• Theories of organisational forms and functions in public administration

This sub-theme includes classifying the role and functions of government (vs the market, legislature or judiciary) and designing the governance structures suited to different functions. To what extent have the organisational forms been shaped by the statist or parliamentary democratic framework and the relationship between politics and administration? What has been the impact of New Public Management and New Public Governance (e.g. principal-agent, public choice theory, competition and choice). Papers may explore how each of the countries’ practices currently respond to the theories, the balances they have adopted and how these might be evolving.

Other key questions that could be addressed include: where does power and authority lie; what degree of independence/autonomy do different types of agencies have, and why; and how is autonomy balanced with control stemming from ultimate government ownership and political accountability? How are performance and legitimacy (including conditional trust) assessed?

• 'Core' executive government agency structures

This may include the organisational structures of core agencies that have responsibility for policy advisory and policy making roles and oversight of program administration. A central issue is the source of their mandate (their authority, functions and priorities) and how that is reflected in their relationship with executive (political) leadership and with the legislature. Examples include central agencies focussed on whole of government policy coordination, fiscal and economic affairs and legal and legislative advice, and major functional departments like development, education, health, transport and communications.

Papers could also address their relationship with non-core or peripheral agencies (e.g. service delivery agencies, regulators, government business enterprises), their organisational culture, staffing arrangements and relations with major stakeholders and experts. Papers may be able to draw on statements from insiders/interpretivist evidence; they should not just be statistical case studies.

• Public service delivery structures

The focus of this sub-theme is service organisations (separate from ‘core’ executive agencies in sub-theme 2) that deliver public services. Issues include their relationship with ‘purchasing’ or funding bodies and the executive (political) leadership and the legislature. The governance structures (including empowered or advisory boards) and the performance management regimes are important features of these organisations, as are their links if any to complementary or competing private or not-for-profit providers of public services. Case examples may include schools and hospitals.

Within the overall framework identified above, questions could include: who makes decisions about reliability, timeliness and quality of the services to be delivered; how are decisions made whether to deliver internally as opposed to going to external providers for provision; how much authority do organisations have over the allocation and management of resources; and how do clients/customers get a voice in the services they receive.

• Other ‘non-core’ executive government agencies

This sub-theme includes the structures used for the delivery of commercial services by governments (state owned organisations), regulatory organisations and ‘integrity’ organisations. How do these different types of organisations relate to the core agencies, the executive leadership and the legislature? What if any performance regime operates and to whom are they accountable for that performance (including consumer and public accountability)? Are there significant differences in a statist system v parliamentary democratic system; how have their roles changed over time and what has caused these changes? Given the very broad field this sub-theme encompasses, papers should be at a high level, exploring major trends in governance arrangements and the key issues involved.