Centralisation, decentralisation and outsourcing of civil service training: Hong Kong, Singapore and United Kingdom experience in comparative perspective

Abstract

As a result of public management reforms, civil service training has undergone significant changes around the world. An important development is that ministries and departments are frequently empowered to choose in-house or external providers. Exploring the dynamics and complexities of centralisation, decentralisation and outsourcing in civil service training in Hong Kong, Singapore and the United Kingdom, this article traces the trajectories of the changes and, in doing so, reveals factors involved in the successful transformation of such training. The findings may be used to draw inferences about civil service training in other countries.

Keywords:

• civil service training
• centralisation
• decentralisation
• outsourcing
• new public management
• post-new public management
• Hong Kong
• Singapore
• United Kingdom

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to the civil service trainers in the three jurisdictions who kindly agreed to be interviewed. The research was supported by a generous College of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grant, City University of Hong Kong.