Governing by Contract: Challenges and Opportunities for Public Managers

by Phillip J. Cooper, Phillip Cooper

Overview

Is the public getting a good deal when the government contracts out the delivery of goods and services? Phillip Cooper attempts to get at the heart of this question by exploring what happens when public sector organizations—at the federal, state and local levels—form working relationships with other agencies, communities, non-profit organizations and private firms through contracts. Rather than focus on the ongoing debate over privatization, the book emphasizes the tools managers need to form, operate, terminate or transform these contracts amidst a complex web of intergovernmental relations.

Cooper frames the issues of public contract management by showing how managers are caught in between governance by authority and government by contract. By looking at cases ranging from the management of Baltimore schools to the contracting of senior citizen programs in Kansas, he offers practical information to students and practitioners and a theoretical context for their work.

At every turn, the author avoids bogging readers down in technical jargon. Instead the book sheds light on a crucial part of any public manager′s job with lively case material and no-nonsense guidance for making the most of taxpayer dollars.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781544342504
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	07/01/2002
Series:	Public Affairs and Policy Administration Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	172
File size:	844 KB

About the Author

Phillip J. Cooper is professor of public administration in the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University. He was the first recipient of the Charles Levine Award given by the American Society for Public Administration and the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. He is the author of numerous books and articles on public administration, administrative law, constitutional law, law and public policy, environmental policy, and sustainable development administration. He has served as a consultant to the United Nations and the World Bank on sustainable administration. He has also been a consultant to local governments, state and federal agencies, the U.S. Congress, and the White House.

Editorial Reviews

Cooper (political science, University of Vermont) considers the role of contracts in the relationships between governmental organizations and other agencies, communities, nonprofit groups, and private firms. Instead of debating the merits of privatization, he offers guidance on forming, operating, terminating, and transforming contracts amidst the complexities of inter-governmental relations. Chapters focus on criteria and trade-offs, agreement and authority, integration, operations, separation and transformation, and capacity building. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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