Driven by the “new public management” orientation and the impact of globalization, public sector reform has become a worldwide trend. In Hong Kong, the first public sector reform programme was launched in 1989, paving the way for new initiatives such as performance pledges, trading funds, budget devolution, contracting-out of services and performance management. Hong Kong’s return to China since 1997 and the subsequent financial crisis undoubtedly have accelerated the process in recent years.

This new volume is a completely revised edition since its appearance in 1995. New chapters are added by both academics and senior government officials who are involved in either the study or the implementation of public sector reform to give an updated new picture. The discussion therein is wide-ranging and multi-dimensional — covering a diversity of academic, professional, practitioner and even ideological viewpoints — and supported by rich analytical material and empirical data.