After the Critique of New Public Management - A Discourse Analysis of Problematizations Within Public Administration in Sweden

Abstract: There has been a large critique towards NPM in Swedish media during the past couple of years. This study analyzes what the problems and solutions associated with NPM are represented to be. The material is collected from three areas: The Swedish Government, elderly care and social services in Stockholm City and the Swedish academic community working with public administration. The overall conclusion from this study is that problematizations of NPM-associated policy are focused on different aspects of insufficient quality in public authorities activities, especially related to the aspects of control and administration. Solutions to NPM-related problems are similar to the professional model of public administration, where accountability of satisfactory quality cannot be assessed through performance indicators or standardized procedures but through trust in the professionalism of public officials.