Feldman, M. And K. Quick.

Feldman, M. And K. Quick. (2007). "Generating Resources and Energizing

Frameworks Through Inclusive Public Management." International Public

Management Journal. 12:2, 137-71.

Inclusive Public Management is a term that is used to describe a paradigm of management style that evolved from the more traditional form of public administration, advocated as early as the turn of the century under President Woodrow Wilson and others. Essentially it is a way to find a more balanced approach to issues that have a large number of stakeholders at various levels of the socio-political process. It combines the best of qualitative and quantitative analysis tools so that it is able to hone in on those individuals who, for whatever reason, might be excluded from a particular process. In a sense, it is not management by committee, but management by inclusion and design -- specific actions and activities necessary to provide the appropriate level of openness and power to interested parties (Feldman and Khademian, 2007).

Professor Feldman joined with another academic, Kathryn Quick, to discuss the manner in which resource allocation and energizing frameworks fit into the paradigm of public management structures. Often managers are faced with the dilemma of having fewer than needed resources, yet being required to offer more inclusionary policies which often appear to drain those precious resources away. The dynamics between these complex structures becomes the focus of the article under review, and seeks to understand the "potential for these perspectives to inform and influence one another, thereby generating new frameworks and possibilities for action" (139).

The article is well researched, and utilized over 25 years of scholarship on the subject. We come to understand how the question of resources has evolved over the last few decades, in line with economic upswings and downturns, but currently to the point in which it is not only necessary but expected. The data set, collected between 1998 and 2007, focuses on the necessary processes designed to address critical city budget issues. The confidential study participants consisted of a relatively small population size (43), but did include an extensive qualitative interview basis (144). The authors acknowledged that the size of the sample and the demographic/psychographic make-up of the communities in question are not always representative of the universe of cities and towns, but because they used mid-sized areas (180-300,000 in population); they believe the data can be used in generalized assumptions. Smaller areas obviously lack fiscal resources but are heavy on relationships within the community; larger urban areas have larger budgets, but conversely have to do more within those budgets and may not be as in touch with community needs.

It is often said that the greatest strength of something is sometimes its greatest weakness as well. This seems to be true in the case of resource management under inclusionary practices. The flow of events and information is such that on one hand -- the positive -- there is regular and open communication at all levels and directions of the hierarchical tree. On the other hand, though, sometimes a strong central decision-maker is needed to block deadlocks, find compromises, and reconceptualize the appropriateness of shared managerial roles.