Old habits die hard. While New Public Management (NPM) might have fallen out of fashion in the think-tank community, it is alive and well in Whitehall. Its core tenet of private sector rigour to reduce unit costs and instil performance metrics offer a tempting framework for optimisation and control to those in authority.
The trouble is, NPM assumes linearity and predictability, when our era of permacrisis is messy and complex. The private sector has the benefit of a singular focus on maximising profit. Public institutions must balance the books, but also seek a wider array of social, economic and environmental outcomes.
Rather than trying to force certainty in an uncertain world, public institutions must work in more dynamic ways which mobilise the assets and capabilities of their own workforce, partners and communities to achieve common goals.
In an era of scarce resources, it is increasingly risky to double down on single service efficiency drives, without stepping back and questioning the wider operating framework.
Today's challenges require a different approach: New Public Mobilisation. This recognises that no single actor or institution can resolve complex challenges alone – health inequalities cannot be overcome by the NHS alone, for example. While robust organisational management remains essential, internal rigour must be matched with external action.
Rather than trying to force certainty in an uncertain world, public institutions must work in more dynamic ways which mobilise the assets and capabilities of their own workforce, partners and communities to achieve common goals.
The principle of mission-led government recognises this. But in practice, NPM habits quickly establish milestones and metrics before spelling out what a different approach to governing might involve if focused on activating energy outside Whitehall or beyond tightly-managed devolution.
A New Public Mobilisation mindset recognises the route to achieving impact isn't to simply set a target and programme-manage a process. It would be to motivate a movement that enables new insights, draws in different techniques to problem-solve openly and builds capacity within communities.
Jessica Studdert is chief executive at New Local
