Symposium :
By: SMITH, R.F.I
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Material type: 
ArticlePublisher: Oxford : Blackwell Publishers Limited, December 1996Australian Journal of Public Administration 55, 4, p. 64-66Abstract: To explore the prospects for exporting government services, guest symposium editor RFI Smith invites three agencies to comment on their experience. This overview stresses the need to specify carefully costs and benefits in taking operations offshore - both in strict financial terms and in dealing with perception and accountability issues. The prospects for exporting public sector skills and services are at the same time tantalising and frustrating. After initial enthusiasm in the 1970s and 1980s, the management of export programs has turned out to be complex, demanding and not without controversy. Such programs have challenged their proponents to be at once sophisticated in business management, rigorous and transparent in public accountability, and sensitive to the capabilities and amnbitions of private sector providers of similar services. Further, after approximately 10to 20 years of experience in different Australian jurisdictions, aims, methods and estimates of results remain diverse
To explore the prospects for exporting government services, guest symposium editor RFI Smith invites three agencies to comment on their experience. This overview stresses the need to specify carefully costs and benefits in taking operations offshore - both in strict financial terms and in dealing with perception and accountability issues. The prospects for exporting public sector skills and services are at the same time tantalising and frustrating. After initial enthusiasm in the 1970s and 1980s, the management of export programs has turned out to be complex, demanding and not without controversy. Such programs have challenged their proponents to be at once sophisticated in business management, rigorous and transparent in public accountability, and sensitive to the capabilities and amnbitions of private sector providers of similar services. Further, after approximately 10to 20 years of experience in different Australian jurisdictions, aims, methods and estimates of results remain diverse
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