unusually rapid and extensive round of portfolio initiation took place. It is suggested that more detailed study of why particular portfolios were brought into use might be rewarding.
ACCESS TO SERVICES: ETHNICITY IN AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
Authors: Sanders Will
Published: March 2008

Abstract: This paper starts from an argument, developed by Jean Martin in 1978, which links recent ethnic differentiation of the activities and structures of our major institutions with an underlying social redefinition of migrants. It then extends Martin's analysis in the particular context of the service activities of one of the major line departments of Australian government — the Department of Social Security. It is argued that the accommodation of ethnic considerations within the daily activities of administration has occurred largely through the concept of “access to services”. Using this concept, administrators have been able acceptably to define the problem of ethnic disadvantage and to develop programs which approach its solution. The formula has been applied to Aboriginal as well as migrant disadvantage and reasons for the similarity of approach are considered briefly. A range of recent initiatives which make reference to the migrant and Aboriginal clienteles of government are considered — in particular, DSS services, namely language services, migrant and Aboriginal public contact staffing, information services and advocacy/agency programs. All of these are seen within administration, as approaches to the “access” problem. The final section comments on the general characteristics of this “access” formula and on its success in both accommodating ethnic claims of disadvantage and reinforcing administrative commitments to universalism.
INADEQUACIES IN THE PROCESSES OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA
Authors: Frazer Murray
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Policy and policy development have received considerable attention in Australia over the last decade or more. This attention has resulted in many recommendations on policy in the series of major public service inquiries of the 1970s, in a number of books and journal articles on varied aspects of public policy, and in the considerable strengthening of the policy development capacities of many government agencies. This attention has to date been inadequate, because it has in almost all cases concentrated on the questions of where within the bureaucratic structure policy development should occur and what procedural mechanisms are needed to allow ministers or cabinet to choose between alternative policies and to facilitate the coordination of policies. These questions are of course important, but questions of how a well‐considered policy option that can be considered by a cabinet or a minister is actually developed appear to have been almost totally ignored. In the public service inquiries, in the published literature, and in public accounts of the work of policy units, there appears to be virtually no analysis of the process of policy development. There is little or no discussion of how the standard formal models of policy development match or fail to match the techniques used in Australia, and although there have been many individual case studies of policy issues, there are no comparative case studies from which general observations might be drawn. Lastly, there are very few positive suggestions as to how policy development in Australia could be improved. Overcoming these inadequacies provides a major challenge to Australian policy workers.
DISCIPLINARY APPEALS IN THE NEW SOUTH WALES PUBLIC SERVICE
Authors: Thornthwaite L.
Published: March 2008

Abstract: There is a widespread proliferation of bodies such as disciplinary appeals tribunals which review prerogative decision‐making activities of managements. Yet scant analysis of their operation has taken place. This paper presents data concerning the operation of the New South Wales Government and Related Employees Appeal Tribunal. The nature of disciplinary appeals, the tribunal's decision‐making behaviour and the subsequent decisions are examined in the light of available explanatory frameworks. It is concluded that the disciplinary appeal body functions as a de facto arm of public sector management rather than as a neutral, juridicial body.
ORGANISATIONAL THEORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE: THE CASE OF REGIONALISATION IN YOUTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Authors: McCulloch Arthur
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Conventional accounts of administrative change have relied on an instrumental view of organisations. Based on the notion that administrative arrangements are designed to meet predefined goals, such accounts have been unable to deal adequately with the production of organisational arrangements or to analyse the entanglements of theory in those arrangements. A number of revisions to this orthodox view have been suggested which are based on viewing administrative structures as political arenas within which conflicts organised within wider society come to the fore. The adoption of a regional administrative structure by the New South Wales Department of Youth and Community Services highlights the dependence that administrative arrangements have upon the interests and ideas of key administrative actors and coalitions, and their contingent power to produce and maintain changes in those arrangements. The regional structure was based on ideas of community participation and had the avowed aim of allowing the public to have greater access to departmental affairs. Subsequently, ideas of ministerial accountability and organisational efficiency were used to define strictly the legitimate boundaries of that public participation. Such ideas provided covering fire for different groups in and around the department to obtain and consolidate positions of advantage.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: THE COMMONWEALTH EXPERIENCE*
Authors: Bell Robin , Watchirs Helen
Published: March 2008

