Project: Autonomy and steering-control of government organisations (2002-2006)

• Objective
• Relevance
• Research team
• Some publications
• Research line: Multi- actor governance
• COBRA-Comparative Public Organization Data Base for Research and Analysis–network

Objective

Within this project, we distinguish the following objectives:

• to provide answers to a set of fundamental theoretical and applied research questions;
• to valorise the research questions with regard to the Flemish and local governments.

The fundamental theoretical research questions are as follows: to what extent, under what circumstances (e.g. activities and policy sectors) and in what forms (organisation principle, legal form, degree of autonomy, management structures) are autonomous organisations involved, in Flanders and also internationally, and how are these organisations steered-controlled and coordinated by the relevant government? Developments over time (e.g. before and after BAP) are also examined and attention is paid to how the above factors influence - inter alia - the functioning of the organisation and the government apparatus as a whole.

The applied research questions shed light on:

• the form and the nature of the autonomous organisations (decision criteria, degree of autonomy, legal form, structuring form);
• the steering-control and coordination by the steering-controlling government (ex ante, results-based, financial, etc.) and the effects thereof for the government and the organisation;
• the steering-control via markets and networks.

In order to valorise the obtained research results, particular attention is paid to the following:

• the development of typologies, checklists and policy recommendations for supporting policy choices with regard to increasing autonomy;
• the designing of a data set for international benchmarking with regard to the form, steering-control and coordination of autonomous agencies;
• the validation and consolidation of these developed instruments by reinforcing the ownership of these instruments in the administration.

Relevance

The relevance of this project must be seen in the light of a number of developments that are taking place in Belgium and abroad. Internationally, there is a trend towards autonomy that has been noted in the OECD countries, but also in countries that are not part of the OECD. This trend may be found in English-speaking countries, Scandinavian countries, but also in more continental countries, such as the Netherlands and France. We also observe this trend in Belgium and Flanders. In Flanders, we have a broad range of VOIs (Vlaamse openbare instellingen - Flemish public institutions), which vary greatly in terms of legal form, supervisory regulations and steering-control forms. But there are also many other organisations, such as VZWs (Verenigingen zonder winstoogmerk - non-profit organisations) and NVs (Naamloze Vennootschappen - public limited companies) that have ties with the central government. Moreover, in the framework of the ‘Beter Bestuurlijk Beleid’ (‘Better Administrative Policy’) initiative, the problems of the IVAs (intern verzelfstandigde agentschappen - internally autonomous agencies) and the EVAs (extern verzelfstandigde agentschappen - externally autonomous agencies) are also examined.

Research team

Coördination:
Koen Verhoest (KU Leuven)

Academic researcher:
Bram Verschuere   (KU Leuven)