Accountability That Keeps on Giving: Open Issues in the Delivery of Public Services
ABSTRACT Reviewing and discussing current “hot” issues in the public accountability of public services from the different perspectives of central and local government, healthcare, universities, and third‐sector organizations, this piece aims at open a debate on how to improve both research and practice in these realms. All sectors show evidence of accountability systems under strain or failing, with persistent conflicts between the technical or quantitative aspects of accountability and broader, more qualitative dimensions. These sectors also show the problematic relationship between diminishing resources and expanding accountability demands. All such aspects are worthy of further study, including the role of multiple felt experiences and the psychological impact on individual actors.
Authors
- Dennis De Widt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7299-5663)
- David Yates (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4696-262X)
- Anne Stafford (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5407-5986)
- Florian Gebreiter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5981-0476)
- Mariannunziata Liguori (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2312-2273)
- Lynn Bradley
- Richard Baylis
- Noel Hyndman
- Silvia Pazzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5987-8967)
- Jing Liu
Institutions
- Queen's University Belfast (GB)
- Durham University (GB)
- University of Manchester (GB)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- University of York (GB)
- Adam Smith Institute (GB)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- Cardiff University (GB)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Financial Accountability and Management
- Published
- 2026-05-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/faam.70042
- Primary Topic
- Public Policy and Administration Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00