New Public Management: a performance tool for public organizations

Abstract

Often described as inefficient and less profitable, public organizations have shown enormous dysfunction and deficiencies for years because of their organizational nature and the purpose of their institution (Charreaux, 2006). Therefore, improving their performance remains a major challenge for policy makers and development practitioners. In recent years, with the aim of improving governance and performance, many OECD countries have embarked on a process of modernizing their public management. Since then, the logic of action of the public sector has undergone considerable changes, moving from the old traditional paradigm of "public administration" or "Weberian" paradigm to a "new public management" or new public governance (Osborne, 2006). Along the same lines during the 2000s, administrative reform efforts gained momentum by the Moroccan government as a means of improving the performance of these public organizations. This paper provides an overview of the evolution of the NMP approach, the combination of drivers of change, and the potentials and challenges of its implementation. It focused on the current link between significant reforms and public sector performance. This proposed work aims to delimit the contours and areas where the practice of New Public Management constitutes a valuable support for performance development. The aim is to provide a theoretical reflection on the new public management, thus constituting an appropriate frame of reference for the establishment of a clear, realistic and achievable policy on the management of the public organization.

JEL classification: H11

Paper type: Theoretical Research