Toward Better Governance: Public Service Reform in New Zealand (1984-94) and Its Relevance to Canada Over the last decade, governments of New Zealand have undertaken sweeping reforms of social and economic policies and of the public sector. Certain of their public service reforms are innovative efforts to solve long-standing dilemmas in public administration, and aspects of these reforms may be worthy of adoption or adaptation by the government of Canada. This study focuses on the reform of the core public service in New Zealand, examining the principal stages of a decade of reforms including commercialization, corporatization, and restructuring, plus fundamental changes in the approach to management and accountability. The study attempts to explain the origins of the reforms, their evolution, and their progress to date. The study concludes with a discussion of matters with particular relevance to Canada, including strengthening of the budgetary regime, separating policy and operations, delegating authority, and enhancing accountability. |
