PUBLIC PURCHASING: AN ADMINISTRATIVE CINDERELLA

The potential value of enlightened public sector purchasing policies (as distinct from crude'Buy-British policies) to stimulate industrial efficiency and technological innovation, although long recognized as of fundamental importance to the British economy, has been largely disregarded by those seeking policies for industrial revitalization. This article reviews the present government's renewed commitment to enlightened public purchasing, outlining exactly what such policies demand of and offer to buyers and suppliers; assessing the progress made to date; and suggesting a number of ways in which the impact of the current initiative might be improved.     

ENVIRONMENTAL ADMINISTRATION IN SIX EUROPEAN STATES: SECULAR CONVERGENCE OR NATIONAL DISTINCTIVENESS?

To what extent has environmental administration in Europe been shaped by common secular forces or by distinctive national contexts? Middle range theories of the policy process suggest competing answers to this question, with some implying the likelihood of convergence in administrative structures and others suggesting persistent national distinctiveness. Using data on Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK, we construct a measure of administrative concentration in each country. From this measure we assess the extent of convergence over time among the six nations. We argue that national context is a more important influence than common secular trends, and we identify in each state the political dynamics behind the national pattern. The symbolic role of administrative reorganization is thereby highlighted in the politics of environmental policy.     

MANAGING FINANCIAL STRINGENCY IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

This article contributes to the debate about the most effective ways to manage the effects of financial stringency in the public sector. It tentatively draws ideas for further research from three action research studies conducted longitudinally over several years in different contexts and sectors and at different organization levels within the public sector. Our contribution focuses on the management of the early stages of stringency. We conclude that in stringent times, particularly in the short-term, intra-organizational conflict is likely to increase; organizational climates to become more cautious and reactive; and management to become more centralized, controlling and to take what is termed the efficiency rather than the effectiveness option. To these factors is added the resistance to change inherent in professional bureaucracies. Managers in public sector organizations experiencing harsher environments need to be helped to plan strategically for implementation in the particular context in which they find themselves.     

COMPLAINTS, REMEDIES AND THE HEALTH SERVICE COMMISSIONER

The Government's Citizen's and Patient's Charters see the Health Service Commissioner scheme playing an important part in securing effective remedies for complaints about administration in the NHS. The scheme is assessed against the background of the fragmented nature of the NHS complaints systems. Because of jurisdictional limitations the Commissioner can only deal with a small proportion of NHS complaints. An analysis of HSC cases between 1986 and 1991 shows that it is those about complaint-handling itself which have been most frequently upheld. The most frequent remedy achieved is an HSC-delivered apology, which is not always found satisfactory, but the HSC places equal emphasis on providing a 'quality audit' and feedback mechanism for health authorities. If the HSC is to play the role implied by the charters, it will be necessary to consider removing the limitations on his jurisdiction which exclude clinical Judgement and the work of family practitioners.     

Row,Row,Row Your Boat...

My afternoon plans to go dragon boat racing on Houhai Lake in downtown Beijing could have started better.Cycling across town,     

Running to Extremes

For some,simply running 21 km, or a full marathon at 42 km, isn’t enough of an achievement. I mean, you can run amarathon in almost every major city in     

Turning the Tide: Recognizing Climate Change Refugees in International Law

Many of the debates surrounding the environmental, social, and economic implications of climate change are now well known. However, there is increasing concern over the extent to which those suffering displacement or forced migration as a result of climate change are protected. This article seeks to highlight the plight of such individuals and suggests how the current protection gap might be remedied. Present legal structures, such as the Refugee Convention and the framework for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), prove largely inadequate having been constructed for different purposes and being limited in their application. The alternative proposed in this article is a regionally oriented regime operating under the auspices of the UN Climate Change Framework. While both the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol currently call for regional cooperation in respect of adaptation activities, it is argued there should be an explicit recognition of so‐called climate change refugees in the post‐Kyoto agreement that allows for, and facilitates, the development of regional programs to address the problem. Employing such a strategy would remedy the current protection gap that exists within the international legal system, while allowing states to respond and engage with climate change displacement in the most regionally appropriate manner.