Editor’s Foreword by Virginie Madelin, Managing Director of the IGPDE

Rethinking government in a changing world

The way in which government operates is changing beyond all recognition. If public services are to keep pace with these changes, they need a steady supply of evidence-based knowledge, resources and guidance.

The IGPDE was set up to help public authorities navigate this shifting landscape, and it does so in three complementary ways – delivering vocational training, liaising with the outside world, and conducting research. Gathering, processing and publishing data and information are a vital part of what the institute does, and of research more generally. This periodical contains insights gleaned from this area of the IGPDE’s work.

Painting a dynamic picture of government action

Governments everywhere are having to rethink how they deliver services in today’s digital age, when citizens expect more from the public sector. And as more authorities conduct sporadic trials, so researchers are working hard to understand and learn lessons from these experiments. This periodical contains insights from the IGPDE Research Bureau into the latest scientific knowledge in the field, as well comparative analyses of government initiatives elsewhere.

Government in Action: Research and Practice has a deliberately international outlook, exploring and learning lessons from what public authorities in Europe and around the world are doing. It also presents the findings of recent academic research and examines the implications of this research for government action – with the aim of ensuring that evidence-based data makes an even bigger contribution to public policy-making in France.

This periodical also reviews the latest academic articles and theses in the field, along with details of events and news for readers with an interest in public management.

Government in Action: Research and Practice is a resource for people and organisations working to change the face of government. Your feedback will help us to ensure that this publication aligns with your interests and preferences. Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions.

I hope you enjoy reading this first issue.