In an environment of increasing complexity, successive crises, and rising social and economic pressures, public administration is called upon to redefine its tools, functions, and priorities. Modern administrative practices can no longer be treated as optional; they have become a necessary condition for the effective, efficient, and economical functioning of the state.
In this context, the volume Public Sector Reform and Modern Trends for Public Management, edited by Vassilis Kefis (Panteion University), Ioannis Rossidis (Panteion University), and Dimitrios Belias (University of Thessaly), and published by IGI Global, offers a comprehensive perspective on the challenges and innovations shaping contemporary public management.
The book highlights the transition toward forms of public governance that emphasize continuous adaptation, the integration of digital technologies, and the improvement of organizational performance, aiming to deliver higher-quality services with limited resources. At the same time, it illuminates the multifaceted role of public administration and the broader socio-economic impact of public organizations.
Its thematic coverage spans critical areas of modern public policy, including administrative reform, New Public Management (NPM), e-government, organizational restructuring, human resource management, and judicial reform.
The volume includes three chapters authored by Panagiotis Karkatsoulis, Head of INERP, and Foteini Vittou, Member of INERP, which intervene directly in the debate on administrative reforms and contemporary tools of public policy and management:
- NPM Is Dead, Long Live NPM: Transformations of New Public Management in the Course of Administrative Reforms
(by Panagiotis Karkatsoulis, Foteini Vittou)
This chapter offers a critical reevaluation of New Public Management, arguing that its next phase depends on the integration of technological tools within a framework of strong institutional safeguards and public accountability. - Administrative Reforms and Transformation of Public Administration: Concept, Necessity, and Challenges
(by Foteini Vittou, Vasilis Kefis, Stavroula Kitsaki, Evangelia Balta)
It emphasizes the need to reconceptualize administrative reforms not as technical interventions but as institutional choices with direct implications for democratic functioning and the state’s capacity to respond to complex challenges. - Strategic Management in the Public Sector: Concepts, Challenges, and Evolving Practices
(by Foteini Vittou, Labros Babalioutas, Labros Vasiliadis)
Strategic management is reframed as a political rather than a neutral technical process, focusing on the creation of public value and the management of complexity.
The combined contribution of these chapters underscores that modernizing public administration requires deliberate policy choices that strengthen institutional resilience, legitimacy, and the effectiveness of public action.
This discussion is particularly relevant for the Greek public administration, which faces the simultaneous challenge of enhancing efficiency, citizen trust, and the capacity to manage complex reforms in an ever-changing environment.