TY - JOUR
T1 - Public sector reform and governance for adaptation
T2 - Implications of new public management for adaptive capacity in Mexico and Norway
AU - Eakin, Hallie
AU - Eriksen, Siri
AU - Eikeland, Per Ove
AU - Øyen, Cecilie
PY - 2011/3
Y1 - 2011/3
N2 - Although many governments are assuming the responsibility of initiating adaptation policy in relation to climate change, the compatibility of "governance-for-adaptation" with the current paradigms of public administration has generally been overlooked. Over the last several decades, countries around the globe have embraced variants of the philosophy of administration broadly called "New Public Management" (NPM) in an effort to improve administrative efficiencies and the provision of public services. Using evidence from a case study of reforms in the building sector in Norway, and a case study of water and flood risk management in central Mexico, we analyze the implications of the adoption of the tenets of NPM for adaptive capacity. Our cases illustrate that some of the key attributes associated with governance for adaptation-namely, technical and financial capacities; institutional memory, learning and knowledge; and participation and accountability-have been eroded by NPM reforms. Despite improvements in specific operational tasks of the public sector in each case, we show that the success of NPM reforms presumes the existence of core elements of governance that have often been found lacking, including solid institutional frameworks and accountability. Our analysis illustrates the importance of considering both longer-term adaptive capacities and short-term efficiency goals in public sector administration reform.
AB - Although many governments are assuming the responsibility of initiating adaptation policy in relation to climate change, the compatibility of "governance-for-adaptation" with the current paradigms of public administration has generally been overlooked. Over the last several decades, countries around the globe have embraced variants of the philosophy of administration broadly called "New Public Management" (NPM) in an effort to improve administrative efficiencies and the provision of public services. Using evidence from a case study of reforms in the building sector in Norway, and a case study of water and flood risk management in central Mexico, we analyze the implications of the adoption of the tenets of NPM for adaptive capacity. Our cases illustrate that some of the key attributes associated with governance for adaptation-namely, technical and financial capacities; institutional memory, learning and knowledge; and participation and accountability-have been eroded by NPM reforms. Despite improvements in specific operational tasks of the public sector in each case, we show that the success of NPM reforms presumes the existence of core elements of governance that have often been found lacking, including solid institutional frameworks and accountability. Our analysis illustrates the importance of considering both longer-term adaptive capacities and short-term efficiency goals in public sector administration reform.
KW - Adaptive capacity
KW - Climate change adaptation
KW - Europe
KW - Governance
KW - Latin America
KW - New Public Management
KW - Public policy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79954447871&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79954447871&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00267-010-9605-0
DO - 10.1007/s00267-010-9605-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 21229245
AN - SCOPUS:79954447871
SN - 0364-152X
VL - 47
SP - 338
EP - 351
JO - Environmental Management
JF - Environmental Management
IS - 3
ER -