Coordinating for Cohesion in the Public Sector of the Future: Final summary policy brief

Abstract

The COCOPS project takes a holistic approach to studying the present and future of public sector reform, coordination and cohesion in European public administrations. Through a meta-analysis of literature on New Public Management (NPM) reforms and an assessment of how these relate to the role and scope of the public sector, the project examines the state of the art in existing research. Large-scale surveys and interviews of different actors in the public sector – top public sector executives, academics, public sector trade unions and consultants – allowed COCOPS researchers to assess the current state of the public sector in selected countries and Europe as a whole. This was coupled with in-depth analyses of certain reform-related trends such as citizen choice, voice and satisfaction with public services, social cohesion and the effects of the financial crisis. Finally, these strands of research were brought together to paint a comprehensive picture of the public sector in Europe and to develop scenarios and opportunities for the future of the public sector.