Abstract: This paper outlines the background and rationale of the Commonwealth Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation and discusses the specific nature and operation of the FOI Act, including some current issues emanating from the interpretation of some of its provisions by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and the courts. The overall cost/benefit balance of the Act is considered, with particular reference to the recent report of the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the operation and administration of the Act.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS INNOVATORS*
Authors: Wettenhall Roger
Published: March 2008

Abstract: This article opens with a non‐Australian example of innovation in local government. Next, attention is devoted to the concept and definition of “innovation”—necessary because the word has been used in many different and often confusing ways. Some illustrations of overseas research work on local government innovation are given. The paper then considers what is currently known about innovative practices in Australian local government management. It concludes by exploring the bases of innovative managerial activity and suggesting ways in which the capacity to innovate might be enhanced.
DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGEMENT EDUCATION IN THE VICTORIAN PUBLIC SERVICE
Authors: Glass Pauline , Martin Suzanne , Swaine Valerie , MacGilp Ray
Published: March 2008

Abstract: The Public Service Board of Victoria initiated a project in March 1989 to plan a framework for the development of competent managers. The methodology involved an examination of the current practices of 23 organisations, together with a worldwide literature search. The major findings were that the managerial task is similar across sectors, but the manager level and the environment are qualifying variables; that training, management education and development in private sector organisations and statutory bodies has total commitment from the chief executive, is closely linked to the business plan, forms part of an integrated human resource management system, and is continually reinforced by the organisation's culture and values; and that there is no strategic and focused approach to developing managers across the Victorian Public Service. The 21 recommendations covered the areas of investment and commitment, the development of a systematic approach by providing quality management programs based on core managerial competencies and the integration of training, education and development with performance management processes.

The implementation plan calls for pump‐priming funds for resourcing and delivering high quality programs, a change in the culture, the adoption of a set of principles, the establishment of a management education unit, acceptance of a common language of competence for managers, and an integration of education and development needs with corporate plans through the performance improvement system. Commitment to implementation should result in a systematic approach to the formation of competent managers with the benefits flowing to the community through improved services, the government gaining by increased performance of the agencies, and public servants being able to reach their full potential.
JURISDICTIONS AS IMPEDIMENTS TO FLOODPLAIN PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
Authors: Lambley D.B.
Published: March 2008

Abstract: The irregularity of flooding in Australia reinforces an attitude that the risk posed by a rare event is acceptable. Disparate flood‐related policies, fragmented responsibility and disharmony are often features of the relationship between the three spheres of government and amongst their agencies. The functions and powers of the various jurisdictions often operate to impede optimum land use planning and management of flood‐prone areas at great social cost. This paper discusses these spheres of influence and shows by example how those impediments are signs of institutional wooden‐headedness.
S.M. BRUCE, IMPERIAL RELATIONS AND WAR FINANCE, 1939–1943
Authors: Tsokhas Kosmas
Published: March 2008

Abstract: This article deals with bargaining between Australia and the United Kingdom over some main aspects of wartime finance. Australian politicians and administrators took advantage of the wartime emergency to persuade the British to provide cheap loans with which the Australian government met its overseas military spending. The British Treasury also had to guarantee the preservation of Australia's sterling balances in the context of lend‐lease arrangements between the UK and America. A number of bureaucracies, public and private institutions were involved, including the Australian High Commission, the Commonwealth Bank, the British Treasury, the Bank of England and the underwriting firm, Nivison & Co. It is argued that the wartime emergency enhanced the bargaining power of the Australians so that they were able to extract substantial concessions from the British.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND THE ICAC*
Authors: QC Ian Temby
Published: March 2008

