3 META-GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT B. Guy Peters from that some eases the ment. The idea of many politcal leaders has been sueracy was the problem, not the solution, and that fundamental anges were seguir g ‘What lear in allthis change is tha the ee ‘governing. The ti of assumptions about how were not the same in all count ial public sector is duals responsible for govern, although th the adm ive systems, such as in France and Germany, emphasized that hierarchical control pethaps even more, but (Oi sere corer rtionsips ete the ana ye andthe vil society, and political parties. This chapter will first describe, i briefly, the changes that have been i ‘mented in governing over these past decades.' This n will argue tha although there are different styles of reform, the fundamental consequence i been to move governing out of the center of the coi riven public seotor and to empower a range employees, and governing wer of governing were del META-GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT documented ‘components of governance”. The ni sand pros autonomy may be a need ‘major source of the perceived need for meta-governance; there have been system for significant requirements for meta-governance wit some time, ‘Whether the administrative process has been altered because of the accept- ance of managerialist reforms or because of more participatory styles of ‘governing is largely irrelevant; the real or perceived requirement for meta governance will be roughly the same. That requirement direction to the ad 1 to provide istrative system, but to do so through mechanisms that maintain the virtues 1ve been produced by delegated and devolved forms of governing, while providing central direction and control. Governing, has always involved some balancing of control and autonomy for public organizations, and for individual public servants, but that balance becomes ‘more apparent when decisions must be made about reasserting greater ‘management controls over devolved systems, ‘As governance has become of much greater importance in the academic ture on the public sector, as well as in the real world of governing, scholars have begun to develop the concept of meta-governance. For example, Louis Meuleman (2008) has provided the most extensive discussion of the 3qin oaoj-2an ) Aaoredtonized Jo soos w us0q Sey WAN 3U 6 ip Jo 2180} ayy, ‘so1ovsoowep padojorop Jo soquunu v u 430} ayo pu “S201A198 ~ojanap ayn uoog sey suroyas Ksoyedy foyjod uo Buyppoap ud 24 Jo uosstaxe wueLtodut ou ‘sreifoud Jo usuorouny pomow ayn jeuuojut a1our-saprAoud suojstoap Uy KpdaNAp A100 AY9I908 [S19 Jo yequv0 Jo Suojo4o9 JoMo} 241 ButAjonut roy pandiw aBy jupe ayjqnd jo s1ejoyas ay pu Koua.oy snf u30q axny suiojaz UL ‘won uoura|duut pu foyod 19,0 sousnyuy sa0vax8 axvy OF SYUBALOS woud s10ui aye 0 pu jeans 2 ‘ey 01 vad ‘wary ut StuaO}a4 yemmpaooud asiuiosd Koy) ssa up pur “anlsap Kay nd yyy s1oAoy jo Joquunu 24 suondumsse quarayip Jom ‘any yoIm suond sidurane snoysaid Auvur wet Jo pus Buus9908 Jo Kro24 4979 v aajonny uy wioyer we oto usu ayq un ‘SuonPuno|s fano8 jo sassan0ud ‘Ara100s sfo wio4y puv 12410W! ay1 wLO4j ~ SHON" Jo aBuR2 Je se puy ot duane tog Koy, “Burud408 yo aunyeu a1oU a4 Woy Kem JOOS ANAWAOVNYW 9 NY SONVNWSAOD-ViAN sour ou 9q Aru 4 mn s10Ur HNDUIP YIM Pade] Sf LOWIDNOS 94-pIROM AyD J} jand Ayssvjo 01 Ajyeraue# a1ow posn 29 Pinos ‘uyjosnuoo yey ponBse ‘ajdurexo 103 “(ZL61) $07] a1OPOOKLL swt aug “104998 gn a4 UW WON Jo TUOMIUONAUD a sv paztjemidaou09 oq eo aount9h08-7yau1 Hoyine apeaa ov IdwianD op st ou 2q eu uoRduNsse sy. “By uoyane ay} ydoooe plnoys suoreztuNAI0 asot ‘Avut o1oya ‘panionut st oy owes ayy Jo yonuu aqyaA “Aatoos pure AuoUOS9 2p Bupouanyuy ‘217 Jo sf003 a4) Jo 21Fo} ‘oyjeds Aue apjaoid "i pardupe oq SAA1LOadSwad TVOLLAwO:| s! ‘governance The governance argum ical systems. The heart especially Scandinavia and the Low Co\ though there are notable examples from the United States (Milward and Provan 2000). The dicho- tomy between state a in the Anglo-Saxon world has made thi of governing more problems Sless-developed world a (society wi ss