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• The need for productivity
• The history and myths of outsourcing
• Strange bedfellows - the opportunists of outsourcing
• Market myopia, Enron, and political overreaction
• The economics of who's right and who's wrong
• Screw it, I'll outsource
• The "difficult in" over the "easy out"
• Fear of a global planet
• The last of the spirits
• Solutions, what if
• Conclusion : get involved.

Buffington clarifies the role of outsourcing in business today so that Americans can focus on something that really matters - real increases in productivity and competitiveness in a global economy. In most cases, he contends, neither outsourcing nor its close cousin, off-shoring, are effective as a means to their intended end. Moreover, Americans focus much negative energy on off-shoring, when domestic outsourcing might be more harmful to the U.S. economy. Corporations lack awareness of this distinction, and, therefore, they don't know which should be implemented in what circumstances. Such ignorance is not only an obstacle for any company seeking to implement a successful outsourcing strategy, but also a dire threat to the long-term growth of the American economy.Buffington demonstrates that outsourcing often functions as an "easy out" for corporations that are reluctant to look at the root causes of their problems, whether low productivity, lack of innovation, or an unwillingness to invest in marketing, promotion, and sales. He argues that corporate productivity, or the lack thereof, drives the success (or failure) of outsourcing or off-shoring more than the act itself. This book challenges America's business leaders to find their productivity, and then make outsourcing decisions, instead of vice versa.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Library managers are increasingly outsourcing many of their library's technical services operations to contractors. This text guides librarians through the outsourcing process for cataloguing, physical processing and authority work.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Library managers are increasingly outsourcing many of their library's technical services operations to contractors. This text guides librarians through the outsourcing process for cataloguing, physical processing and authority work.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Outsourcing is a strategic way for libraries to maximize fiscal and human resources. This text provides detailed, practical advice on: re-engineering library operations; how to determine when outsourcing is appropriate; conduct cost studies to evaluate technical operations; prepare formal requests-for-proposals (RFPs) to outsource acquisitions cataloguing and other technical services; evaluate vendor responses and services; and monitor the quality of outsourced operations. The guide also explores the pros and cons of outsourcing versus human resource needs and contract management and compliance. Detailed appendices included checklists for procuring book and journal vendor services, cataloguing services and other techincal services.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

Should we be doing-or trying to do-everything ourselves, or might it be better to contract some tasks out to others? Could they do them better and cheaper than we can? More and more state and local governments are asking these questions, and while there are many answers on the Federal level, these answers often don't apply lower down the line. Nevertheless, it is evident that contracting out is often the better strategy-but how best to go about it? What are the benefits and what are the hidden risks? Dr. O'Looney's book provides precisely the guidance that state and local managers need: first, how to decide to outsource a government service, then step-by-step how to proceed. Based on extensive interviews and other research, O'Looney takes managers through the intricacies of contract outsourcing and administration, but in doing so he makes clear that he appreciates the importance of government. His book is not an argument for privatization, as so many other books are; rather, it is an affirmation of government and the benefits of its many services. Readers will find theory and advice on the services that are most suitable for contracting out; a listing and review of the components of a high-quality analysis, including the analysis of often overlooked political, organizational, and functional aspects of government; advice on how to go from deciding to outsource to actually designing, implementing, and monitoring a contract in situations that could prove hazardous to the livelihoods of government workers. He also discusses the changes that need to be made in the organizational culture, management, and employee training as a result of the change to a contract-based system of providing services; the considerations in designing work specifications and other critical aspects of the government-vendor relationship, and how ideal contracting processes and ideal contracts can differ according to the nature of the service being contracted. The result is a thorough and highly practical volume for executives and managers in the public sector, and for those who hope to do business with them.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction: reframing the outsourcing debates / Jody Freeman and Martha Minow
• Recent developments
• Public-private governance: a historical introduction / William J. Novak
• The transformation of government work: causes, consequences and distortions / John D. Donahue
• The federal framework for competing commercial work between the public and private sectors / Mathew Blum
• Cases and critiques
• Rent-a-regulator: design and innovation in environmental decision making / Miriam Seifter
• Outsourcing power: privatizing military efforts and the risks to accountability, professionalism, and democracy / Martha Minow
• How privatization thinks: the case of prisons / Sharon Dolovich
• Responses and reforms
• A. Don't increase regulation
• Achieving contracting goals and recognizing public law concerns: a contracting management perspective / Steven J. Kelman
• Federal contracting in context: what drives it, how to improve it / Stan Soloway and Alan Chvotkin
• B. Use existing tools
• Six simple steps to increase contractor accountability / Nina A. Mendelson
• Privatization and democracy: resources in administrative law / Alfred C. Aman, Jr.
• C. Press constitutional restrictions
• Private delegations, due process, and the duty to supervise / Gillian E. Metzger
• Outsourcing and the duty to govern / Paul R. Verkuil
• Public values/private contract / Laura A. Dickinson.