Accountability is a vogue word. It has been around for a while now, but does not seem to be going out of fashion. Probably that is because the word reflects and reinforces a value system in relation to government and administration which is solid and good, not just a passing fad. If that is right, then the only difficulty with the notion of accountability is that it may be bandied round to such an extent as to become a mere slogan, a substitute for thought.
COMMENTARY
Authors: Johnston Neil
Published: March 2008

This is a comprehensive paper with which I find many points of agreement. An examination of evolution in Treasury thinking provides a useful perspective on attitudes at the federal level to alternative policy approaches. A distinction needs to be drawn however, between the public perception of the Treasury rationale, and the ongoing approach within the department. While the changes in public stance that Whitwell identifies are important, I would see those as representing changes in emphasis in the Treasury approach, rather than a major recasting of Treasury thinking.
AT ARM'S LENGTH WITH DIRTY HANDS: TAXING THE AUSTRALIAN PUNTER
Authors: Painter Martin
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Taxes on betting are a major source of revenue for Australian state governments. Specific taxes on the racing industry date from 1915. However, the revenue potential has only been tapped in all the states since the legalisation in the past 30 years of off‐course betting through the state‐run totalisator (TAB). The introduction of the TAB followed a long period when various states adopted different policies towards off‐course betting, ranging from legalisation of bookmakers' betting shops to attempts at complete suppression. In tracing the history of these policies, the focus is on “implementation failure”, or the many administrative pitfalls and obstacles that were experienced. These include insurmountable tax evasion by bookmakers, regulatory capture of betting boards by bookmakers and corruption of the law enforcement agencies. State governments also had to accommodate a range of conflicting interests, including the interests of the racing industry itself and the demands of the anti‐gambling lobby. The TAB is shown to be a happy and convenient resolution of most, but not all, of these administrative and political dilemmas.
AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC POLICY AND THE PROBLEM OF FRAGMENTATION
Authors: Stewart Jenny
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Politics matters in policy. In particular, the way in which a society organises its structures for bargaining affects the extent to which it is able to solve the general problem of “externalities” resulting from private choice. Two “ideal type” societies, the corporatist and the pluralist, are contrasted. It is suggested that the apparently superior economic performance of corporatist societies may be due to the fact that they have more efficient means of making collective choices than do pluralist societies. It is argued that, as a society which is best described as fragmented rather than pluralist or corporatist, Australia may be missing out on the advantages offered by well‐structured bargaining. In particular, it may be possible significantly to improve decision‐making practices by means of an Accord between business and government which promotes policy‐related trade‐offs within an agreed general framework.
SCIENCE, RISK AND HEALTH POLICY: THE CHANGING OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIP
Authors: Peachment Allan
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Scientific research is usually regarded as an impartial contributor to the public policy‐making process. However, increasingly, such research in health matters to do with industrial processes, medical intervention and drug therapy is perceived to pose risks and thus produce uncertainty in government and anxiety among consumers of health services. This when the scientific research agenda is about to take increasingly dramatic steps with important implications for applied science. Five select issues intended to depict a lack of research consensus and resulting in perceptions of societal risk‐taking are used to illustrate this phenomenon. The growing influence of the “Green” environmental and consumer movement promises increasing resistance to science‐based societal risk‐taking. Scientists have acknowledged problems and advocate a variety of responses including the adoption of radically different aims and methods in science. The quality of some medical statistics and the dominance of the research methods agenda by epidemiologists is also a cause for concern. The major dilemma, however, is that while both refutation and uncertainty are integral to the Popperian model of puzzle‐solving in science, they are factors which pose serious political risks in decision‐making for ministers and their advisers.
THE FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK OF AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC ENTERPRISE
Authors: McCrae Michael
Published: March 2008

