Handbook of Public Administration, 3rd Edition

Part 6

Sharpening the Public Administrator's Skill Set

Part 6 acknowledges the centrality of individual competence for administrative effectiveness. Effective systems and skilled administrators are critical success factors for public organizations and systems. Public administration practitioners who develop leadership, intrapersonal, collaboration, negotiation, and communication skills enhance the capacity of their organizations to achieve their goals. The chapter authors in this part provide valuable insights into these important skills.

As we and the contributors have emphasized throughout the book, little of what happens in the public sector is self-implementing or self-administering, especially in this era of rapid change and evolutionary ...