there may not be a civil ternative to formal governance ‘The need for meta-governance ‘The reforms ofthe public sector associated with both NPM and “governance” have tended to produce a number of benefits but have also produced a num= ive consequences, These consequences tend to affect not only the management of public programs but also the ry network governing reflects 40 i | META-GOVERNANCE AND PURLIC MANAGEMENT The rather clumsy bureaueratic ins governing do have their problems but Decision-making jons associated with conventional | ey do have the capacity to make rule and other const igh public bu is done Following legal const ‘be decisions. These words of praise do not me n are high-quality decisions, only that a decision can be made. 1g may produce decisions by the lowest common sr norms in place cones ithout either ex ante ru ‘ely to produce no decisions, oF Ie nothing else, ical parties and in conventional modes of par- ticipation has been declining markedly (Mair and van Biezen 2001). 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The 0 ruments that can provide effective steering while at the ig the targets of the cont momous decisions concerning a range of activities. Performance management Performance management has been one of the most common instruments associated develop suitable measures ofthe 0 by using those measures to dri 44 NANCE AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT be sen inthe context of meta-governance. Strategic management the public sector has been detailed, of programs. Fu that management has been conducted wit dual programs and organizations, and, even if succesful in improving performance, does (o overall governance ofa political system. Indeed, enhanced the single organizations may reduce the overall per- formance of a system by reducing the probability of coordination among the various components ofthe Therefore, one important strategy for improving the governance of that tem of governance isto focus on policy coordination. The fo turn, should proceed from negative coo to postive coordination (Scharpf 1994) and finally through to management. The more strategic approach would continue to emphasize among the actors, but would do so around the principal goals jonal management wit about attaining ‘and even about the style of ff the autonomy of or ‘governance functions wit always pull the power back at efforts at meta-governing could be more inditect, ‘Budgets, personnel and the golden threadaw 61 seannuaout ayy pu sonyen ai adoys uvg srouseno8-viaw 2q-PinoM 2 JT ‘uonsnponnuy 241 ut paquosep HoH soqay9q Burdeys Jo wapi 247 0} spuodsoizoo sanyea pu ashi Jo a8n UL, ssadand aygnd Buaaiyor 3sour Jo} vonovar Apparsnpoxa fas rou op 18 ja! uodn puadop souvuso4o8-ou! 10j sjusiunsisuy akoge 94, somos puw asm, 4 Suo|suatp Kuew JO} a8 as049 {yos Jo asn ayp Jo sojdurexo yuaprsa o1our woos uvadoan ayn pur (+002 LNANAOVNVA O1TEAd GNV FONVANEAOD-VEAW 3 jenjuso us9q. seq az2 uv (oa paw >attoD |es}u29 asso} 0} PapUs jason seysvouddly asayn Jo yjog“KwiouoIne J9y8a18 axe MoULUUDKOB 5 aro ayn Jo soyeaid euoy aay sey AUUDA08 Jo afhas Pur ate] Jo afm 41 se pazyunidaouoa 5} FuNLDAO8 Jo a os ‘2ouuroA08 oyjqnd jo sutioj paAjorap a101U JeYpo 40 s420MN9H 40) ajo 882] anv asoy} soy i snowrouoyne “syHeAaas qn 190189 £q Jo a104s 10WWO18 w Haya u99q 9ARY 148K ‘suope7uvlio (e noo Jo aoanos ajdwis KIpanywyas v aplaosd idwexa 104 ‘asodind aures ay seq J0WN0 FuNjonuoD “FULDA sduysod st 28pnq op 3 os)N09 ‘uetp axnidrasip sso] youu pur Buruza908-nou 108 xofcutoo oxoW uF aAriaay9 09 inbox pu “apm pur sui ysuodso1 sioBeupWH ais "wopasy) (p1a%e sueut Jo J8op waif v apraoad os sysoNau Jo asm aif pare Bu Jo spunog ay sm eo fag YI ng juqoTs w YUEN saaRomeM saprAoad Ing,, “Kouow Jo 3% §nOge stoop Supyeus uy apnzB, redeuet apiaoid 0} Sumuwioyas uaa soy KjleaUa a1oM Sues png ognd “ioyung “espng ayy pur ‘se ons Seare u sof pauoxyeam uy SHALLOadS wad TVOTLA ORNLTHEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES duals making decisions respond, then the outcomes desired ‘may be reached with little investment of resources, and with a continuing