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the complexities of accountability for Australian public enterprise and analyses some of the conceptual issues which need to be addressed in developing a framework for reform. The analysis suggests that the matrix of financial accountability relationships is quite complex in terms of its objectives, its concern for both public interest and commercial viability issues and the number of participants. Furthermore, it operates in an intricate environment of political, administrative and control structures. Although the general financial reporting objectives for public and private enterprises may be similar from a conceptual viewpoint, the assumptions underlying the private sector agency model (a simple one‐to‐one shareholder‐manager relationship based on profit maximisation and individual self‐interest) may not allow a realistic or suitable modelling of the intricacies of this process at an operational level at least.

The analysis identifies some of the difficulties encountered when modelling the financial accountability processes for public enterprises. It then suggests a framework which takes into account the multi‐layered nature of performance objectives and the unique operational environment of public enterprises. The model encompasses performance responsibilities at both the macro‐ and micro‐economic levels, and operates through a linked chain of participants, each with distinct financial accountability obligations and information needs. It identifies several tiers of participants together with the appropriate accountability responsibilities at each level.
PROGRAM BUDGETING: COSTS AND BENEFITS
Authors: Robinson Marc
Published: March 2008

Abstract: This article focuses on the divergence between the principle and the reality of program budgeting. The principle is that program budgeting is based on the “output” classification of expenditure. In reality, however, program budgets are more like hybrids between the organisational and functional classifications of expenditure. The reasons for this divergence between principle and reality are analysed by examining the costs and benefits of the output classification of expenditure, contrasted to organisational/functional classification, for the key purposes of budgeting—namely control, estimation and expenditure review and appraisal.

It is concluded that, although the output classification of expenditure offers significant benefits from the standpoint of expenditure review and appraisal, it is inferior to the organisational/functional classification from a cost benefit point of view. This is essentially because of the very substantial costs of obtaining reliable information on actual expenditure in terms of output categories, relative to the lower costs of obtaining organisational/functional information.

With respect to the other purposes of budgeting, two conclusions are drawn. First, output categories are much less suited to the estimation of forward expenditure than are organisational/functional categories. Second, the use of output categories for control (i.e. expenditure instruction) purposes is inappropriate, principally because it is unnecessary and creates unwarranted expenditure inflexibilities. It is argued, however, that this deficiency of the output categories for control purposes is a reflection of the general inappropriateness of prescriptive program budgets (whether based on output or organisationa/functional categories).
ALTERNATIVES TO HIERARCHYTHE ROLE AND PERFORMANCE OF LATERAL STRUCTURES INSIDE BUREAUCRACY
Authors: Consldine Mark
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Lateral structures are the various cross linking arrangements which enable staff at similar levels to undertake project, policy or operational work in cooperation with officials in other divisions or departments. Their reliance on the expertise, judgment and commitment of their membership, and their comparative freedom from direct line control helps define these structures as an alternative to conventional hierarchies.

This study examines the commonly made but rarely tested claim that lateral structures are one of the main ingredients in the organisation's capacity to achieve high quality results in situations requiring superior levels of skill and efficiency (Mintzberg 1973; Galbraith 1977). The study provides an empirical assessment of a number of important aspects of these work arrangements and reports the results of an investigation into the performance of lateral structures in the Australian public sector between 1987 and 1989. These data indicate that lateral structures outperform conventional hierarchy in quality of results, capacity to manage internal conflict, time‐management and technical competence. The research also identifies the importance of professional and political commitment in explanations of the success of these structures.
HEALTH‐CARE REFORM UNDER PRESIDENT CLINTON: ISSUES, IDEAS AND IMPLICATIONS
Authors: Braithwaite Jeffrey
Published: March 2008

