Public administration has entered a new age. In the 1980s, “less” government was the prevailing idea; in the 1990s and early 21^st century, “New Public Management” was the dominant theme. Today, public administration is moving in new directions. Reforms are focusing on the quality of services for citizens and businesses and on the efficiency of administration (the “back office” of government). The OECD is studying these new trends in a multi-annual, cross-country project called “Value for Money in Government”.

This publication focuses on the Netherlands and covers:

Chapter 1 – Introduction: Value for money in government

Chapter 2 – Benchmarks for the Dutch central government

Chapter 3 – Overview of previous Dutch reforms

Chapter 4 – Reforming the Dutch central government: Recommendations