Organisation Capability & Public Administration: From Reform and Subjectivity to Objective Evaluation

Abstract The purpose of this article is to propose a definition for ‘organisation capability,’ develop an empirical approach, and therefore to evaluate capability for one public administration entity. Through long-term public administration and management literature, the ontology of ‘organisation’ is often overlooked. This inhibits the development of an empirical definition for ‘organisation capability,’ in turn inhibiting methodologies and coherent assessment. The research question asks how to evaluate organisation capability. A comparative study review highlights gaps empirically, particularly in contexts of public sector reform and organisation development. Notable issues include tendencies for definitional varieties of ‘organisation capability,’ subjective methodologies, and resource maximisation. The methodology presents organisation capability (OC) as the dependent variable, with two independent variables for humanistic propensity-to-act (PTA) and structural latitude-to-act (LTA), the logical domains for capability antecedents expected through organisation design. A third variable – enacted capability (ENC) – provides selective impact observations, providing in theatre data and potential causal inferences. Through mixed-method factor analysis and a composite measure for capability profile, with a capability index, a gap analysis supports organisation development strategies. As expected from objective analyses across human, structural, and impact factors, results reveal deviations (deficits here) from organisation design intentions.