The dramatic growth of government over the course of the twentieth century since the New Deal prompts concern among libertarians and conservatives and also among those who worry about government's costs, efficiency, and quality of service. These concerns, combined with rising confidence in private markets, motivate the widespread shift of federal and state government work to private organizations. This shift typically alters only who performs the work, not who pays or is ultimately responsible for it. "Government by contract" now includes military intelligence, environmental monitoring, prison management, and interrogation of terrorism suspects.Outsourcing government work raises questions of accountability. What role should costs, quality, and democratic oversight play in contracting out government work? What tools do citizens and consumers need to evaluate the effectiveness of government contracts? How can the work be structured for optimal performance as well as compliance with public values?" Government by Contract" explains the phenomenon and scope of government outsourcing and sets an agenda for future research attentive to workforce capacities, as well as legal, economic, and political concerns.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction: government by contract: outsourcing and American democracy / Jody Freeman and Martha Minow
• Recent developments
• Public-private governance: an historical introduction / William J. Novak
• The transformation of government work: causes, consequences and distortions / John Donahue
• The federal framework for competing commercial work between the public and private sectors / Matthew Blum
• Cases and critiques
• Rent-a-regulator: design and innovation in environmental decisionmaking / Miriam Seifter
• Outsourcing power: privatizing military efforts and the risks to accountability, professionalism, and democracy / Martha Minow
• How privatization thinks: the case of prisons / Sharon Dolovich
• Responses and reforms
• A. Don't increase regulation
• Achieving contracting goals and recognizing public law concerns: a contracting management perspective / Steven J. Kelman
• Federal contracting in context: what drives it, how to improve it / Stan Soloway and Alan Chvotkin
• B. Use existing tools
• Some legal reforms to increase contractor accountability / Nina A. Mendelson
• Privatization and democracy: resources in administrative law / Alfred C. Aman, Jr
• Press constitutional restrictions
• Private delegations, due process, and the duty to supervise / Gillian E. Metzger
• Outsourcing and the duty to govern / Paul R. Verkuil
• Public values/private contract / Laura A. Dickinson.

The dramatic growth of government over the course of the twentieth century since the New Deal prompts concern among libertarians and conservatives and also among those who worry about government's costs, efficiency, and quality of service. These concerns, combined with rising confidence in private markets, motivate the widespread shift of federal and state government work to private organizations. This shift typically alters only who performs the work, not who pays or is ultimately responsible for it. "Government by contract" now includes military intelligence, environmental monitoring, prison management, and interrogation of terrorism suspects.Outsourcing government work raises questions of accountability. What role should costs, quality, and democratic oversight play in contracting out government work? What tools do citizens and consumers need to evaluate the effectiveness of government contracts? How can the work be structured for optimal performance as well as compliance with public values?" Government by Contract" explains the phenomenon and scope of government outsourcing and sets an agenda for future research attentive to workforce capacities, as well as legal, economic, and political concerns.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction--
• 2. The privatization movement: an overview--
• 3. The privatization of government functions--
• 4. The public-private distinction and constitutional law--
• 5. The nondelegable duty to govern--
• 6. The administrative restrictions on contracting out inherent government functions--
• 7. The role of the Courts and Congress in preserving government functions--
• 8. Conclusions.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

