Transforming Government: Lessons from the Reinvention Laboratories (Jossey-Bass Nonprofit & Public Management Series) [Hardcover]

Patricia W. Ingraham (Editor), James R. Thompson (Editor), Ronald P. Sanders (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0787909319 | ISBN-13: 978-0787909314 | Edition: 1st

This insider's guide reveals the key lessons for managing reform being learned from the federal government's Reinventing Government program. Leaders will discover that success will be evident not in major, sweeping changes but in a series of small, but important signs.

The contributors present strategic issues for change, discussing why the current bureaucratic model of organizing is ill-suited to today's challenges and identifying what will replace it. They explore the tactics for change in public organizations, examining the repercussions of change for employees, identifying success factors for change, and examining the crucial role leadership plays in successful change.

Transforming Government presents a look into the future of public organizations and sage advice on how to implement change effectively to succeed in that future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There has been enormous debate about "reinventing government"--but little careful study about what is actually happening. This extremely useful book tells the story-behind-the-story. It examines the critical steps required to make reinvention work, and the big problems that reinvention must solve. Anyone interested in improving government performance will need to read this book." (Donald F. Kettl, director, The Robert M. LaFollette Institute of Public Affairs)

"Bureaucracy-busters will benefit from this manual for bettering business practices in government. Its authors offer a practical guide that does not ignore the considerable obstacles facing reinvention advocates." (Timothy B. Clark, editor and publisher, Government Executive Magazine)

From the Inside Flap

In government agencies across the country, managers and elected officials are effecting real change--and learning important lessons about what works and what doesn't in re-engineering government organizations. These reinvention laboratories represent a move away from rigidity and bureaucracy and toward the fluidity and flexibility required to effect positive change in today's public organization. Transforming Government reveals the key lessons for managing reform being learned from the federal government's Reinventing Government program. Leaders will discover that success will be evident not in major, sweeping changes but in a series of small, but important steps; that leaders must look to the history of their own organizations rather than at practices of others for solutions; that leaders must consistently provide resources for implementation, that strong, continuos leadership is central to reform, and more. The contributors draw directly from the expertise and experience of reinvention laboratories from the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Internal Revenue Service, and others. The contributors present strategic issues for change, discussing why the current bureaucratic model of organizing is ill-suited to today's challenges, and identifying what will replace it. They explore the tactics for change in public organizations, examining the repercussions of change for employees, identifying success factors for change and examining the crucial role leadership plays in successful change. The book then goes on to offer lessons for continuing transformation, dealing with such thematic issues as accountability and political context. Transforming Government presents a look into the future of public organizations and sage advice on how to implement change effectively to succeed in that future.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 266 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (October 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787909319
• ISBN-13: 978-0787909314
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,513,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read, July 27, 2001

By 

Sandra Doane (Chilhowie, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Transforming Government: Lessons from the Reinvention Laboratories (Jossey-Bass Nonprofit & Public Management Series) (Hardcover)

This text was assigned as required reading for a public administration course. I found the book to be easy to read and it gave a great deal of information on the NPR. I found it well worth the time.