A SCANCOR WORKSHOP
In collaboration with SOG
April 1 - 2, 2005
Stanford University
CALL FOR PAPERS
Autonomization of the state: From integrated
administrative models to single purpose organizations
The New Public Management (NPM) movement with its increasing focus on
market adaptation, contracting out, management orientation and improved
efficiency, has gained a strong footing in many countries. Structural
autonomy, agencification, devolution, deregulation and market competition
have been central means. The organization forms have changed from integrated
ministerial models to single purpose models, independent agencies and public
companies. The development of performance management techniques and new
forms of external, formal control forms based on distrust are challenging
the traditional internal informal control based on mutual trust.
Simultaneously, comprehensive regulatory reforms have been launched
internationally, as an attempt to modify some of the increasing devolution
and autonomization. Some of these re-regulations, to make it even more
complex, is connected to the establishment of autonomous regulatory bodies.
There is, however, an inherent tension in the NPM movement and in regulatory
reforms. We face an enduring tension between politics and administration,
between autonomy and control, between centralisation and decentralisation,
and between efficiency and other values such as national security, central
control, openness, democratic participation and professional management, for
which no simple solution can be found.
The transition from unitary administration with diverse functions to single
purpose organizations has not been subjected to any systematic evaluation.
Separate and specialized organizations can contribute to providing a clearer
demarcation of responsibilities and distribution of functions, but may also
result in problems of coordination and undermining of political control. An
important general task for the workshop is to examine the empirical
foundation of the NPM and regulatory reforms. Both papers focusing on reform
and (re)-regulation processes and on reform and regulatory effects and
practice are welcomed; as well as comparative studies both across countries
and across sectors, case studies and more quantitative oriented papers.
First, we will ask for papers that focus on how the complex trade-off
between political control and agency autonomy is in practice. Is it possible
to accommodate the political control requirements at the same time as
autonomization, deregulation and market forces are gaining speed? What is
the role of political leadership in new regulatory regimes? Will political
control become manifest through new forms of control with increased
importance attached to other forms of regulation, supervision and audit?
Second, we ask for papers that examine the deregulation/re-regulation
complexity. At the same time as deregulation does constitute an important
component in the regulatory reforms, a re-regulation is occurring whereby
the process of control and supervision is adopting new forms. What new forms
of control are arising?
Third, we ask for papers that examine the problem of role purification and
coordination. To what extent and how is it possible to differentiate between
the governmental roles of owner, purchaser, provider, regulator and
controller and what are the consequences for coordination and
accountability?
The workshop will be held at Stanford University. SCANCOR (The Scandinavian
Consortium for Organizational Research) will cover the conference expenses
including meals during the conference and accommodation for two nights.
Travel expenses are to be covered by the participants. The number of
participants is limited to 30.
Organizing and Coordinating Committee: Professor Tom Christensen, University
of Oslo and professor Per Lęgreid, University of Bergen.
Abstracts for papers should be sent to the organizers no later than December
1 2004. Authors will be notified of the acceptance of abstracts before the
end of December 2004. A tentative program will be available in January 2005.
Full papers will be due by March 1, 2005.
The Workshop is co-sponsored with the International Political Science
Research Committee on the Structure and Organization of Government (SOG).
Governance-which is sponsored by SOG-has the right of first refusal for all
papers presented at its conferences. These papers plus all others will be
considered for publication in an edited collection focused on the conference
theme. Authors invited to contribute to the collection will be asked to
submit revised versions of their papers by June 1.
Tom Christensen
Department of Political Science
University of Oslo
Tom.Christensen@stv.uio.no
Per Lęgreid
Department of Administration and Organization Theory/Rokkan Centre
University of Bergen
Per.Lagreid@aorg.uib.no
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