CENTRAL AGENCIES AND THE COORDINATION PRINCIPLE*

Abstract: Resource scarcity and social and economic complexity have prompted a growing focus by governments on coordination. New roles for central agencies in Australian State and Federal governments have emerged. An evaluation of these functions is undertaken, starting from the distinction drawn by Leon Peres between "principle" and "interest" as forces in the machinery of government. It is argued that this distinction has deficiencies for the purpose of determining central agency functions, and that the focus should be on procedural values or "rules of the game" that these agencies promote and defend. Added to the procedural values of efficiency, economy and propriety there is now a growing focus on the "coordination principle". That principle, which central agencies should promote, concerns processes of conflict management in the policy process within the context of general purpose rather than sectorally fragmented policy-making. Policy coordination as an objective, associated with central planning and hierarchical control, is rejected in favour of this view of central agency involvement in a multi-organizational governmental setting. The role of cabinet is stressed, with the caveat that cabinet processes do not always entail coordination processes. In conclusion, there is a warning about the growing power of central agencies and concomitant temptations for them to interfere constantly in sectoral or departmental detail, possibly to the detriment of the coordination principle.     

COMMONWEALTH STATUTORY AUTHORITIES: EXPLORING THE FIELD

In the December 1977 number of this Journal (vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 357–366), I presented a number of charts which had developed out of my consulting work on statutory authorities for the Coombs Royal Commission, and which sought to trace the pattern of creations and abolitions of such authorities over the period from 1901 to mid-1975. A supplementary list traced developments up to the end of 1976, when the article was prepared. Though I believed the listings were reasonably comprehensive, some statutory authorities are notoriously elusive, and readers were invited to suggest any additions or alterations that should be made.     

POLICE ADMINISTRATION: THE RESPONSE TO CHANGE*

Abstract: The organizational structure of Australian police forces is based on the quasi-military pattern established by the London Metropolitan Police Force. While community values, attitudes and aspirations remained comparatively static, this pattern seemed to both police and the public to be workable, if not completely satisfactory. However, it is becoming increasingly evident to police administrators that the traditional pattern of organization is experiencing difficulties in coping with a changing society. In America, in particular, attention has been given to attempts to replace the traditional police bureaucracy with a more flexible, participatory, science-based structure. Changes in police structures come about very slowly for a variety of reasons, including bureaucratic resistance to change. Australian Commissioners of Police are usually career appointments from within the force of practical officers who are not necessarily interested in administrative principles. Ministerial heads also are often not committed to innovative programs. In most cases, changes within Australian police forces have resulted from outside pressures, and major reforms have usually been associated with outside appointments to the post of Commissioner. A Commissioner who elects to be an innovator needs powerful backing from his minister and from within his organization, the support of influential community voices, reasonably long tenure of office and adequate financial allocations. His freedom to introduce reform is also affected by the philosophy of his police union. Available data suggest that our traditional law enforcement system is not succeeding in its prime tasks of preventing and solving crimes. Several courses of action are open to enable Australia's law enforcement agencies to be more responsive to a changing society: senior police officers should establish a national forum to enable their views to be heard, opportunities should be provided for concerned civilians to be informed about and involved in crime prevention and criminal justice, and the feasibility of copying the American system of State Criminal Justice Planning Agencies should be examined.     

PROGRAM COORDINATION IN THE EMPLOYMENT SERVICE: A STATE AND LOCAL POLICY PERSPECTIVE

This paper analyzes the role of coordination criteria in employment and training service delivery within the Job Training Partnership Act system. The evolution of coordination criteria is related to current initiatives in the Employment Service at the state and local levels. An operational set of program outcome measures for monitoring coordination efforts is discussed. This set of outcome measures is formulated in the broad context of stabilizing employment and averting the "structuralization" of unemployment impacts wrought by fundamental economic change in the labor market. The assessment and monitoring of such coordination efforts is discussed.