<title>Abstract</title> The use of performance auditing and inspection as tools of public services reform is a key feature of contemporary public management. In the UK, external assessments of organizational capacity and performance play a pivotal role in attempts to drive public service improvement. However...

<title/> Best Value audits have encouraged improvements in the corporate capacity of Scottish local authorities. They are seen by local government as credible and, in contrast to Comprehensive Performance Assessments in England, are applauded for taking account of local priorities and contexts. However,...

Governments increasingly see partnerships as their delivery instrument of choice. There is disagreement, however, about how the proliferation of these institutions should be understood. One interpretation sees ungovernability, instability and unaccountability in the fragmented institutions of...

A recent evaluation of a sample of projects which had received assistance under the Urban Development Grant (UDG) Programme demonstrates that the number of new jobs which were attributable to this assistance was far smaller than had been anticipated when funding was approved by the Department of...

In many countries, patient choice is a routine part of the normal healthcare system. However, many choice initiatives in secondary care are part of policies aimed at reducing waiting times. This article provides evidence on the effectiveness of patient choice as a mechanism to reduce waiting...