Prof. Geert Bouckaert’s guest lecture at the Institute of Economics and Public Policy

Prof. Bouckaert’s interactive seminars focused on what performance and performance management means for the public sector. The lessons utilized several games and discussions involving the very diverse group of participants from the Public Policy and Management program and beyond. Drawing on his extensive research and consulting experience, prof. Bouckaert discussed various methodologies of performance management, along with their strengths and limitations. Students left with an appreciation of how difficult it is to define performance-related concepts in the public sector and the manifold challenges facing governments looking to implement them. 

Prof. Bouckaert’s open lecture, titled ‘Public Management Reforms in a Comparative Perspective,’ began with an overview of public management paradigms and the lessons learned from recent reform experiences. The professor outlined the emerging alternative of public governance, its different layers, and the principles of effective governance. He concluded by discussing how cultural characteristics affect public management reform possibilities and challenges, which prompted a lively discussion with students.