Time, Policy, Management: Governing with the Past

In this important new book, Christopher Pollitt, one of the leading researchers in public policy and management, argues that we are guilty of neglecting a fundamental dimension of both the practice and study of contemporary public policymaking and management: that of time. Pollitt traces the character of, and the reasons for, this neglect in his wide-ranging study. He considers the theoretical options for addressing time in a more sophisticated way, and applies these perspectives both to his own research and that of many others. Finally he looks at the implications for practitioners. Pollitt's analysis draws on an exceptionally wide range of work from many fields, sectors, and countries. It is rich in examples, concepts, and methods. It poses fundamental questions about some central tendencies in 21st century policymaking, and opens up a new direction for academic research.

Table of Contents:
Preface 1: The End of Time? 2: Timeships: Navigating the Past 3: History in Action: A Tale of Two Hospitals 4: Beyond History? 5: A Broader Perspective 6: A Toolkit for Time? 7: Wider Implications for Governments 8: After All Appendix A: The Brighton-Leuven Project: Change and Continuity in Public Management

About the Author :
Christopher Pollitt is one of the leading international researchers in the field of public management and policy. Winner of the 2004 Hans Sigrist International Prize for 'outstanding comparative research in the field of governmental reform' he has published many books and articles, and has also acted as an advisor to national governments, the European Commission, the OECD and the World Bank. Currently Research Professor of Public Management at Leuven, he has previously held professorships at Brunel University and Erasmus University Rotterdam. He is also Editor in Chief of the International Review of Administrative Sciences, and was previously Editor of Public Administration.

Review :
`...deserves a wide readership, both among those academics who claim to have discovered innovations among re-hashed formulas and among practitioners busily engaged in the re-invention of approaches and techniques with a long, if hidden, history.' Public Management Review `'I strongly recommend this book. It is a brave academic endeavour to range so broadly, and Pollitt displays an appealing combination of stress on the importance of temporal questions alongside scholarly moderation about the difficulties of providing answers.' Australian Journal of Public Administration `...provides both intellectual challenge to the scholar and inspiration to the practitioner.' International Review of Administrative Science `In a book sure to become an instant classic, Pollitt makes a powerful case for how time matters to managers - and how leaders ignore its forces at their peril. This is a singularly important contribution to organization theory.' Donald F. Kettl, Director, Fels Institute of Government University of Pennsylvania `In this superb book Pollitt takes a fresh look at something we have partly neglected and partly taken for granted. Conceptually and empirically rich, this book offers new approaches to understanding how policy and administration change.' Edward C. Page, Sidney and Beatrice Webb Professor of Public Policy, Department of Government, London School of Economics and Political Science `Most of us know - at least deep inside - that time and timing matter in public policy making and management, but we have been rather bad at reflecting that in our research. Christopher Pollitt tackles the issue head-on, and also confronts the context-light bias in a lot of modern organisational thinking.' Werner Jann, Professor of Public Management, University of Potsdam