Compares approaches and trends in lifelong learning in Britain, Sweden, and Germany. The centrally planned Swedish approach increasingly needs to curb public expenditure. The German experience, an integrated partnership between the state and the private sector, is particularly sensitive to downturns in the economic cycle. The British approach…

Case studies of training brokers who match clients with appropriate training reveal different outcomes for clients of for-profit, market-focused brokers and nonprofit, client-focused brokers. Results suggest the need for public support of training and development of clients as informed consumers of vocational education and training. (Contains 28…

Looks at the current federal job training and workforce development structure and suggests that they have many problems. Also describes reforms passed by several states, notably Texas. Suggests that partnership between public and private sectors is crucial to develop and maintain a system that meets everyone's needs. (JOW)

The development of distance education in Norway has had to bridge the gap between two systems: a large network of public universities and colleges and a small network of public and private agencies that included distance education and adult education organizations. This mixture of public and private sectors has led to new and more hybrid forms of…

Public administrators can deal with unstable nature of demand for information technology workers with (1) flexible and technology-enhanced hiring practices; (2) organization-wide commitment to recruiting; (3) bonuses and innovative awards; (4) professional development opportunities; (5) an innovative work environment; and (6) publicity. (Contains…

The article focuses on recent shifts in modes of coordination and the emerging drive towards new public management (NPM) in higher education and examines Lithuanian higher education policy as an example. It investigates the dynamics of the shift by exploring how stakeholders define the term and how, in turn, it influences the political agenda.…

Purpose: To explore whether deliberate organisational change of a public sector organisation (a local municipality) would create an avenue for organisational learning. Design/methodology/approach: A case study was set up to study the means by which the organisational change towards a digital administration was to come about. The organisational…

Purpose: To invoke Julian Le Grand's conceptual model of the interaction between human motivation and policy formulation in order to explain how motivational endogeneity in the university environment has distorted policy outcomes in the Australian higher education reform program. Design/methodology/approach: Le Grand contends that changes in the…

This article describes the basic elements of an intensive action research process. The process started from an educational programme offered to professional groups interested in the problems in developing the public sector as a forum that would transcend the boundaries separating different work organisations. The introduction of the programme…

This guide aims to help California leaders in schools, school districts, and community-based organizations meet the After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program matching requirement and secure funding. This guide is filled with practical information on how to attract and work with school and community partners; how to adopt a strategic…

A National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) report addresses the questions "What have conservative foundations done with their grant dollars to promote concepts of privatizing public education through "school choice," primarily linked to school vouchers? What were their strategies in providing resources to an array of conservative…

Access to higher education in Brazil is to a large extent restricted to the higher socio-economic groups. Public universities have limited places and entry is determined by highly competitive exams, thereby excluding those who have not had a high quality secondary education or attended an expensive preparatory course. There has been considerable…

There has developed moderate discussion in European higher education about the use of performance indicators for both accountability and evaluation purposes. This paper begins by summarizing governmental expectations, institutional objections, and several of the controversies surrounding performance measures. We then report on using performance…

This paper is a case study of the emergence of an evaluation culture in the public sector and particularly in education in Ireland over the past three decades. It suggests that the emergence of this culture was strongly influenced by external factors, particularly the European Union (EU), and to a lesser but significant degree, the Organisation…

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to report on an in-depth exploration of service quality in an Information Technology service department in a Higher Education Institute (HEI) and to evaluate the instrument used. Design/methodology/approach: The study surveys customers using the SERVQUAL instrument, which is one of the most widely used and…