Author: Yanfen Guo
Guo, Yanfen, 2018 The Study of the Local Government Efficacy Evaluation in China from the Perspective of Governance Transformation, Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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After the 18th CPC National Congress, China has entered a new period of socialist construction. The development and improvement of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity have become the strategic objectives and tasks of the comprehensive deepening of the reform in the new period, which also marks the new stage of the government governance transformation in China. The specific value orientation, institutional foundation and social foundation contained of the governance transformation in China make the local government efficacy evaluation is different from the government performance evaluation in western countries and the official achievement evaluation system in the traditional governance period. So it is precondition to have a precise and realistic recognition of the transformation of governance and its demands for efficacy evaluation, which will guarantee the efficacy evaluation to play a benefit and effective role in the governance reform. Based on the logical starting point mentioned above, the research theme of this paper is to built a theoretical framework of local government efficacy evaluation corresponding to the governance transformation in China.
The research logic of the article is as follows. First of all, it analyzes the basic concepts, basic characteristics, and the theoretical basis of the government efficacy and its evaluation, which reveals the important role of government efficacy evaluation in government governance and the promotion of government governance reform. Then from the "Ought to be" perspective to analysis the requirements from the government governance transformation, which is analyzed after elaborating the background and the strategy objectives of the governance transformation in current China, especially after discussing the features of the local government governance in this context. After the perspective of "Ought to Be", the following part analyzed the "Real State" of the local government efficacy evaluation practice in China, which is drawn from the policy content analysis——including econometric analysis and content analysis, presenting the macro actual practices status of the local government efficacy evaluation in China. Based on conclusions of the above three parts, the following two parts of the article mainly discuss the construction and interpretation of the analysis framework of local government efficacy evaluation which is fit with the governance transformation: Based on the theoretical basis and basic premise hypothesis of the new analytical framework , the fourth part of the article explains the basic idea of constructing the new framework and the main contents of the new framework of the local government efficacy evaluation which is compatible with the governance transformation needs, that is, based on the “initial state” and “ideal state” of local government efficacy evaluation, combining with the "constraints" in the governance transformation period to reinterpret the analysis architecture of "why to evaluation "(basic orientation and value orientation), "what to evaluation " (evaluation contents and index system), "who evaluates" (evaluation subjects) and "how to evaluate" (evaluation methods), especially present the main contents of the analytical framework. Following the theoretical framework, the evaluation index system of the local government efficacy is built, which goes through theoretically construction, screening and optimization through membership analysis and correlation analysis. In the end, this article discussed the institutional arrangement of local government efficacy evaluation in terms of macro strategies and specific approaches.
The main conclusions of this paper are as follows: First, as the socialist construction in China enters a new stage and the governance transformation is further developed, the evaluation of local government efficacy in China should not completely imitate from western countries' performance evaluation practices. It should be based on the basic situation of local government governance in China and learn from the problems existing in the current evaluation of local government in China, and thus developing independent innovation of local government efficacy evaluation system which fits with the current government governance situation in China .Second, the special stage of governance transformation not only has the advanced nature of surpassing the traditional government governance and tend to the modern government governance, but also the limitation of the path dependence from the profound traditional governance and the state that has not yet reached the modern government governance. This transition stage is the fact needs to depend on to develop the local government efficacy evaluation system, and also the government efficacy evaluation system which can be compatible with the fact of governance transformation is an important governance tool to promote the governance transformation. Third, the basic orientation of the local government efficacy evaluation system in line with the governance transformation is a strategic governance tool that will promotes governance change, this basic orientation requires this evaluation system can balance the multiple value of the government governance and also can reflect the main tasks dimensions of the local government transformation. Based on the current situation and the constraints of reality in China's governance transformation stage, developing the government efficacy evaluation system needs to both consider the limitations of traditional governance elements that have survived due to path dependence in the process of governance transformation and the strategic objectives of governance reforms. This article try to find a train of thinking that is gradual and suboptimal, but is more functional and effective for the current stage in China and based on the train logical thinking of the evaluation content framework, the legal functions of local government and the basic attributes of efficacy evaluation to develop the evaluation index system of local government efficacy. The main logical line of the index system are local government governance system and local government governance capacity, which embodied as the combination of internal government management, institutional construction, reform and innovation, public policy, economic construction. The most striking difference between this index system and the previous indicator system is that it effectively meets the main dimensions of current governance reforms in China and highlights the inspection of local government governance capabilities. Finally, the support system of the local government efficacy evaluation mainly includes three parts: The renewal of concept to follow the step of the changing local government efficacy evaluation, improve the institution to overcome the choke point of the development of local government efficacy evaluation which is consistent with the transformation of governance and optimize the technical means to match the new pattern of government efficacy evaluation.
This study intends to develop a theoretical framework of local government efficacy evaluation that is compatible with governance transformation in China, which is expected to be a new perspective and viewpoint for promoting the theoretical study of the local government administrative system reform and government evaluation. Also it is expected to provide theoretical references for promotes the government governance reform, thus driving the reform of supporting system for building a socialist well-to-do society with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
Keywords: Governance transformation, Local government, Efficacy evaluation
Subject: Policy and Administration thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2018
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Noore Alam Siddiquee