Escape From Fordism

On the frontier where state workers meet citizens important changes are taking place in what and how the state produces. ¹ Like many private sector firms confronting new competitive conditions public organizations are facing pressure to adapt to the new circumstances. As a result, there are significant changes occurring in the state ‘production process’. Slowly, and often without explicit directives from the political or bureaucratic command centres, new forms of public administration are emerging. These ‘grassroots’ administrative reforms reflect a pragmatic response to both the reduction of public funding for many welfare state activities and the locally specific pressures created by economic, demographic and social need.