The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant


Book Description

The Palgrave Handbook of the Public Servant examines what it means to be a public servant in today’s world(s) where globalisation and neoliberalism have proliferated the number of actors who contribute to the public purpose sector and created new spaces that public servants now operate in. It considers how different scholarly approaches can contribute to a better understanding of the identities, motivations, values, roles, skills, positions and futures for the public servant, and how scholarly knowledge can be informed by and translated into value for practice. The book combines academic contributions with those from practitioners so that key lessons may be synthesised and translated into the context of the public servant.




The Public Servant's Guide to Government in Canada


Book Description

The Public Servant’s Guide to Government in Canada is a concise primer on the inner workings of government in Canada. This is a go-to resource for students, for early career public servants, and for anyone who wants to know more about how government works. Grounded in experience, the book connects core concepts in political science and public administration to the real-world practice of working in the public service. The authors provide valuable insights into the messy realities of governing and the art of diplomacy, as well as best practices for climbing the career ladder.




Public Servants


Book Description

Essays, dialogues, and art projects that illuminate the changing role of art as it responds to radical economic, political, and global shifts. How should we understand the purpose of publicly engaged art in the twenty-first century, when the very term “public art” is largely insufficient to describe such practices? Concepts such as “new genre public art,” “social practice,” or “socially engaged art” may imply a synergy between the role of art and the role of government in providing social services. Yet the arts and social services differ crucially in terms of their methods and metrics. Socially engaged artists need not be aligned (and may often be opposed) to the public sector and to institutionalized systems. In many countries, structures of democratic governance and public responsibility are shifting, eroding, and being remade in profound ways—driven by radical economic, political, and global forces. According to what terms and through what means can art engage with these changes? This volume gathers essays, dialogues, and art projects—some previously published and some newly commissioned—to illuminate the ways the arts shape and reshape a rapidly changing social and governmental landscape. An artist portfolio section presents original statements and projects by some of the key figures grappling with these ideas.




The Accidental Public Servant


Book Description

This is a story of Nigeria, told from the inside. After a successful career in the private sector, Nasir El-Rufai rose to the top ranks of Nigeria's political hierarchy, serving first as the privatization czar at the Bureau for Public Enterprises and then as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja under former President Olesegun Obasanjo. In this tell-all memoir, El-Rufai reflects on a life in public service to Nigeria, the enormous challenges faced by the country, and what can be done while calling on a new generation of leaders to take the country back from the brink of destruction. The shocking revelations disclosed by El-Rufai about the formation of the current leadership and the actions of prominent statesmen make this memoir required reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of power politics in Africa's most populous nation.




The Virtual Public Servant


Book Description

With recent advances and investment in artificial intelligence, are we on the verge of introducing virtual public servants? Governments around the world are rapidly deploying robots and virtual agents in healthcare, education, local government, social care, and criminal justice. These advances not only promise unprecedented levels of control and convenience at a reduced cost but also claim to connect, to empathise, and to build trust. This book documents how—after decades of designing out costly face to face transactions, investment in call centres, and incentivising citizens to self-service—the tech industry is promising to re-humanise our frontline public services. It breaks out of disciplinary silos and moves us on from the polarised hype vs. fear discussion on the future of work. It does so through in-depth Q-methodology interviews with a wide range of frontline public servants, from doctors to librarians, from social workers to school receptionists, and from police officers to call handlers. The first of its kind, this book should be of interest across the social sciences and to anyone concerned with how recent measures to digitise and automate our services are paving the way for the development of full-blown AI in frontline work.




Memoirs of a Public Servant


Book Description

Documenting the thoughts, feelings, and interactions of one Police Officer in the busiest and brightest city in the world, Las Vegas. This memoir takes you through the personal interactions experienced by a Police Officer with not only the community he seeks to serve but with his partners and their personalities. Some calls are over in an instant while others stick with you forever. Take a sneak peek into this Pandora's box and see if perception really is reality.




The Public Servants' Survival Guide


Book Description

Who cares about Public Servants? Brenda Viola does. Why? Because she's walked in your shoes. As a Public Information Officer for a first-ring suburb of Philadelphia, she worked shoulder to shoulder with Municipal Clerks, Librarians, Teachers, Public Works, Parks and Recreation, Building and Planning, Police, Firefighters, Administrators, and Elected Officials. Late-night meetings leading into early mornings and dealing with well-meaning but demanding citizens are just two challenges that can lead to burnout and breakdowns. The Public Servants' Survival Guide is for you - the unsung heroes who directly affect the quality of life in a community. You make a difference and impact people, literally, where they live. This is legacy work and while the work may energize you, the demands on your time, energy, and attention could drain even the most resilient. You may or may not be the City Manager or Board President, but you are the CEO of your own life. Taking care of you will be the smartest thing you will ever do. And this book will help you restore joy in your work AND in your life. Instead of heading toward a breakdown, you'll be empowered to prepare for a breakthrough. ABOUT THE AUTHOR A former news anchor, QVC show host, and PR/Marketing pro, Brenda Viola's professional path has been diverse and fulfilling. Her ten years as an award-winning Public Information Officer for a first-ring suburb of Philadelphia spurred the creation of Municipal Education (ME) Seminars - a professional, skill development and personal growth initiative company that helps government workers reclaim the joy of public service, while avoiding burnout. When Brenda is not speaking at a conference, hosting a webinar, or posting inspirational messages on her 10,000+ member Facebook page (@BrendaViola722), she's singing bad karaoke at the Gulf Gate Moose Lodge in Sarasota, Florida where she resides. Brenda soaks up the year-round sunshine, enjoys a close-knit community of good friends, and relishes downtime to enjoy a good book or don her helmet to join her favorite guy, Mark, on his Harley Davidson.




The Public Servant's Guide to Government in Canada


Book Description

The Public Servant's Guide to Government in Canada is a concise primer on the inner workings of government in Canada. This is a go-to resource for students, for early career public servants, and for anyone who wants to know more about how government works. Grounded in experience, the book connects core concepts in political science and public administration to the real-world practice of working in the public service. The authors provide valuable insights into the messy realities of governing and the art of diplomacy, as well as best practices for climbing the career ladder.




Lean for the Public Sector


Book Description

Packed with international case examples and clearly delineating principles as they apply to public sector organizations, Lean for the Public Sector: The Pursuit of Perfection in Government Services demonstrates that Lean in the public sector is neither rocket science nor a typical profit-driven improvement program. The book begins with coverage of




Managing Conflict of Interest in the Public Service OECD Guidelines and Country Experiences


Book Description

The OECD Guidelines for Managing Conflict of Interest in the Public Service provide the first international benchmark in this field. This report highlights trends, approaches and models across OECD countries in a comparative overview that also presents examples of innovative and recent solutions.