Public administration has evolved into an extraordinarily complex form of governance employing traditional bureaucracy, quasi-government public organizations, and collaborative networks of nongovernmental organizations. Analyzing and improving government performance - a matter of increasing concern to citizens, elected officials, and managers of the organizations themselves - has in turn become a much more fraught undertaking. Understanding the new complexities calls for new research approaches, "The Art of Governance" presents a fresh palette of research based on a new framework of governance that was first developed by coeditor Laurence E. Lynn, Jr., with Carolyn J. Heinrich, and Carolyn J. Hill in their book, "Improving Governance: A New Logic for Empirical Research". That book identified how the relationships among citizens, legislatures, executive and organizational structures, and stakeholders interact, in order to better diagnose and solve problems in public management. This volume takes that relational concept into new realms of conceptualization and application as it links alternative institutional and administrative structures to program performance in different policy areas and levels of government. Collectively, the contributors begin to paint a new picture of how management matters throughout the policy process. They illuminate how, at different levels of an organization, leadership and management vary - and explore both the significance of structural systems and the importance of alternative organizational forms for the implementation of public policies. "The Art of Governance" shows that effective governance is much more complex than paint-by-number. But if the variety of forms and models of governance are analyzed using advanced theories, models, methods, and data, important lessons can be applied that can lead us to more successful institutions.
Part One: Choosing a Conceptual Lens 1. Governance as an Organizing Theme for Empirical ResearchCarolyn J. Heinrich, Carolyn J. Hill, and Laurence E. Lynn, Jr. 2. Framing High Performance and Innovativeness in Government: A Review and Assessment of ResearchHal G. Rainey and Jay Eungha Ryu Part Two: Social Program Service Delivery: Identifying the Linkages in Diverse Settings 3. Alternative Governance Structures for Welfare Provider NetworksJo Ann G. Ewalt 4. Governance, Evidence-Based Practice and Performance in Substance Abuse Treatment ProgramsCarolyn J. Heinrich 5. Can Casework Design Choices Improve Outcomes for Clients Who Are Difficult to Employ? Evidence From Welfare-To-Work OfficesCarolyn J. HillPart Three: Government Organizations: Identifying the Linkages in Diverse Settings 6. Management and Performance Outcomes in State GovernmentAmy Donahue, Willow S. Jacobson, Mark D. Robbins, Ellen V. Rubin, and Sally C. Selden 7. Linking Dimensions of Public Sector Leadership to PerformancePatricia W. Ingraham, Jessica E. Sowa, and Donald P. Moynihan Part Four: The Map for Future Analysis 8. Putting Performance Measurement in ContextEdward T. Jennings, Jr. and Meg Patrick Haist 9. Conceptual Issues in Modeling and Measuring Management and Its Impacts on PerformanceKenneth J. Meier and Laurence O'Toole, Jr. 10. Analyzing Management Structures and Systems in a Governance Framework: What Have We Learned?Patricia W. Ingraham