Abstract: President Clinton's proposals to reform health‐care in the United States have stimulated unprecedented levels of discussion amongst stakeholders, commentators, policy analysts and the media. It seems obvious that there is a need to reform a system that consumes 14% of gross domestic product, yields only OECD‐average morbidity and mortality rates and fails to provide coverage to millions of people. Nevertheless, forces against change are marshalling considerable resources in opposition to Clinton's proposals, and now that the November 1994 mid‐term elections have routed the democrats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the belief is that his reforms will never be adopted in their original format. Some of the issues and ideas emanating from the American debate parallel trends in Australian health‐care. Elements in transition include the switch from an input‐to an outcomes‐orientation, improving the quality of care, focusing on the customer and securing greater value‐for‐money. Unlike America, Australia has a limit on national health‐care spending and this poses different challenges. However, the American debate is of vital interest to Australia. Australian and American hospitals are increasingly in competition to export services to South‐East Asia. Of particular importance to Australia are: the extremely public nature of the American debate, which should be emulated, the fact that explicit rationing is now clearly on the international health‐care agenda, the need to reconceptualise western culture's preoccupation with immortality, the need to alter economic incentives to health‐care providers and the shift to outcomes measurement and effectiveness. Despite the comparatively healthy state of the Australian system, complacency should not be allowed to set in. Lessons for Australia from America are numerous, and it behoves us to monitor closely developments, trends and options arising from the Clinton‐inspired debate.
MANAGING AUSTRALIA'S POLICE: THE CHALLENGE TO IDENTIFY WHO SHOULD BE IN CHARGE—POLITICIANS OR POLICE?
Authors: Manison Gary F.
Published: March 2008

Abstract: The management of police by government in Australia is a controversial but neglected topic, with little research or theoretical work having been undertaken. What is clear from the limited information available is that governments tend to adopt an arms‐length policy and allow police to act with a greater degree of independence than they do with many other government agencies. What underpins this approach is the traditional British model for managing police. This model is considered in this paper, along with other matters such as local police statutes, discretion, statutory authority status and accountability. These aspects of the arms‐length approach are discussed in the light of current policy‐making and accountability systems. Consideration is also given to the question of whether this approach by government is still appropriate.
NOT JUST BRICKS AND MORTAR: EEO IN HOMESWEST
Authors: Brown Kerry
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Moves by both state and federal governments to implement private sector management practices in government administration have received attention from a number of writers. Feminist critics of corporate management argue that, in very devolved situations, public sector management concentrates on the achievement of program outcomes to the detriment of other management objectives and Equal Employment Opportunity is ignored. The contention that efficiency and effectiveness are promoted at the expense of equity under a regime of public sector corporate management will be addressed through a case study of the West Australian Housing Commission, Homeswest. This paper examines the results of Equal Employment Opportunity programs in a highly corporatised state government agency.
Commonwealth—State Reform Processes: a Policy Management Review
Authors: Weller Patrick
Published: March 2008

This review, delivered in July 1995, was cornmissioned by the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet. It was designed to assess the procedures adopted in commonwealth—state reform processes and to draw front that analysis some basic lessons or insights that might assist future stages. The report is republished with only minor changes in style and text. The original report included an executive summary, descriptions of the reforms considered, and a list of those interviewed. The author would like to thank Alison Hemmings, of the Commonwealth‐State Relations Secretariat, for her assistance during the review.
Microeconomic Reform and National Competition Policy: Misconceptions and Problems
Authors: Kolsen Ted
Published: March 2008

Microeconomic reform and the so‐called National Competition Policy (NCP) have entered political discourse but often with little discussion of their specific meaning. The terminology tends to be emotionally and intuitively appealing. It implies that any microeconomic reform per se is necessarily ‘good’ for the achievement of economic efficiency. Moreover, misconceptions about the meaning of economic efficiency frequently result in the belief that a higher level of competition is always ‘good’ for the achievement of that objective.

