Management of Change in th e public sector
Management of Change in the Public Sector
Joseph Mphafudi
Contents
0
Introduction 2
The definition of Change management 3
Origin of Change Management 4
Factors that prompted Necessity for Change 5
The Approach to Change Management in the Public Sector 6
Managing Change in the public Sector –Methods and Tools 14
Conclusion 16
References 17
Introduction
In today’s knowledge-based economy, the world is highly competitive and demanding. Society is better informed and expects more from public sector. Traditional public processes and institutions are less effective in satisfying people’s needs. Globalisation, the wide use of communication and information technologies, and the coming of the knowledge society, among other factors, are rapidly changing the
World’s order. This has created new challenges to nation-states as people’s expectations from government have increased. Personnel systems are becoming less adaptive to these new challenges. Indeed, traditional practices in public administration are the product of a different context with different priorities. Now, governments have a new role in society and are taking on new responsibilities but generally without the necessary tools to manage them effectively. Public managers are expected to improve the performance of their organisations focusing on efficiency, effectiveness, and propriety which were not the priorities 50 years ago. Therefore, to be able to respond to a changing environment the public sector has to transform its structures, processes, procedures, and above all, its culture.
In this new order, the management of change has been identified as a critical variable for the success or failure of a reform policy. Managing change aims at ensuring that the necessary conditions for the success of a reform initiative are met. A reform policy may fail to achieve change, may generate unintended results or face resistance from organisations and/or
Joseph Mphafudi
Contents
0
Introduction 2
The definition of Change management 3
Origin of Change Management 4
Factors that prompted Necessity for Change 5
The Approach to Change Management in the Public Sector 6
Managing Change in the public Sector –Methods and Tools 14
Conclusion 16
References 17
Introduction
In today’s knowledge-based economy, the world is highly competitive and demanding. Society is better informed and expects more from public sector. Traditional public processes and institutions are less effective in satisfying people’s needs. Globalisation, the wide use of communication and information technologies, and the coming of the knowledge society, among other factors, are rapidly changing the
World’s order. This has created new challenges to nation-states as people’s expectations from government have increased. Personnel systems are becoming less adaptive to these new challenges. Indeed, traditional practices in public administration are the product of a different context with different priorities. Now, governments have a new role in society and are taking on new responsibilities but generally without the necessary tools to manage them effectively. Public managers are expected to improve the performance of their organisations focusing on efficiency, effectiveness, and propriety which were not the priorities 50 years ago. Therefore, to be able to respond to a changing environment the public sector has to transform its structures, processes, procedures, and above all, its culture.
In this new order, the management of change has been identified as a critical variable for the success or failure of a reform policy. Managing change aims at ensuring that the necessary conditions for the success of a reform initiative are met. A reform policy may fail to achieve change, may generate unintended results or face resistance from organisations and/or
References: Argyris, C. (1998), Empowerment: the emperor’s new clothe in Harvard Business Review May/June? UNDP Kanter,R.M. (1999) The enduring Skills for change leaders’in leader to leader,13,Summer 1999 Kotter J.P Warren G. B, Kenneth D. B, and Robert C (Eds). Holt, R and Winston, New York: (1969). The Planning of Change (2nd Edition). Newell A and Simon H, (1972) Human Problem Solving World Bank (2002) Institutional and governance Reviews-An Evolving type of Economic and Sector Work,Public Sector Prem Notes,World Bank. DANIDA (2005),Boesen N and Therkildsen ,O Capacity Development Evaluation, Step 1:Contributions to an analytic Framework, Ministry of foreign affairs ,DANIDA,September 2002 Senge.p (1996) The dance of Change, Currency Doubleday, New York Amabile,T.(1998) How to kill Creativity in Henry,J (ed) (2001) Creative Management, Open University Business School in association with Sage Publications, London Henry,et al (2002),Organising for innovation, the open University, Milton Keyness Marsh,C.(2001) Degrees of Change-Resistance or reliance in Performance improvement, March 2001,v40 Bridges,W and Mitchell ,S Thompson JD (1967) Organizations in Action. McGraw-Hill, New York: 1967. Crookall, P. and Schachter, H. (2002) Changing Management Culture: Models and Strategies,Research report for the Government of Canada Thompson James 1967 Organisations in Action New York, Mccraw Hilll Kotter JP, 2012, Leading Change, with anew preface Mchugh,M