Hester Paanakker, lecturer in Public Administration (Radboud University), is engaged in education and research in the field of public values and good governance. To this end, she likes to go ‘into the field’ to see with her own eyes what is wrong and how matters can be improved. In her eyes, offering solutions is what public administration is all about and what ‘profit without loss’ means. What are public values? “Public values form the foundation of good governance and citizens’ trust in government. Or of residents in their municipality, of patients in the care sector, or of teachers in their school board. Some examples of public values are reliability, fairness, efficiency, transparency and integrity.” These are rather abstract concepts. “That's true. This is what makes it so important to translate them into meaningful and workable policies. So that they can be implemented, and citizens and clients feel seen and heard. Administrators, managers and policymakers have to look closely at and listen to everyday matters, to what is going on in the corridors, in the workplace and in the street. Which is much easier said than done.” In your PhD thesis on the quality of prison care, you observed a gap between governance, policy and implementation. “For that study, I talked to managers and policymakers and worked both day and night shifts with prison staff. Both managers and executives mentioned - among other things - the human dimension and relational security as important professional values in prison care. But in practice, the actions of these managers and top officials turned out to be quite different from the staff’s views. While prison guards invest in their relationships with the prisoners to do their job well and safely, managers have an obsession with numbers and performance measurements. It is not surprising, because that is what they are judged on by their directors and politicians.” How do you solve these imbalances? “Public services would benefit from a different, less corporate management style. But there are a few obstacles in the way. First of all, many organisations are hierarchically structured, with a great distance between management and the work floor. On top of that, the public sector, by virtue of serving the public interest, always has to be accountable to the highest degree. Look at healthcare, for example. Every step of every process must be accounted for, which greatly curtails the abilities of the professionals providing the actual service. This is not the fault of administration and policymakers alone. As a society, we emerge like hyenas when a public service suffers a setback. And then there are other problems: budget cuts, reorganisations, financial and staff shortages. As a result, values that are ostensibly really important may be of secondary priority.” And so? “There needs to be a structural, open and honest discussion about the values we want to safeguard. Do we focus on craftsmanship and the human dimension? If so, the organisation and the sector must accommodate for them: policy, communication and the instruments for implementation. This communication of values receives little attention, but its importance cannot be overestimated. A gap in values, as in the prison system, irrevocably leads to problems in the workplace: to a lack of clarity, uncertainty and stress. To mistrust between frontline workers, managers and policy makers. This is translated to society: to a breach of trust between citizens and the government.” Isn't there always a gap between administration and implementation, between government and citizens? Their interests are never exactly the same. “Public values and interests are, by definition, conflicting. They cannot all be served at the same time. You can see that now with the coronavirus measures. Protection for one leads to restrictions for another. Good governance is the proper management of these conflicting values. How far-reaching should government services be? What powers do we (still) entrust to the government? How much intervention do we consider desirable? What level of risk do we consider acceptable? The answers do not come automatically. You have to talk about them. Not just in the boardroom.” And ‘profit without loss’ is the result? “Yes. You cannot be constructive without dialogue. Even – especially – when you are critical in your research.” What is the role of the public administration expert here? “Public administration contributes to solving social problems and improving public administration. I think it is important that we, as scientists, also go out into the field and do participatory research. For example, my research in the prison system enabled me to pinpoint the sore spot very precisely and to suggest potential solutions. This pragmatism is how we can make a difference. I find it an incredibly interesting and valuable profession. Hester Paanakker has a special interest in the security domain in her teaching and research. Safety comes in various forms. For example, one could describe physical security as ‘the absence of and protection against physical threats’, such as violence. Social safety has to do with protection against undesirable or harmful behaviour, for example, and institutional safety concerns, inclusion and diversity in policy, organisational processes and systems, among other things. It is clear that there are many aspects of security, so it has to be looked at from all sides. This is why scientists from different disciplines within the Nijmegen School of Management are joining forces to establish a faculty-wide Centre for Security Research. Profit without loss is about responsible governance which aims for a sustainable society. Research and education at the Nijmegen School of Management has a specific focus on solving issues at large in society. Want to know more? Visit our website for more information about our themes.