While there are many features in the new competition policy which deserve the wide acceptance and support it has been given, there are also aspects of it which do not stand up to closer scrutiny. It is those aspects, including the problems which will arise when ambitious but vague principles are put into practice, which will receive attention in this article.
The Directions of Constitutional Change: Implications for the Public Sector
Authors: Wiltshire Kenneth
Published: March 2008

Constitutional change is in the air and this applies to the constitutional system, not just the documents that we call the Commonwealth and state constitutions in Australia. The causes of change are multitudinous but two warrant special mention: (a) natural or endemic change in the economy and society at large, and (b) political causes.
Repositioning Equal Employment Opportunity
Authors: MacDermott Kathy
Published: March 2008

The importance of a central location for equal employment opportunity (EEO) units was once assumed. Now, under the influence of contemporary human resource management theory, broader possibilities are emerging.

In the light of these human resource developments, this article explores how a contemporary centralised EEO agency might interpret its objectives and operations.
A Case Study: Sale of Railway Consulting Services
Authors: Garrett Mike
Published: March 2008

Queensland Rail has developed a market niche in South East Asia, where it advises on profitable narrow‐guage rail operations. This article outlines the extent of Queensland Rail involvement with the region and offers practical advice for commercial dealings with one important customer, Vietnam.
Internationalisation of the Public Sector
Authors: Hill Daryl
Published: March 2008

This article argues a case for exporting government services in cases where the public sector has relevant expertise and can operate within acceptable risks. Drawing on Victorian experience, it suggests structures and procedures for effective operation in international markets.
Comments on John Uhr, ‘Testing the Policy Capacities of Budgetary Agencies: Lessons from Finance’
Authors: Colebatch Hal K.
Published: March 2008

These comments derive from a seminar specifically on evaluation policy review organised by the Public Policy Program, Research School of Social Sciences, ANU, in May 1996. Both John Uhr and Hal Colebatch presented their views on the evaluation process and it was felt appropriate to include Hal Colebatch's comments here. John Uhr declined the offer to reply, indicating he would allow the original article to stand on its merits.
‘Talking to Fishers’: A Response to Kesteven
Authors: Rayns Nick
Published: March 2008

Geoffrey Kesteven's ‘Talking to Fishers’ appeared in the March 1996 issue of AJPA 55(1). Here, Nick Rayns takes issue with Dr Kesteven's observations on the South East Fishery Workshop, held at Bateman's Bay in September 1994. Dr Kesteven's rejoinder follows this response.
Is There a Police Culture?
Authors: Prenzler Tim
Published: March 2008

Recent commissions of inquiry and the growth of police studies in Australia have popularised the idea of a ‘police culture’. A stereotyped image has developed of police sexism, racism, secrecy, anti‐intellectualism, brutality, corruption, biased law enforcement and politicisation. The alleged ‘police culture’ is at odds with every fundamental ethical principle of public service. In its simplified version the concept is becoming discredited as excessively unitary and deterministic. Nonetheless, the term has utility when seen in the context of the general idea of occupational cultures and of specific elements of an organisation's traditions and task environment which generate counter‐productive and unethical practices. The concept also assists in focusing on managing organisational change to facilitate integrity and effective service provision.
Who Owns What? Some Implications of the Humphry Report on Government Business Enterprises
Authors: Wettenhall Roger
Published: March 2008

Governments in Australia have long wrestled with the problem of managing the performance of government business enterprises (GBEs). In December 1996 the Finance Minister commissioned Richard Humphry to provide an ‘internal review’ of Commonwealth GBEs. While Humphry acknowledged the reality of many GBEs remaining in public hands for ‘the foreseeable future’, his report encouraged GBEs to be run more closely along private sector lines. According to Wettenhall, the long‐term ramifications for Australia are significant, and the unique role, qualities and responsibilities of public ownership are in danger of being sidelined.
A Comparative Analysis: New Public Management — The Way Ahead?
Authors: Armstrong Anona
Published: March 2008

A set of measures constituting ‘New Public Management’ (NPM) has been adopted worldwide (Pollitt 1995). This article describes their implementation in the State of Victoria. In particular, the article assesses the reforms within the context of Pollitt's eight elements of NPM reforms that have taken place in management in the public sector in Victoria and, to varying degrees, in all OECD countries. It argues that the evaluation of the success of NPM in Victoria should be addressed by independent evaluations of the impacts of the changes within the political, executive and operational spheres of government, and on consumers and the public service itself. The article offers some lessons for those in government following Victoria's example of the implementation of NPM.

