The new public management and the UK Police Service

Abstract

This article explores the impact of the introduction of the New Public Management (NPM) within the UK Police Service since the mid-1990s. A specific focus upon individual performance management (one of the central features of NPM) is examined from the perspective of the police sergeant who has primary responsibility for managing performance and ultimately the delivery of policing services within one of the UK's 'essential' public services. After a discussion of the literature on individual performance management within the context of the NPM, the article identifies four major research questions relating to: the job role demands of performance management; access to valid and reliable performance management information; the capacity to provide follow-up development and support; and the wider integration of performance management with organization strategy and service objectives. After reporting on interview data collected from role sets in which the sergeant is a focal member, the article concludes with a discussion of the constraints upon effective performance management within the NPM.

Performance Measurement in the Public Sector in England: Searching for the Golden Thread

“…Operationally, two exploratory case studies (Yin 1994) were carried out in two diff erent areas of the public sector-health care and police. Th ese two cases are particularly signifi cant, as the introduction of PSA targets proved controversial in both areas, and confl icting evidence has been found as to the benefi ts and shortcomings of this centralized, performance-measurement-driven approach (Bevan and Hood 2006;Butterfi eld, Edwards, and Woodall 2004;Collier 2001;Kelman and Friedman 2007;Propper et al 2008;Royal Statistical Society 2005).…”

Performance Management in the Public Sector: The Ultimate Challenge

“…Within a variety of public services there is evidence of the adverse impact of NPM reforms on employee welfare. One such service is policing where new managerialism has increased workload and pressure on officers (Butterfield et al., , p.176). This has led to a significant majority of UK police officers reporting stress and overwork (UNISON, ).…”

Audit Culture Revisited

“…The "domaining effect" pertains to the fact that audit reshape its environment. There are numerous studies within the field of accounting, for example, that show how performance auditing influences the behavior of organizations and their employees (Butterfield, Edwards, and Woodall 2004;Diefenbach 2009;Hood and Peters 2004). Shore and Wright give the example of the Danish university system for evaluating research performance and how audit technologies give rise to changes in academics' publication strategies.…”