Melbourne School of Government - Research Publications

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    The future of public administration research: An editor's perspective
    McDonald, BD ; Hall, JL ; O'Flynn, J ; Thiel, S (WILEY, 2022-03)
    Abstract Research in the field of public administration has changed and advanced significantly in recent years. These advancements concern both how we engage in research—such as the methods we apply, the interdisciplinary nature of the theories we use, and the research questions we ask. Increasingly, we are witnessing a shift in public‐sector values away from efficiency and effectiveness and toward a paradigm that highlights equity. In this article, we reflect on these changes from our position as editors‐in‐chief of some of the leading journals in the field. In addition to describing the progress of this discipline, we explore emerging windows of opportunity for new research. One such window is research on ways to incorporate interdisciplinary perspectives and methods. We also see the need for work in such areas as social equity, comparative administration, artificial intelligence, and climate change. Finally, we argue for a more proactive approach in disseminating research to those involved in the day‐to‐day decision‐making processes of public organizations.
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    Rising to Ostrom's challenge: an invitation to walk on the bright side of public governance and public service
    Douglas, S ; Schillemans, T ; 't Hart, P ; Ansell, C ; Bogh Andersen, L ; Flinders, M ; Head, B ; Moynihan, D ; Nabatchi, T ; O'Flynn, J ; Peters, BG ; Raadschelders, J ; Sancino, A ; Sorensen, E ; Torfing, J (TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2021-10-02)
    In this programmatic essay, we argue that public governance scholarship would benefit from developing a self-conscious and cohesive strand of "positive" scholarship, akin to social science subfields like positive psychology, positive organizational studies, and positive evaluation. We call for a program of research devoted to uncovering the factors and mechanisms that enable high performing public policies and public service delivery mechanisms; procedurally and distributively fair processes of tackling societal conflicts; and robust and resilient ways of coping with threats and risks. The core question driving positive public administration scholarship should be: Why is it that particular public policies, programs, organizations, networks, or partnerships manage do much better than others to produce widely valued societal outcomes, and how might knowledge of this be used to advance institutional learning from positives?
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    Back to the future: Reflections and predictions
    Althaus, C ; Dickinson, H ; Katsonis, M ; O'Flynn, J (WILEY, 2021-12)
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    Rising to Ostrom's Challenge: An invitation to walk on the bright side of politics, governance and public service
    Douglas, S ; Schillemans, T ; ‘t Hart, P ; Ansell, C ; Bøgh Andersen, L ; Flinders, M ; Head, B ; Moynihan, D ; Nabatchi, T ; O'Flynn, J ; Peters, BG ; Raadschelders, J ; Sancino, A ; Sørensen, E ; Torfing, J ( 2021)
    As a group of fifteen scholars from different sub-fields, countries, and generations, we argue that public administration would benefit from launching a self-conscious and cohesive strand of ‘positive’ scholarship, akin to social science subfields like positive psychology (Seligman & Csikshikszentmihalyi, 2000), positive organisational studies (Cameron & Dutton, 2003, p 4), and positive evaluation (Nielsen, Turksema & van der Knaap, 2015). We call for a program of research devoted to uncovering the factors and mechanisms that enable high performing public problem-solving and public service delivery; procedurally and distributively fair processes of tackling societal conflicts; and robust and resilient ways of coping with threats and risks. The core question driving positive public administration scholarship should be: Why is it that in a universe of like cases, specific public policies, programs, organizations, networks, or partnerships manage do much better than others to produce widely valued societal outcomes?
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    New Zealand: Whānau Ora Agile Government Case
    O'Flynn, J ; Lucas, P (Agile Government Center, National Academy of Public Administration, 2020)
    Aotearoa-New Zealand walks between two cultural worlds - Māori[1] and Western/Anglo traditions - which were embedded following British colonisation, what happens when social policy is designed to reflect these worlds? Māori have perpetually demanded their perspectives be listened to and acted on in public policy since colonisation, but in the past 30 years this call has been gaining broader support. In 2010, Whānau Ora health and social initiative was legislated into action. This came after years of former Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Hon. Dame Tariana Turia agitating for change to how Māori health and social services were delivered. For Māori, whānau[2] sits at the centre of culture and community. Whānau Ora, “family wellbeing” in Māori, aims to improve outcomes across areas such as health, education, housing, and employment, with a focus on the hauora of the whānau, as opposed to the traditional focus on individual crisis intervention. “Hauora” is a Māori philosophy of wellbeing entailing four mutually supportive dimensions: taha tinana (physical wellbeing); taha hinengaro (mental and emotional wellbeing); taha whanau (social wellbeing); and taha wairua (spiritual wellbeing) (Durie 1994). As background, it is important to recognize that a central goal of this endeavor is to recognize in Whānau Ora the principle that whānau are best placed to develop their own plans to meet their needs and achieve their aspirations. This contrasts with past practice where services are thrust upon them in times of crisis and with little consideration for their strengths.. Thus, this radical shift towards whānau self-determination required different approaches to developing and implementing Whānau Ora. While not drawing directly from Agile methodology, Whānau Ora shares many of the principles of it, but through a particular Māori and pasifika[3] lens. This case shows us that application of the principles of agile government can be seen in delivering services in a manner that resonates in many communities and has roots in a wide variety of practices.
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    Australia Post Case Study
    O'Flynn, J ; Lucas, P (Agile Government Center, National Academy of Public Administration, 2020)
    Australia Post faced both disruption and opportunity as the digital era began to shift consumer demands towards ecommerce. The government business enterprise needed to adjust to these headwinds, so in 2012, it embarked on a reinvention of how its Digital Division operated. On a quest to improve customer experience, the Division grew from 15 to 270 open and collaborative people in a couple of years. The Digital Division consciously adopted the Agile methodology in setting out on its transformation.
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    Confronting the big challenges of our time: making a difference during and after COVID-19
    O'Flynn, J (ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2021-07-03)
    This article explores key challenges emanating from COVID-19 and how public management and administration research can contribute to addressing them. To do this I discuss the ‘big questions’ debate and then sketch two big thematic challenges. In articulating these, I point to interconnections across various levels of analysis and argue we need to work across a range of boundaries and get more comfortable with complexity. My key argument being that both during and in the aftermath of a catastrophic global pandemic, it is at the intersections, not in silos, that we are likely to move forward intellectually and practically.
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    Collaborating After Crisis: How Public Administration Scholars and Practitioners Can Work Together
    O'Flynn, J (Melbourne School of Government, 2020)
    Key Points This Policy Brief makes the following key points: (a) COVID-19 has laid bare the capacity challenges faced by governments and exacerbated entrenched disadvantage and inequality. The pandemic has acted as an accelerant of many problems that confront governments, shining light on how decades of reform have eroded government capacity and bought to the fore deep divisions in society. (b) Practitioners and scholars can work together on big challenges that confront us during the crisis and in the aftermath. We need a pivot from ‘big questions’ towards ‘big challenges’, so that public administration and management scholars can work closely with practitioners to address these challenges in real time. (c) To make a difference we need new ways of working collaboratively. If we are keen to collaborate in this crisis and beyond it makes more sense to look to successful collaborations rather than dwell on supposed tensions between scholars and practitioners.