Contracting Out and Accountability

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11961396
AutoresRichard Mulgan (0000-0003-2610-429X, Australian National University, autor correspondente)
Ano1997
Volume56
Fascículo4
Páginas106-116
Data de publicação1997-12-01
Open AccessSim
TipoBOOK
PeriódicoAustralian Journal of Public Administration (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0313-6647 • E-ISSN: 1467-8500
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1467-8500.1997.tb02493.x
OpenAlexW2053649557
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas15
Referências citadas13

Governments are increasingly moving to contract out the provision of public services which have previously been delivered by public service departments. Contracting out typically implies provision by private sector contractors. However, it may also include in‐house provision by public service departments or other public agencies where the right to provide is won through competitive tendering and is governed by contract. At the Commonwealth level, the trend has been given added impetus by the Coalition government elected in 1996 (Reith J 996; National Commission of Audit 1996). The main rationale for contracting out is to improve efficiency in service provision by harnessing the virtues of competition, in particular the superior productivity engendered among competitive providers (Industry Commission (IC) 1996, B3.4; Appendix E). At the same time, there is a legitimate expectation that providers of public services paid for by public funds will be publicly accountable (IC 1996, BI). However, contracting out has the potential to reduce the extent of public accountability by transferring the provision of public services to members of the private sector who are generally not subject to the same accountability requirements as public officials. Indeed, reduction in such accountability requirements may be one of the reasons for the greater efficiency of the private sector

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