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New Public Service (NPS)
8.1 Origin and Core Ideas
Janet V. Denhardt and Robert B. Denhardt proposed NPS in their 2003 book The New Public Service: Serving, Not Steering. It was a direct response to NPM's market-orientation and perceived neglect of democratic values.
7 Principles of NPS (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2003):
| # | Principle | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serve, not steer | Administrators should help citizens articulate shared interests rather than drive organisations from the top |
| 2 | Public interest is the aim | PA should contribute to building shared notion of public interest |
| 3 | Value citizenship over entrepreneurship | Value public engagement above management efficiency |
| 4 | Think strategically, act democratically | Policies should achieve shared goals through collaborative processes |
| 5 | Recognise accountability is complex | Administrators are accountable to law, community values, professional norms, and citizens — not just market |
| 6 | Serve rather than control | Build collaborative structures of leadership based on mutual respect |
| 7 | Value people, not just productivity | Public organisations — and the networks they participate in — are more likely to succeed long-term if they are run through processes of collaboration and shared leadership |
8.2 NPS vs NPM — Key Contrast
| Dimension | NPM | NPS |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Market economics | Democratic theory + citizen engagement |
| Primary motive | Economic (efficiency, VFM) | Political (citizenship, public interest) |
| Citizen seen as | Customer | Citizen/partner |
| Role of administrator | Entrepreneur/manager | Servant of democratic process |
| Accountability | To market/performance metrics | To law, community, political norms |
| Public interest | Aggregation of individual preferences | Result of dialogue about shared values |
8.3 Relevance for India and Rajasthan
NPS thinking underlies:
- Social Audit mechanisms (MGNREGS, 2005) — community participatory audit
- Gram Sabha as platform for democratic deliberation
- Public Distribution System (PDS) reforms — vigilance committees involving citizens
- Rajasthan's Jan Sunwai (Public Hearing) tradition — MKSS movement (Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan) pioneered RTI through Jansunwayi; Aruna Roy and Shankar Singh were key figures