Joanne Murphy

This book explores 25 years of policing in Northern Ireland, in the context of conflict and change. In doing so, it provides a comprehensive narrative of the transition from the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. By tracing each phase of organisational development, the work considers the impact of political progress and stagnation, the effect of repeated crises, the role of leadership, and legacy and the challenges of ordinary policing in an extraordinary environment. Just as politics impacts policing, policing has impacted the political trajectory of Northern Ireland. This book captures that symbiotic relationship by weaving first-hand accounts with scholarly analysis, providing new insights into the challenges, processes and methods of policing change. Arguing that the PSNI has overcome foundational obstacles and built significant legitimacy, it nevertheless recognises that beneath the surface, the past is still a potent cultural force in the present. This is a ‘must read’ for all those engaged in policing, the development of criminal justice in transitional settings, and Northern Irish history.

This book explores 25 years of policing in Northern Ireland, in the context of conflict and change. In doing so, it provides a comprehensive narrative of the transition from the Royal Ulster Constabulary to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. By tracing each phase of organisational development, the work considers the impact of political progress and stagnation, the effect of repeated crises, the role of leadership, and legacy and the challenges of ordinary policing in an extraordinary environment. Just as politics impacts policing, policing has impacted the political trajectory of Northern Ireland. This book captures that symbiotic relationship by weaving first-hand accounts with scholarly analysis, providing new insights into the challenges, processes and methods of policing change. Arguing that the PSNI has overcome foundational obstacles and built significant legitimacy, it nevertheless recognises that beneath the surface, the past is still a potent cultural force in the present. This is a ‘must read’ for all those engaged in policing, the development of criminal justice in transitional settings, and Northern Irish history.

War and conflict are a reality of life throughout the world. While much is written about the impact of violence and disorder, how people and organisations adapt to these environments is poorly understood. This book tells the often hidden story of people managing, delivering services and sustaining economies through and beyond violent conflict. It is written for both general readers and academic specialists, combining first person interviews, insights from ‘witness seminars; and informal conversations with more scholarly research. Building on what we already know about organisational behavior and conflict transformation, the book looks at the delivery of housing and public amenities, the management of public space and commemoration and the role of local businesses during and beyond violent conflict. In particular, it focuses on the role of organisational managers as peacebuilding entrepreneurs, generating and sustaining conflict transformation efforts.

War and conflict are a reality of life throughout the world. While much is written about the impact of violence and disorder, how people and organisations adapt to these environments is poorly understood. This book tells the often hidden story of people managing, delivering services and sustaining economies through and beyond violent conflict. It is written for both general readers and academic specialists, combining first person interviews, insights from ‘witness seminars; and informal conversations with more scholarly research. Building on what we already know about organisational behavior and conflict transformation, the book looks at the delivery of housing and public amenities, the management of public space and commemoration and the role of local businesses during and beyond violent conflict. In particular, it focuses on the role of organisational managers as peacebuilding entrepreneurs, generating and sustaining conflict transformation efforts.

That public services exhibit unpredictability, novelty and, on occasion, chaos, is an observation with which even a casual observer would agree. Existing theoretical frameworks in public management fail to address these features, relying more heavily on attempts to eliminate unpredictability through increased reliance on measurable performance objectives, improved financial and human resource management techniques, decentralisation of authority and accountability and resolving principal-agent behaviour pathologies. Essentially, these are all attempts to improve the ‘steering’ capacity of public sector managers and policy makers.By adopting a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) approach to public services, this book shifts the focus from developing steering techniques to identifying patterns of behaviour of the participants with the ultimate objective of increasing policy-makers’ and practitioners’ understanding of the factors that may enable more effective public service decision-making and provision. The authors apply a CAS framework to a series of case studies in public sector management to generate new insights into the issues, processes and participants in public service domains.

That public services exhibit unpredictability, novelty and, on occasion, chaos, is an observation with which even a casual observer would agree. Existing theoretical frameworks in public management fail to address these features, relying more heavily on attempts to eliminate unpredictability through increased reliance on measurable performance objectives, improved financial and human resource management techniques, decentralisation of authority and accountability and resolving principal-agent behaviour pathologies. Essentially, these are all attempts to improve the ‘steering’ capacity of public sector managers and policy makers.By adopting a Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) approach to public services, this book shifts the focus from developing steering techniques to identifying patterns of behaviour of the participants with the ultimate objective of increasing policy-makers’ and practitioners’ understanding of the factors that may enable more effective public service decision-making and provision. The authors apply a CAS framework to a series of case studies in public sector management to generate new insights into the issues, processes and participants in public service domains.