Good governance is critical to ensuring that challenges to society are dealt with adequately (OECD 1995:5).
Securing Quality Through Contracts? The Development of Quasi‐markets for Social Care in Britain
Authors: Hardy Brian , Wistow Gerald
Published: March 2008

This article examines the early development in Britain of quasi‐markets for domiciliary care. Initially there were widespread doubts about the appropriateness of market mechanisms for social care because it was regarded as inherently different from other goods and services. We examine these differences and how they are most apparent in domiciliary care — which is provided to the most vulnerable people in the most vulnerable of settings. The study provides a demanding test and illuminating case study of the introduction of competition through quasi‐markets. It highlights some potential threats to service quality and demonstrates that to secure such quality for vulnerable users, public sector purchasers need to develop long‐term, high‐trust relationships with a range of high quality care providers.
Different Roads to Unfamiliar Places: UK Experience in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Rhodes R.A.W.
Published: March 2008

This article views the new public management (NPM) as a prime example of the sour laws of unintended consequences in action. Section 1 places the UK in international context by arguing there is no such thing as NPM and suggesting recent public sector reforms vary along six dimensions: privatisation, marketisation, corporate management, regulation, decentralisation and political control. Section 2 updates the UK story by describing developments under New Labour. Section 3 identifies the unintended consequences of reform: fragmentation, steering, accountability, co‐ordination, and public service ethics. Section 4 argues the conventional story of public sector reform as marketization and corporate management omits significant changes. British government differentiated its service delivery systems and now employs at least three governing structures: bureaucracy, markets and networks. The final section discusses whether British experience is different. I argue a satisfactory explanation of the differences must include an analysis of governmental traditions that make public sector reform distinctive everywhere.
Public Sector Management, Electoral Reform and the Future of the Contract State in New Zealand
Authors: Boston Jonathan
Published: March 2008

The reforms to New Zealand's system of public sector management have attracted significant international interest since the mid‐to‐late 1980s. This article provides a brief description and analysis of some of the recent developments in New Zealand with respect to corporatisation, privatisation and contracting—out, and assesses the implications of the introduction of proportional representation in 1996 for the structure and management of the public sector. It is argued that New Zealand's reforms, notwithstanding their numerous strengths, have left many of the fundamental problems of public sector management unresolved adn that sharp political divisions remain over the extent to which a more commerical and contractualist approach should be applied to the organisation and delivery of key social services, including health care and public housing.
Is There a Future for Contracting in the Australian Public Sector?
Authors: Davis Glyn , Wood Terry
Published: March 2008

Contracting has moved from the margins to the centre of public management. Significant sections of the public workforce, from benefits delivery to corporate services, now find their functions open to tender. Governments prefer to concentrate on policy analysis and development, leaving service delivery to the market. As purchasers rather than providers, governments are redefining the role and scope of the state. But are Australian governments ready for this shift to contracting? Do they possess the full array of control and reporting mechanisms necessary if contracting is to deliver its promised benefits? There are significant difficulties finding evidence that answers such questions. Yet on the basis of concerns discussed across Australian jurisdictions, it appears contracting has developed so quickly it outstrips the capacity of government to monitor what is happening, and so learn from mistakes. In time governments will become better at maintaining accountability for contracted functions, because experience reduces the risks of moral hazard.
A Public Management Road Less Travelled: Clients as Co‐producers of Public Services
Authors: Alford John
Published: March 2008