This 2007 book describes the largely overlooked process of using private government contractors to perform essential or inherent functions in the military and civilian sectors of government. It shows how such practices undermine the capacity effectiveness and morale of government officials and it establishes constitutional and statutory arguments against the practice. It recognizes and accepts the proper role for outsourcing or privatization while safeguarding against its improper use. The argument ultimately turns on the necessity for our democratic system to require the executive branch to perform crucial tasks in-house unless Congress has permitted delegations to private contractors.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction--
• 2. The privatization movement: an overview--
• 3. The privatization of government functions--
• 4. The public-private distinction and constitutional law--
• 5. The nondelegable duty to govern--
• 6. The administrative restrictions on contracting out inherent government functions--
• 7. The role of the Courts and Congress in preserving government functions--
• 8. Conclusions.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

This 2007 book describes the largely overlooked process of using private government contractors to perform essential or inherent functions in the military and civilian sectors of government. It shows how such practices undermine the capacity effectiveness and morale of government officials and it establishes constitutional and statutory arguments against the practice. It recognizes and accepts the proper role for outsourcing or privatization while safeguarding against its improper use. The argument ultimately turns on the necessity for our democratic system to require the executive branch to perform crucial tasks in-house unless Congress has permitted delegations to private contractors.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

As outsourcing becomes more commonplace in libraries, the need for an authoritative guide becomes indisputable. This book, designed to give librarians a broad understanding of outsourcing issues in academic libraries, synthesizes prevailing theories on the topic and describes current outsourcing practices in all areas of librarianship. After a historical overview and a detailed analysis of the pros and cons of outsourcing, the authors outline the steps for planning and implementing a successful outsourcing programme. Individual chapters cover collection development, acquisitions and serials management, cataloguing, retrospective conversion, authority control, preservation and public services and systems. A special feature of the book is a detailed survey of more than 200 academic research libraries and other academic libraries on outsourcing practices.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• 1. Introduction: Cities and the Privatization Debate.
• 2. The Evidence on Efficiency and the Use of Privatization by Cities.
• 3. Examining Various Dimensions of Municipal Privatization.
• 4. Privatization in the Real World: Successes and Failures and Persistent Urban Issues.
• 5. Conclusion: Prospects for the New Century. Appendix A: Summaries of Major Efficiency Studies for Selected Municipal Services. Appendix B: The Use of Private Contracting by Local Governments (Percentage). Appendix C: Explaining Variations in Municipal Privatization. Appendix D: Municipal Fiscal Health and Privatization. Appendix E: Privatization Diversity Levels Compared by Service. Appendix F: Privatization Resources on the Internet. Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

For undergraduate/graduate level courses in Bureaucracy, Public Policy, Public Administration, Urban Studies, State and Local Government, and American Government. This concise, readable text focuses on privatization at the municipal level, blending theory with practical matters, and containing real-life examples of privatization. It presents the practical arguments and theoretical frameworks for and against using privatization, summarizes the evidence on efficiency between public and private organizations performing similar tasks, and includes numerous examples of privatization taken from the real-world of city management.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

• Introduction by Arnold H. Raphaelson-- Issues in Shifts of Public Goods Production by Richard A. Bernstein and Arnold H. Raphaelson-- Interdistrict School Choice in a Metropolitan Setting: Characteristics and Consequences by Judith C. Stull and William J. Stull-- Emerging Opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships in Highway Development by Joseph M. Giglio, Jr.-- A New Wave of Privatization Efforts by Ronald W. Jensen-- The Political Economy of Privatization by Philip K. Porter and James F. Dewey-- Privatization in State and Local Government by E. S. Savas-- Piecemeal Privatization: The U.S. Domestic Transportation Example by Duane S. Windsor-- Privatizing State and Local Government Services: The Role of Not-for-Profit Organizations by Thomas A. Reiner-- Privatizing Wine and Spirits Distribution in Pennsylvania by Andrew J. Buck-- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

Under pressure from both the Federal government and private citizens, local and state governments are restructuring their services, including the areas of education, highway, and transportation. While the federal government wants to reassign responsibilities to local governments, voters want greater efficiency and lower taxes via privatization. This edited collection considers these pressures, the responses from state and local governments, and specific experiments in privatizing local services. The book's opening chapter presents an overview of the changing landscape, while the following chapters consider possibilities in both education and highway services. In education, interdistrict school choice and state-local structures are considered. Highway services are seen in federal-state and state-private relationships. Reporting on a variety of experiments, each chapter illustrates a type of service or arrangement for restructuring governmental services.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)