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Copyright of Policy Studies Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

After several years of reforms inspired by the New Public Management approach, public sector accounting and performance measurement systems continue to differ among countries. Based on previous literature and data collected through a questionnaire, we perform an exploratory study on the relations between local government administrative systems and local government accounting information needs in a sample of European countries characterized by a legalistic orientation. Our results reveal that there is a frequent mismatch between the needed accounting and performance measurement information for internal and external purposes assessed on the basis of the administrative system in place and the accounting information and performance measurement information required by the law for decision-making and accountability. Moreover, as the results reveal, legislation in European local governments only sporadically stipulates the information suitable to satisfy the information needs created by the different levels of financial and organizational autonomy of local government administration systems to be available. Points for practitioners: In this article, we compare the accounting information and performance measurement information required by the law for decision-making and accountability to the information that we would expect to be available for internal and external purposes assessed on the basis of the administrative systems in local governments in 11 (eleven) European countries. Apart from the mismatches identified, our results provide evidence that the accounting reforms towards accruals have been adopted without informing the systems related to administration, accountability, everyday decisions and assessment from oversight authorities. Unless this situation changes, the limited use of accruals should come as no surprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Presents a typology of emergent risk that highlights the iterative and inter-related nature of climate change risk, and propensity for impacts, such as legal action and reduced debt access, to emerge subsequent to, yet far removed from, initial physical impacts. • Highlights current practice and gaps in local government risk management concerning emergent risk. • Highlights the potential and need for local government to consider, the application of risk transfer mechanisms such as catastrophe bonds in the face of historical and conceivable climate change-perpetuated reduced access to, and increased cost of, traditional mechanisms such as insurance. • Provides insight into barriers and enablers to local government agencies gaining an appreciation of the potential application of alternative risk transfer mechanisms. Insurance represents an integral part of local government risk management strategy. As climate change progresses, increased loss and risk related to extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, could motivate insurers to withdraw from certain markets. In some regions, such a withdrawal represents an emergent risk that, when coupled with increasing populations and other climate change impacts, could leave local governments and ratepayers particularly vulnerable. This paper investigates such a scenario and its ramifications in the context of a region particularly vulnerable to climate change, through an exploration of the degree that consideration of emergent risks, such as loss of insurance, and the potential application of insurance alternatives influence Queensland local government risk management. The study finds little appreciation amongst government officials of emergent risk implicit in extreme weather events such as cyclones, little understanding of the nuances of risk transfer mechanisms beyond familiar traditional insurance and disaster funding mechanisms, and by default, a lack of appreciation of the relationship between the two. A lack of resource and leadership with respect to emergent risk, and an absence of dialogue between insurance brokers and local government concerning climate change risk arise as the main reasons for this result. This research is significant because it challenges current local government risk management practice through an exploration of the risks inherent in the process itself. This has potential social, economic and ecological ramifications in drawing attention to aspects of possible "uninsurability" and prospects of alleviation thereto. Further research is recommended to consider the insurance industry's part in this study's findings in order to inform current industry practice and thinking and further enlighten the causes of local government disengagement in this critical area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is entering the discussion concerning the sources of competitive advantage in project management in basic local government units in Poland. The focus of the paper is placed on the selected elements of the sources of competitive advantage in basic local government units in Poland, namely tasks implemented in projects. The paper consists of two main parts. In the first part of the paper, a starting point was the presentation of the essence of competitiveness and competitive advantage in the process of project management from the perspective of local government units in Poland. In the second one, the results of the research proceedings concerning the importance of tasks implemented in projects in projects in basic local government units in Poland were discussed. The considerations presented in the paper refer to the results of the research proceedings, which took place in two stages. The first stage of the studies was conducted in 2013 and it concerned the years 2010-2012, the second stage – in 2018, and it concerned the years 2016-2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine European citizen engagement for enhancing emergency management and, more specifically, in the context of the terrorist attacks which occurred in Paris, France on November 15, 2015. To do so, two main research questions are raised. First, are there differences in the levels of citizen engagement between the country affected, France, and other European countries? Second, what factors foster a high level of citizen engagement in France?Design/methodology/approach First, a comparative content analysis of the Facebook pages of local governments in France and other capital cities of the European Union (EU) was carried. Second, a multivariate regression analysis was performed.Findings Although the level of online citizen engagement was greater in France than in the other EU cities