Since the end of the 1970s, alternatives to internal government production of public services have assumed increasing prominence. The most important of these has been contracting out, but a less travelled road has been co‐production: the involvement of citizens, volunteers and clients in producing public services as well as consuming them. This article focuses on client co‐production. It argues that by ignoring this option, governments have closed off one important option in the repertoire of management approaches. It demonstrates the necessity of client co‐production to service‐delivery and legal compliance, and considers examples of government agencies which have sought to harness it in positive ways.
Poverty and Income Dynamics in Philippine Villages, 1985–2004
Authors: Estudillo Jonna P. , Sawada Yasuyuki , Otsuka Keijiro
Published: March 2008

The authors examined the long‐term changes in household income structure and decline in poverty in three rice‐growing villages in the rural Philippines from 1985 to 2004. They found a shift of household income structure away from farm to nonfarm sources, accompanied by a decline in the incidence of poverty by about one‐half. Such a decline can be explained primarily by the rise in returns to the “quantity” attributes of human capital, measured by age composition, and, secondly, by the rise in returns to the “quality” attributes, measured by the proportion of household members completing secondary and tertiary schooling. It is clear that the poor benefited from the development of the nonfarm labor market where they were able to fully utilize their only asset, that is unskilled labor.
Capacity‐constrained Collusive Price Discrimination in the Informal Rural Credit Markets of Nepal
Authors: Hatlebakk Magnus
Published: March 2008

The author tests two alternative models of price determination in informal rural credit markets, using LSMS data from Nepal. Strong support is found for a capacity‐constrained collusive oligopoly model, where lenders have full information about actual borrowers and charge heterogeneous interest rates. Only marginal support is found for a competitive cost‐pricing model with imperfect information. Interest rates vary with the observable characteristics of caste, installment period, and geographical region; and they decrease as village lending capacity increases up to a certain level. Interest rates do not depend on risk related variables such as land value and loan size.
Local Content Requirement under Vertical Technology Diffusion
Authors: Kwon Chul‐Woo , Chun Bong Geul
Published: March 2008

Many developing countries (LDCs) still impose a local content requirement (LCR) regulation on multinational enterprises (multinationals). The authors develop a simple model to investigate whether the introduction of an LCR affects a multinational's choice of technology transfer. The key assumption made in their analysis is that the multinational in an LDC prefers importing intermediate inputs from its home country, for the manufacture of final goods, to purchasing them from local suppliers equipped with outdated technology. However, the LCR of the LDC forces the multinational to purchase a fixed proportion of its intermediate inputs. The authors show that the magnitude of an LCR policy cannot affect the multinational's decision regarding technology transfer under technology diffusion. In addition, an increase in the LCR may foreclose technology diffusion because it could make the multinational establish its own intermediate input supplier(s) and become a vertically integrated multinational.
A Note on Allelic Tests in Case‐Control Association Studies
Authors: Guedj M. , Nuel G. , Prum B.
Published: March 2008

This paper reconsiders the relevant contribution of Sasieni in the validity of allele‐based tests in case‐control genetic association studies. In particular, the author clearly demonstrates that the classical chi‐square test applied to allelic contingency tables is biased when the combined case‐control population is not in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium. As an alternative, he suggests using the Cochran‐Armitage test for trends by basing his argument on the fact that these two tests are asymptotically equivalent at the Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium. However he only demonstrates the equality of the statistics when the observed genotypic proportions are strictly in equilibrium ‐ which does not formally imply the suggested, and often accepted, asymptotic behavior.

In this short communication, we complement this contribution by providing the proof that allelic and trend statistics are asymptotically equivalent under the conditions mentioned above. In addition, since the ‘biased’ allelic test is still widely used in the literature, we briefly discuss the different alternatives that have been subsequently developed, based on Sasieni's conclusions.