Article
Redefining Local Government Roles In Public Services: A Research‐Informed Process Model
Public Management: An International Journal of Research and Theory
(2000)
Abstract
County officials in the seven-county metropolitan area of the State of Minnesota's Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul were seeking to redefine county roles in service delivery. This article reports on a process model that was piloted on two services. The model was commissioned by officials; was based upon and informed by literature and comparative experience; began with an examination of functions performed; involved participants in focusing the study; was context-focused; and involved local stakeholders in projecting the implications of alternative county roles. These characteristics complicated the research management process because the process took more time, involved more actors, and required more coordination than traditional research. However, having stakeholders identify alternatives and bring factual material to the process was critical to the success of the model and including the comparative and contextual research both strengthened the policy conclusions and improved the probability of their adoption and implementation. A case of a Minnesota county that followed the model in an effort to reform water governance within the county illustrated adoption of the approach. The stakeholder analysis process was previously applied in Africa, China and Southeast Asia and the model should be applicable to a wide range of settings and problems.
Keywords
- alternative service delivery,
- counties,
- local government,
- public services,
- stakeholders
Disciplines
Publication Date
2000
DOI
10.1080/14719030000000028
Citation Information
Stacie A. Bosley. "Redefining Local Government Roles In Public Services: A Research‐Informed Process Model" Public Management: An International Journal of Research and Theory (2000) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/stacie-bosley/8/