Harnessing Complexity for Better Outcomes in Public and Non-profit Services

by Max French, Hannah Hesselgreaves, Rob Wilson

ePDF and ePUB available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. How can public services and social interventions create and sustain good outcomes for the populations they serve? Building on research in public health, social epidemiology and the social determinants of health, this book presents complexity theory as an alternative basis for an outcome-oriented public management praxis. It takes a critical approach towards New Public Management and provides new conceptual inroads for reappraising public management in theory and practice. It advances two practical Human Learning Systems (a model for public service reform) and Learning Partnerships (a model for research and academic engagement in complex settings). With up-to-date and extensive discussions on public service reform, this book provides practical and action-oriented guidance for a radical change of course in management and governance.

144 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2023

Reviews

[Daniele Panzeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complexity theory provides the framework for better understanding how public administration can handle the many challenges it faces.
This book is crucial for many reasons, but the most important point it makes to me is the turnaround that Public Administration should do to continue proving necessary, passing from the focus on the systems to the focus on the people.