This article suggests a modernizing agenda for the UK public sector which focuses on three things. First, there is a need for modernizing the policy process, based on good research and value for money, so that policy is defensible, deliverable, owned, issued related, integrated, timely, clearly speci®ed, well presented and contingent and ¯exible. Second, management or leadership must react well to situations and control and listen and coach. Third, service delivery must be client-focused, delivered at the most local level and use technology eectively. Unless these things are achieved, little else will happen with regard for example to partnerships, mechanisms for involving interests and the changing role of the citizen. # 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
During much of the past few decades the UK public sector has been in crisis. It has been attacked for being too large, too conservative, too expensive, too extreme, too introspective, too arrogant, too bureaucraticÐand sometimes even corrupt. For much of the time it has sought to answer its critics by defending the status quoÐ explaining that it has been unfairly represented in the media and elsewhereÐor by reacting belatedly to reform proposals developed by others outside the public service.
What it has singularly failed to develop is its own coherent agenda for change or modernization. The contributions at The Shifting Boundaries of Government Conference provide the material for just such a modernizing agenda, strengthened by international experience. This article provides a personal view of what a modernizing agenda for the UK might look like in overall terms.
Such a modernizing agenda has to cover three areas: ®rst, modernizing the policy processÐsomething which has received less attention; second, modernizing management or leadership; and third, modernizing delivery. In each of these areas we have to take account of the shifting boundaries of government, the changing expectations of both public and politicians and the changing expectations of our communities.
Regarding the policy process, it is rather surprising that this process has attracted relatively little attention in the UK in recent years. The spotlight has been ®xed very ®rmly on management. There has been the odd outburst of concern and interest as a result of things such as the poll tax, which even those from abroad would probably have heard of. A further example is the Child Support Agency. However, there