Instructor:
Nancy McCarthy Snyder

Prerequisites:
None

Course Objectives:

• Develop an understanding of the political pressure for privatization and the context in which governments utilize alternative modes of service delivery, particularly contracting.
• Develop a working understanding of the contracting process including project planning, defining scope of work, soliciting and reviewing bids, awarding and negotiating contracts, and monitoring performance.
• Gain an appreciation of the perspectives of third-party actors who provide public services.
• Review the cost and benefits associated with various forms of alternative service delivery.

Course Description:
An overview of alternative forms of public service delivery other than the direct provision of services by government.  Alternative service delivery encompasses the use of private businesses, community or nonprofit groups, individual volunteers, and public-private partnerships to deliver public services.  Some alternative delivery mechanisms include: the use of grants and vouchers; managed competition; franchising; contracting; service agreements; design/build/operate/finance; and service shedding.

Major Topics Covered:
Government and contracting
The process of contracting
What gets contracted?
Contracting municipal services
States and contracting
Federal contracting
Performance-based contracting
The economics of contracting
Models of contracting
Contracting and the new public management
Contracting and networks

Typical Textbooks and Readings:
Phillip J. Cooper.  Governing by Contract: Challenges and Opportunities for Public Managers.  Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 2003.

Kelly LeRoux, ed. 2nd edition.  Service Contracting: A Local Government Guide, Washington, D.C.: ICMA Press, 2007.

Lester M. Salamon, ed.  The Tools of Government: A Guide to the New Governance.  New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Dilger, Moffett, & Struyk (1997) Privatization of municipal services in America’s largest cities
http://www.jstor.org/view/00333352/ap030273/03a00050/0?frame=noframe&userID= This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it /01cc993321d011126cb4bacc&dpi=3&config=jstor

Savas, E.S. (1977) An empirical study of competition in municipal service delivery http://www.jstor.org/view/00333352/ap030173/03a00140/0?frame=noframe&userID= This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it /01cc993321d011126cb4bacc&dpi=3&config=jstor

Rosegrant & Frumkin (1998) Oklahoma’s milestones reimbursement system: Paying for what you get (Case 1477)  http://www.ksgcase.harvard.edu/casetitle.asp?caseNo=1477.0

Grønbjerg & Salamon (2002) Chapter 14: “Devolution, marketization, and the changing shape of government-nonprofit relations” in The State of Nonprofit America ed. Salamon

Milward & Provan (2003) Managing the hollow state: Collaboration and contracting

Smith & Lipsky (1993) Chapter 6: “Services and clients under contracting” in Nonprofits for Hire

DeHoog, Ruth Hoogland (1990) Competition, negotiation, or cooperation: Three models for service contracting http://ft.csa.com/ids70/resolver.php?sessid=ff276ff7d9b3007f1a9e4976df924e0c&server=www-md3.csa.com&check=0187eaa1c20017833780389bd3bb1bff&db=sagepol-set-c&an=10.1177%2F009539979002200303&mode=pdf&f1=0095-3997%2C22%2C3%2C317-340%2C1990