Governance – why bother?

PFA Conference

Dublin 10th December 2007

Roger Latham

Keynes’ Statement

“The power of economic theory is greater than commonly imagined. Practical men of affairs, who believe themselves quite immune from its influence, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist, and madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back”

General Theory 1935

Roles & relationships - the public sector

Politics:Who is us & them

Legitimisation of force

Who gets what, where and when.Mobilising power to defend or

make choicesA priori definitions of good & bad

Public debate & discussionAcknowledgement of luck &

Circumstance

Professionalism:Occupation requires

special skill setAccreditation maintained

by collective bodyHighly trained, disciplined

based on qualificationPreference for party political neutrality

Problems defined in terms of solutions qualified to offer

Street level practice & grass roots innovation

Managerialism:Wherever the state boundaries

are it must be well managedState admin must be accountable

Focus on 3E’s & VFMClaims to operate outside politics

but always searching for new explanations

Relentlessly optimistic“There is nothing that cannot

be managed,given time”