The missing link of Spanish public Administration: the absence of a regulatory framework for public managers

Abstract

During the last forty years, Spanish public administration did not promote any deep institutional or administrative reform. In order to achieve, not only a greater social legitimacy of the public sector, but also a transformation of the political and administrative culture, this article proposes an institutional reform to built stronger public institutions. Another objective of this reform should be building public institutions less permeable to corruption and more prepared to face a network management of public services (including different types in public-private collaboration). The regulation of the public management is, in this sense, an essential strategy to fulfill these objectives. Taking this into account, this paper (1) shows a diagnosis of the public administration current situation as a result of non-regulation of public management and (2) proposes a regulatory framework to overcome this loophole.