analyzed, similarities were detected in the messages sent, responses and moment of participation. Moreover, there are certain types of online social behavior that encourage interactive conversations among citizens as well as between citizens and their local governments.Practical implications This research enables local governments to understand the similarities and differences between citizens and local governments from the affected country and those from outside it when using social media to engage in emergency management. It also provides further insight for managers of local governments in the country affected with regards to the need to be aware of the influence of online collective behavior that emerges from the information they publish. As a result, the attainment of a high level of citizens' participation in their social media can differ.Originality/value This paper advances in the scarce knowledge of high levels of online engagement (conversational interactions) in emergency situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher levels of government motivate municipal consolidations as a tool to increase efficiency in the local government sector, yet research shows that consolidations typically fail to deliver the promised spending reductions. Since mergers often require significant changes to institutional structures, one explanation is that local decision makers can substantially influence the outcomes of the consolidation process. To explore this possibility, this article contrasts "encouraged but voluntary" mergers with those that were "forced" on local governments in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Results show that voluntary mergers resulted in a 10 percent decline in total per capita expenditures, but forced consolidations failed to reduce spending across the board. The policy conclusion is that decision makers considering structural reform should invest in obtaining the support and participation of local government decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of the administrative phenomenon highlighted the insufficient legal regulations in relation to the crisis situations, leading to unequal and ambiguous practices in the implementation of the law. Thus, the cessation of the mandate of a county council president, before the deadline, highlights precisely these legislative gaps, the incoherence and inadequacy of the legal regulations. The incoherence is the result of the lack of similarities between approaching crisis situations at local level and approaching crisis situations at county level. The insufficiency of certain regulations cannot offer the correct answer in order to solve certain crisis situations. On the other hand, the coexistence of obsolete regulations over new situations leads to major problems in law enforcement. We refer specifically to the discontinuity in the election of a president of a county council, both separated from the rest of the council, and within the council, so that the current regulations do not take into consideration the current situations, which need to be regulated. The study highlights such anomalies, grouped into four types of crisis situations, which do not find proper regulation under the existing and incidental laws, in different fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study pertaining to managerial strategies in municipal government organizations. The findings indicate that there are multiple internal and external strategy approaches used by managers. The study results suggest that the internal and external actions of public managers are interrelated. Experts say public managers are influenced by multiple parties including federal and state governments, constituents, and clients. The overall strategy of public managers is comprised of contingency elements. The management patterns appear to be based on a risk-averse approach.

Property tax administration can be viewed as a political process controlled in varying degrees by state statutes regulating administrative procedures. These statutes form a complex body of property tax law subject to the interpretations of: (1) the numerous state and local tax officials, (2) the courts, and (3) the taxpayers. The interactions of these participants in tax decision making determines the amount of the tax for a particular local governmental unit. In this article, the process is seen as a game where the participants have goals and adopt strategies that affect the outcome of the process. Several illustrative case studies are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The connection of theory to practice in public administration represents a critical transfer of information between scholarship and application. This important relationship establishes a basis of exchange among those engaged in the field, a bond that may be most magnified and accessible at the local levels of government. This study examines the perspectives of practitioners and scholars toward improving the theory–practice exchange in local government management through a series of focus group interviews held at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) annual conference over 4 years. The findings suggest that the scholar and practitioner communities agree on several approaches and principles that may contribute to enhancing the theory–practice exchange within the themes of research transaction, collaboration, and professionalism. These themes offer mutual contexts for theory–practice interactions, which may help to inform institutional integration and best practice models, and facilitate a functional coexistence of interdependence and improved exchangeability in local government management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The efficient management of the available resources in local governments has been a topic of high interest in the field of public sector. We provide an extensive and comprehensive review of the existing literature on local governments' efficiency from a global point of view, covering all articles from 1990 to August 2016. This paper is the second of two. It covers the aspects related to local governments' efficiency measurement along with its determinants, that is, taking into account the effect of environmental variables over efficiency. First, we describe which techniques have been used to incorporate environmental variables in the context of local governments. Second, we provide a classification for the determinants used and summarize their impact on efficiency. Finally, we discuss some operative directions and considerations for further research in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the attributes of organizational rules that influence rule following. Rule following fosters organizational effectiveness by aligning individual behaviours with organizational preference. While a range of theoretical explanations have been offered for rule following, the characteristics of rule design and implementation have received less empirical attention. Borrowing from the green tape theory of effective rules, this study examines the influence of two particular characteristics—rule formalization and rule consistency—on rule following. Three studies, which include two vignette experiments and a survey of two local government organizations, provide the data for the research. The results suggest that rule formalization and rule consistency independently increase rule following, with mixed evidence of interaction effects. The broad implication is that public managers must attend to both rule design and implementation to foster organizational rule following. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Can public sector reform change service performance for the better? This is a hotly contested debate that carries significant theoretical and practical importance. In England, as in many countries, modernisation was at the heart of local government reform and represented an interpretation of New Public Management into a policy framework. This paper examines the role of the modernisation change agenda in England and what this has subsequently meant for ‘service improvement’. Drawing on both document analyses and qualitative interviews with local government employees, we find that while modernisation sought to establish continuous improvement, unintended consequences of modernisation have led to Staff Reductions, Skill Deficiencies, and Loss of a Competent Middle Core in local government, as well as performance outcomes creating an environment for Commissioning, Service Reduction, and Self‐Policing. Implications for the lasting roles and behaviours of public managers affected by this national change agenda are discussed, and conclusions for theory and practice are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper looks into the issues related to the monitoring of land use change by voivodeship marshals in Poland. The author intended to provoke the academic circles to devote more attention to this matter as well. The analysis involved the publicly available materials and the information from websites of 16 marshal offices and Polish acts of law made available in the Online Database of Legal Acts. The paper includes an analysis of the changes in land use monitoring legislation in Poland and when the obligation was first introduced. It was further verified whether all the offices publish the documents relevant to the monitoring. It was found out that half of the voivodeships failed to publish the materials related to the performance of this statutory task. This results in a varied availability of the documents and prevents potentially interested parties from familiarising themselves with the land use change monitoring issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As discussions about sustainability management in local government evolve, public managers lack clear frameworks prescribing how sustainability should be integrated into the practice of management. Studies in public administration tend to emphasize the policy tools managers use for sustainable outcomes, rather than the management processes that can enhance sustainability through organizational change. Drawing on Laszlo and Zhexembayeva's definition of 'embedded sustainability,' this essay suggests local government managers should focus on integrating sustainability into strategic planning processes in order to advance sustainability as a reform in local government. Public management scholars and local government professionals are urged to develop partnerships to support evidence-based decision-making in local government in order to investigate propositions about sustainability management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the developed world, including Australia, public policymaking now rests heavily on commissioned reports generated by for-profit consultants, contrasting starkly with the earlier customary reliance on the civil service to provide informed policy advice to political decision makers. Dependence on commercial consultants is problematic, especially given the moral hazards involved in 'hired guns' providing support for policy 'solutions' desired by their political paymasters. This paper provides a vivid illustration of some of the dangers flowing from the use of consultants by examining the methodology employed by KPMG in its empirical analysis of the pecuniary consequences of proposed municipal mergers as part of the New South Wales' (NSW) Government's Fit for the Future local government reform program. We show that the KPMG (2016) modelling methodology is awash with errors which render its conclusions on the financial viability of the NSW merger proposals fatally flawed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the storytelling and narrative practices of an elite group of public administrators in the United Kingdom: local government chief executives. The authors do so through the lens of relationality, exploring the collective dimensions of leadership. The focus on leadership and stories embraces the narrative turn in public administration scholarship. It responds to calls for research examining the distinctive settings of everyday leadership action. The contribution to theory is a qualitative understanding of the relational ways in which stories and narratives are used in the practices of public administration leaders. The article analyzes four ways in which such leadership is accomplished: inviting an emotional connection and commitment to public service, making sense of organizational realities, provoking reflections on practices and assumptions, and managing relations with politicians. The authors offer an appreciation of how relational leadership influence can be generated by expressive narratives and storytelling rather than stemming from bureaucratic authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents evidence on public innovation from the perspectives of politicians and public managers. Environmental antecedents are analysed with regard to their impact on innovation adoption. Data are drawn from a survey of over 600 mayors and managers in Austrian local government. Results show that they identify the same innovation types but indicate different antecedents of innovation adoption. Findings for managers are broadly in line with results from larger jurisdictions. Since there are crucial dissimilarities in the factors explaining the adoption of innovation, we suggest that politicians