Managing Complex Networks: Strategies for the Public Sector

This innovative volume develops a network management approach to governance and public management, and shows how governments can manage policy networks to enhance policy performance and public service delivery. It is increasingly apparent that neither bureaucracy nor markets provide ultimate solutions for governance in modern societies. Public policy is made and implemented in networks of independent public and private actors. Managing Complex Networks argues that the management of such networks is an important part of a practical approach to public management. Although the concept of policy networks is now well established in the field, most research has contented itself with description and analysis of their contribution to policy failure. This book goes further. It accepts policy networks as a fundamental characteristic of modern societies and illustrates the various strategies for intervention. The book ends with presenting a toolkit for the management of these networks. The scholars contributing to this book have come to the forefront of research in the field of policy networks and their management. What they have to say about this topic is vital reading for academics and advanced level students in management, organization studies, public administration, political science and policy studies, as well as for public service professionals.

Walter Kickert is Professor of Public Administration at Erasmus University, Rotterdam.

Erik-Hans Klijn is a Lecturer in the Department of Public Administration at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. His research interests and publications focus on policy networks, housing policy and public private partnerships.

Joop Koppenjan is a lecturer at the Faculty of Systems Engineering, Policy Analysis and Management at the Technical University of Delft. His publications focus on policy processes, governance of policy projects and network management.

CONTRIBUTORS

JA de Bruijn Technical University of Delft

K I Hanf Erasmus University

E H ten Heuvelhof Technical University of Delft

P L Hupe Erasmus University

L J O′Toole jr. University of Georgia (USA)

A B Ringeling Catholic University of Nijmegen

L Schaap Erasmus University

C J A M Termeer Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Den Haag

G R Teisman Erasmus University

M J W van Twist Technical University Delft