The public risks poorer service

The quality reform demands an investment in management in the public sector

Quality reform, three part negotiations and management education. These are the subjects when the MPA programme at CBS hosts a debate meeting (in Danish). According to associate professor and programme director Dorthe Pedersen these three issues are invariably connected.

- The quality reform is not a reform like any other. It is not comparable to the structure reform or the cost reform. It is about innovation and creativity and this cannot be top managed. If the public sector awards more high quality welfare without further resources you have to invest in management, Dorthe Pedersen says.

The MPA programme is directed at public managers and offers a possibility of high quality supplementary academic education.

More administration less management

Dorthe Pedersen thinks the consequences of all the reforms in the long run mean more administration and less management if stake is not placed on good management in the public sector. The risk being that the bureaucracy moves out into the institutions, which will then have to be geared towards receiving the documentation demands of politicians and public servants.

However, in the work places, managers are needed that can coach, guide and altogether insure that the employees that deliver the quality do not get frustrated.

Competing on management instead of on salary

If people continue to retire at the age of 61-62 then almost 25% of the public managers will be gone within the next five years. In 10 years 50% will have left the workforce.

- It is an incredible challenge knowing that young people would rather work in the private than the public sector and since the public sector almost never is able to compete salary wise then good management and development possibilities must be the parameters needed to ensure enough qualified workers in the future public sector, says Dorthe Pedersen.

Debate meeting

Tuesday, May 29th the MPA programme at CBS holds a debate meeting (in Danish) on quality reform, three part negotiations and management.

The panel consists of:

Bente Sorgenfrey, Head of FTF

Dennis Kristensen, Union leader of FOA

Per Hansen, Head of DJØF’s association for public managers

Ninna Petersen, Administrative Director for Deloitte Business Consulting, (MPA’a advisory committee)

René la Cour Sell, member of Ny Alliance