effect. The difficulty comes, of course, if the meta-governors change ~ e.g. there is a change in the governing coalition and there is a new set of values to guide decisions In the context of network governance and other more informal styles of governing, the use of values to steer requires to some extent that those values represent strongly the importance ofthe publie interest, Scholars such as Moore (1995) have emphasized the importance of public values within the public sector itself, but those same values need to be extended to the other then even changing the operating as when there is @ change in government ~ can be accomplished more readily, ‘Summary ‘Meta-governanee, and the perhaps more basie concern with governane, reflects the need to provide direction to economy and society, as well as the diff- culty of providing that steering. Attempts to provide less direct mechanisms for steering society, and granting greater autonomy to actors within the public sector, have generated numerous managerial benefits. These reforms, however, have also created managerial problems wi ‘These reforms have also created many pe and many politicians (and have sought greater contro by those elected representatives, ‘meta-governance strategies provide @ way of providing while atthe same time preserving some of the efficiency gains from decentering reforms of government, The choice of meta-governance strategies, then, is an attempt to reassert some balance of power within the aking systems of the public sector, and to continue to involve non- State actors in the process while recognizing the primacy of politics, One administrative reform tends to beget the next, as the difficulties created by one set of changes tends to ereate demands for additional changes. The question now is what will be the reaction to meta-governance reforms ‘that are being implemented. One option might be to make the state role in {governance even stronger, especially when having to confront the probabil- ity of a long and severe economic downturn. The other option might be to 48 the market and civil society in governing and to ‘weaken further the role of the political aspects of governing. ices will not be easy, and may be country-specific, Much of the the public sector has tended to assume rather common patterns of change, but we may now expect somewhat greater divergence among these systems. Coping with a major economic crisis, as well as with ‘other major policy challenges such as climate change, may cause states to revert to more traditional patterns of governing. That would mean that more eral states would rely heal reassert more direct state dominance, The observed pattern been to some iberal Anglo-American systems ‘becoming he: ‘and some European states such as Germany being more coping with a crisis can be & spur for reform and can help reveal future patterns of governing Notes ble date for marking the begining of the transformations would be the ‘of Margaret Thatcher in 1979, See Savoie (1994), many ways, Low was waiting about meta-governance without doing so ex ‘See Nicholson (2002), they emphasize the private more than the publi, ta they ae Indesd abot mabagensnt 4 Governnos gd to devetbe a ary of diferent gps ofthe general proces ‘mote dificult and may require cultural change as wel as relatively simple changes of structures and procedures. References D, (2000) “Hard and Soft Law in International Govern- 54 421-56, 9os oaneasiampy puv suomposy samasy Anstoqun “svapos pon fo uopm -vusnqupy agra ove Buppuedxo-s24 wy SygqUyENESDY (008) 0 "HBT, ous As99/°PH 1 9QH0 HN p> rpr042ye ‘conan fo aououo8oroyy 241 puw noweBeuDpy 29% (BODE) “I "UEWR|NIA 000 m7 eS (HOG) HOW “sSnig AysIOMUA paRAsEH “SHEN “SAUQUIPD, ‘mouauaKog wy owaRowpy ax8omug nA IONE BuI0915 (S661) "W 2300 ‘08-6S¢ 01 *oayy, pun ypuvarayywoqmatsmmpy aan | Peter ses wre an Beem ate) 0 std 12-5, -ouag weadomng fquomy. ut dyssequuayy oj wows8eUeyY 2H Vy (1661) 2 1D EN “woyTeYD ‘numUaUBs0D fo s09z M1, (9L61) 2 ‘POOH NEAL “MoMDIOD FnIYMBDLVE (4661) "sa Ass9atuy, PrOIKO :PIEPKO "SHOSHAEg. 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