and managers both be included in future studies of local government innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Socialiniai Tyrimai is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Nankai Journal: Philosophy, Literature & Social Science Edition / Nankai Xuebao: Zhexue Shehui Kezue Ban is the property of Nankai Xuebao Bianjibu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Nankai Journal: Philosophy, Literature & Social Science Edition / Nankai Xuebao: Zhexue Shehui Kezue Ban is the property of Nankai Xuebao Bianjibu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) recommends that Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs adopt five core competencies as part of the accreditation process. Implementation of a competency-based curriculum may help ensure student learning and career preparedness for public service. This exploratory study examines local government managers' perception of NASPAA's competencies in regard to management practices. Survey results suggest that MPA programs need to emphasize leadership development skills along with a more thorough integration of policy and administration into curricula. Moreover, findings indicate that MPA programs should specifically emphasize application of NASPAA's core competencies in terms of applying critical thinking and analytical skills to the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences in the status of professionalism in local government management among U.S. states may be attributed to various cultural, regional, and institutional factors. The prominence of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree in the local government profession denotes the influential role of graduate education institutions of public administration and affairs in professionalization. This study examines the impact of municipal proximity to university-based MPA programs on the nature and occurrence of professional local government management in states of the West North Central Midwest region. The findings suggest that an increase in a municipality's physical distance from a state or regional MPA program is negatively associated with local government professionalism. Despite dissimilarities in composition and local government specificity among regional MPA institutions, the results support the proposition that university-based MPA programs may contribute to professional public administration within a geographic sphere of influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Accounting Analysis Journal (AAJ) is the property of Jurusan Akuntansi, Fakultas Ekonomi, Universitas Negeri Semarang and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Strategic planning (SP) has taken the public sector by storm because it is widely believed that SP’s approach to strategic decision-making strengthens strategic decision quality (SDQ) in public organizations. However, if or how SP relates to SDQ seems to lack empirical evidence. Drawing on survey data from 89 Flemish municipalities, we found that SP does improve SDQ if a systematic approach is taken and if top policy-makers and managers, as well as lower-level staff and external stakeholders, are involved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Providing information on economy, efficiency, and effectiveness is one of the most important innovations in local government management, with performance reporting emerging as a new component for accountability and decision-making. This article compares 17 countries to ascertain whether there is convergence between them, studying key issues in the implementation of performance reporting by local governments. It also identifies some lessons that can be of use to countries that want to implement or improve performance reporting systems. Findings show that there is no convergence in practice or results, and that institutional factors influence the implementation of performance reporting; in many countries, performance reporting has been introduced by central and regional governments as a mechanism to control local government activities in order to enhance performance. Austerity has underlined the importance of performance information, especially in Southern European countries, but more must be done before the full impact of performance reporting can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Croatian & Comparative Public Administration is the property of Institut za Javnu Upravu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There is no disagreement on the centrality of participatory planning in devolution and good governance in any local government system. It is even more critical in the case of African's quest for vibrant local governments and rapid development in their communities. This paper mainly sets out to critically evaluate communities' inputs into district development planning in Ghana and suggests ways by which participatory planning could be entrenched to promote peace, security and development in District Assemblies. As a product of an extensive critical review of literature on Ghana's planning systems, it argues for a partnership between District Planning Coordinating Units and sub-structures in each district, to make planning truly participatory and ensure development in peace and security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global financial and economic crisis that hit Western countries between 2007 and 2008 has generated an extensive literature. Several policy responses are now recognized, based on the way governments reallocate scarce public resources across budget categories; these approaches have a differential impact on the sustainability of cuts and on performance and trust. What determines the choice of one approach over another is a relevant, yet unexplored, research question. The article highlights the factors driving the adoption of specific crisis management approaches. A conceptual model and key propositions derived from the literature are applied to the case studies of six local governments. A comparative analysis of the interactions among internal and external determinants through a multi-year timeframe provides valuable insights that improve our understanding of crisis management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Component without which the function of local public administration management would be compromised, administrative autonomy manifests under the action of various factors. From such an angle, the space of this article is dedicated to identifying the factors affecting the autonomy in management of local public administration in order to show their actions on its manifestation. By developing the present approach, beyond the incompleteness of the existing explanations relative to