Page 298 - POLITIEK OF MANAGEMENT?

from more than one perspective, taking into account the various public functions. The focus should be on determining which territorial arrangement offers a suitable scale in relation to the political, legal and social nature of the public function. Tackling questions of policy at the appropriate scale leads to more effective and more responsive public administration aligned with local needs and current circumstances. Adopting such a strategy might lead to a ‘patchwork’of partly overlapping joint arrangements for different fields, but this would, in most cases, be the most effective, efficient and equitable approach. Perhaps we should overcome the resistance against a fourth administrative tier. In a four tier system tasks, responsibilities and competences of municipalities could be limited and would probably be transferred to larger territorial entities with their own directly-elected council. While this is not now a reality, it is vital that in preparation of future joint arrangements, account is taken of the appropriateness and cohesion of the proposed territorial scale.
The overarching conclusion from this study is the necessity to take a broader perspective on questions of territorial organisation of public administration. Managerial standpoints alone do not provide sufficient insights. The political, legal and social implications of re-organisation and the public character of the new entity need to be taken into account because public administration is, after all, more than mere management.
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