PRIVATIZATION.

• Position: Brief Article

A Strategic Framework for Devolving Responsibility and Functions from Government to the Private Sector

Cohen, Steven

Public Administration Review, July/August 2001, pp. 432-440.

Once elected officials have determined that a function is the responsibility of government, it is the job of the manager to determine the best way to deliver that function. In some situations, it is best that the function is performed in-house, while in other scenarios it is better to perform the function indirectly, through the use of a non-profit or private-sector organization. By engaging in a strategic process called "functional matching," managers can determine which sector is best suited for performing the function. The public sector is best suited for functions in which accountability is critical, the function "regulates or removes the freedom or free movement of individuals," or the function is needed, but not profitable. Nonprofit organizations are best at administering programs that require personnel to be compassionate and committed to the organizational mission. For functions that do not require sensitivity to individual liberties or compassion, the private...