this sphere of interest, we have identified and highlighted the action of two sets of factors - institutional and conjunctural. Ensign turned out to be the action that institutional factors exert on autonomy, the latter being the greater, as the local administrative structure is higher, as the number of local public services is higher, when there are legal regulations that warrant it, and vice versa. Then analyzing conjunctural factors, we found that the influence of the economic crisis is, as expected, adverse to autonomy manifestation. Regarding the local development factor, we showed that a local community with a high degree of development functions without the intervention of center, a situation that favors autonomy, as opposed to a less developed community that requires the support of the center, intervention which mitigates the autonomy. By examining the action of political factor, we noticed that, although politicians define public strategies and policies that will be implemented, which gives it a positive connotation, most often autonomy suffers under the politics influence. Finally, the social organization in local collectivities provides favorable ground to the manifestation and functioning of autonomy in the management of local public administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technical performance requirements of projects posed a challenge to the sustainable development of small size local government projects particularly in developing countries. Studies in the past focused mainly on the performance of major foreign construction firms mostly owned and operated by expatriates. Very few researches however, have been conducted to assess the relationship between major cost factors affecting technical performance of small size local government projects. This study is aimed at assessing the relationship between major cost factors that affect technical performance of small size local government projects in Nigeria. Survey instruments were administered to major stakeholders in the construction industry comprising of project clients, contractors and consultants using proportionate stratified random sampling method. A Warp partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) software algorithm was used for the analysis of collected data. The software is one of the powerful software for data analysis and has an advantage of providing p values based on the structure of the research model. The study concluded that cash flow problem, fraudulent practice and nature of construction environment are the major factors affecting technical performance of local government projects in Nigeria and further recommended the use of mediator variables like pay for performance and advance payment policy to minimise such negative effects. Governments in developing countries should devise a good cash flow policy and impose stringent penalties against any party involved in fraudulent activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Administrative structure can shape bureaucratic process, performance, and responsiveness and is a particularly important consideration when new bureaucratic functions and programs are being established. However, the factors that influence the assignment of these functions to specific government agencies or departments are understudied, particularly at the local level. The absence of empirical evidence regarding bureaucratic assignment in local government limits understanding of institutional design and the organizational choices available, particularly as they relate to specific policy areas. As an initial step in developing a theory of agency assignment at the local level, we examine the placement of sustainability programs in 401 US cities and assess explanations for assignment based on policy scope, interest group support, governmental capacity, policy characteristics, and institutional structures that shape the incentives of local decision makers. Although it is not a traditional function of local government, sustainability is becoming an increasingly common objective. Because of its newness and cross-cutting nature, local policy makers have an array of institutional units to which they can assign the primary responsibility for sustainability. We focus on two dimensions of assignment of bureaucratic responsibility: whether the locus of responsibility lies within the executive or a line department and whether there is a specialized unit within the city government that is explicitly responsible for sustainability. The scope and maturity of cities' sustainability policies and the structure of local representation (i.e., whether council representatives are elected by district, at-large, or via a mixed system) have the greatest influence on shaping administrative placement. The latter suggests potential distributive outcomes from local sustainability efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To respond to the dynamics of urban surroundings, enhancing innovativeness in the urban environment has become increasingly important. The major challenge with innovations in urban environment is that many of them do not diffuse easily. The paper identifies the challenges related to urban innovation processes and their scaling-up, using the renewable energy solution pilot project as an example case. This is done by discussing the position and maturity of Renewable Energy Solutions in City Areas (RESCA) in an innovation typology context, and by assessing performed actions aimed at boosting the innovativeness in the case project. Results emphasized the essential role of the local building administration as a proactive stakeholder who started open-mindedly to address old-fashioned, inefficient and dominant practices of the construction industry. Another innovation hot-spot was that market actors needed to collaborate, take steps and present their ideas in order to find, implement and pilot the emerging solutions and innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Regionalne i Lokalne is the property of University of Warsaw and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

