Management of Public Organizations

Governments provide goods and services, and can produce goods and services, as well. Such goods and services are generally in support of broader public policies which are put in place by the federal government, or state or local governments. In theory, the formation of public policy occurs prior to the introduction of any other programs that may be developed, but it has only been since the 1970s that serious and scholarly study has been directed toward the formation of public policy. Generally, public policy is concerned with the application of formal methods and programs that may be put in place in the public sector, and the ways in which policies are shaped and implemented has political overtones as well as ramifications for public managers.

There is no one precise definition of public policy. It can refer to the intentions declared by political parties in an election (such as are put forth in the party platform); it can refer to a specific government program rather than just an intention; it may be general rules that guide the specific actions of bureaucrats and politicians in a specific place and time; or, it can be extended to include everything the government does (Bryan, 1997).

Lacking a single definition of public policy, it can be said that public policy is what public administrators implement (Bryan, 1997). It is the overarching philosophy which guides the development of specific policy pr

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rom the public best interest using these techniques (Donndelinger & Van Dine, 1996). Identifying the objectives also helps in later stages of the decision making process, including determining which alternatives might be appropriate, and which are not. Because of this, objectives should be clear and quantifiable, and understood by all concerned in the decision making process. If those making decisions have different interpretations of what the organization is trying to accomplish, it is unlikely that the organization will be successful. Thus a single situation may have several alternatives which are in the public interest, but only one which is in the public's best interest. Operations managers may call in experts in order to expedite the problem solving process. For example, a manager who needs to oversee a community development project is likely to call in experts regarding the construction and impact on the community. In many cases, use of experts is mandated by public law. Use of such experts can shorten the time associated with searching for alternatives, and can help the manager find solutions which would otherwise remain hidden (Gruenfeld, 1996). Once alternatives have been generated, they must be evaluated. Some alt

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