Characteristics of new public management

The New Public Management (NPM) is a set of ideas and practices that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, aimed at reforming the public sector to make it more efficient, effective, and responsive to citizens. The key characteristics of NPM are:

  1. Managerialism: Emphasis on professional management and leadership, with a focus on results-oriented management and accountability.
  2. Decentralization: Shift of decision-making authority from central government to lower levels of government, agencies, or even individual employees.
  3. Privatization: Transfer of public services or assets to private sector organizations, either through contracting or outright sale.
  4. Market-oriented approaches: Use of market mechanisms, such as competition, contracts, and user fees, to deliver public services.
  5. Performance measurement and evaluation: Emphasis on setting clear goals, measuring performance, and evaluating outcomes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
  6. Customer orientation: Focus on meeting the needs and expectations of citizens, customers, or clients, rather than just providing public services.
  7. Flexibility and adaptability: Encouragement of innovation, experimentation, and adaptability in response to changing circumstances.
  8. Partnerships and collaboration: Encouragement of partnerships between government, private sector, and civil society organizations to achieve common goals.
  9. Human resource management: Emphasis on developing and utilizing the skills and competencies of public sector employees, with a focus on employee empowerment and motivation.
  10. Accountability and transparency: Increased transparency and accountability, with a focus on reporting and evaluation of performance.
  11. Risk management: Recognition of the importance of managing risk and uncertainty in public sector decision-making.
  12. Citizen participation: Encouragement of citizen participation and engagement in public decision-making processes.
  13. Results-oriented budgeting: Focus on budgeting and resource allocation based on clear goals and outcomes, rather than just inputs and activities.
  14. Public-private partnerships: Collaboration between government and private sector organizations to deliver public services or infrastructure projects.
  15. Innovation and entrepreneurship: Encouragement of innovation and entrepreneurship in the public sector, with a focus on creating new solutions and services.

These characteristics of NPM are not exhaustive, and different authors may emphasize different aspects. However, they provide a general framework for understanding the key principles and practices of NPM.