One powerful expression of the neoliberal orthodoxy within economic development practice in the United States has been local governments' use of economic-development-driven eminent domain. However, the presumed benefits but not the actual harm of the eminent domain actions typically eludes the working-class and low-income segments of the community that often shoulder the greatest consequences of the action. Municipal governments must be much more exacting, deliberative, and strategic in ensuring there is an obvious and direct connection between the potential economic development opportunities leveraged by eminent domain practices and the benefits, opportunities, and resources that the community derives from those transactions of local government. Thoughtfully and strategically designed and executed Community Benefit Agreements have tremendous potential to afford working-class and low-income residents, as well other city residents, a chance for more equitable and democratic results than they frequently experience under existing economic-development-driven eminent domain practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to explore how managerial focus influences organizational ambidexterity in different organizational forms at the local government level. An entrepreneurial, leadership, or stakeholder managerial focus will each find reflection in the simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation of resources, and the influence will differ with the organizational form, i.e. whether a local government administration (LGA), or a local government corporation (LGC). Hypotheses are tested on Swedish public organizations operating in the waste management and water and sewerage industries. The findings indicate that LGCs have higher levels of organizational ambidexterity, and that the determinants differ from those in LGAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption, maintenance, and prudent use of budgetary stabilization funds are fundamental financial management precepts, yet the variables that influence the size of these funds are poorly understood. This article contributes to the stabilization fund literature by examining the extent to which variation in stabilization fund balances across municipalities and over time can be explained by a community's political culture and financial management capacity. The balanced panel research design includes archival data for 239 Massachusetts municipalities for each of 18 fiscal years. Stabilization fund balances are lower in communities with either an anti-tax or a pro-spending political culture. Stabilization fund balances are higher in communities that have the financial management capacity to accumulate budget surpluses that can be made available for appropriation to stabilization funds. Communities with the open town meeting form of government also have higher stabilization fund balances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents results of a recent research project that focuses on the influence of mobile technologies on social exclusion. It investigates the impact of two distinct approaches by local government to providing access to local support and services. Aug City advocated a bottom-up infrastructure-based model with non-state involvement after the technology was embedded. Conversely, Mobile City used a centrally planned model where the state acted as service custodians through teams of visiting officers and a mobile office. A case study approach was utilized focusing on two urban area of the UK, that adopted contrasting initiatives for implementing mobile information and communication technologies (MICT) to provide access to local government support and services. Activity Theory was used to provide a theoretical and analytical framework. A range of pre-existing information needs and barriers were revealed, but in some cases the technology itself presented a barrier. Issues with literacy, technology skills and in some cases the socioemotional condition of some of the socially excluded combined with the complexity of their information needs fundamentally undermines the direct access model for this section of the community. There are implications for social policy and practice. It is important to understand and address existing information needs and barriers (such as literacy and IT literacy, and social-emotional issues), ahead of new MICT initiatives to ensure the fullest chance of success and benefit for targeted communities and individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper looks at a little-studied question: what are the strategic choices behind the selection and implementation of performance measurement practices in public sector entities? The paper presents a new strategy framework which provides a structured approach to the many options available for measuring performance effectively. The framework is primarily intended for large public sector organizations, such as municipalities, but will also be useful in smaller entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decentralization is meant to improve access to public services, but relatively few studies examine this question empirically. We explore the effects of decentralization on access to health and education in Colombia using an original database covering over 95 % of Colombian municipalities. We show that decentralization improved enrollment rates in public schools and access of the poor to public health services. In both sectors, improving access was driven by the financial contributions of local governments. Small increases in own-shares of spending led to surprisingly large increases in the access of the poor in both sectors. Our theoretical model implies that where local information dominates productive efficiency, elected local governments will provide services better tailored to local needs. Decentralizing such services should increase their use by the public. Together, theory and empirics imply that decentralization made the Colombian state more accountable. It provided local officials with the information and incentives they need to allocate resources in a manner responsive to voters' needs and improve the impact of public expenditures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study has examined the effectiveness of fund management at local government bodies in Nepal. Many problems could be observed at the local level government units, in terms of management of fund, lack of capacity, lack of elected representatives at grassroots level, political transition, lack of capacity to use information, and weak institutional mechanism. The study reports that the data on fund utilization should be easily available and comprehensible to the general public so that people can extract data, compare them, analyze them, and use them as per their needs. The study further highlights that the government needs to focus on adequacy of the fund, proper mechanism of budget spent, and enhancing the efficiency of financial planning and budgetary process at the local level. To upgrade the credibility of the budget at the local and central government units, some measures need to be considered, for example efficiency of Municipality in delivery of service need to be strengthened, level of development work need to be visible enough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]