MANAGING NETWORKS IN THE PUBLIC-SECTOR - A THEORETICAL-STUDY OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN POLICY NETWORKS

Public policy usually develops in complex networks of public, quasi-pu blic and private organizations. It is now generally accepted that thes e networks set limits to the governance capability of the administrati on. A good deal less is known about the opportunities which policy net works offer for tackling social and administrative problems. This arti cle deals with the way network management enables government organizat ions to benefit from networks. Building on the theoretical concepts of 'networks' and 'games', two forms of network management are identifie d: game management and network structuring. Four key aspects can be id entified for both of these management forms: actors and their relation s, resources, rules and perceptions. At the same time, criteria for th e assessment and improvement of network management are examined. The a rticle concludes with a consideration of the limits of network managem ent.