New Public Management and its Implementation in CEE: What Do we Know and where Do we Go?

The paper tries to provide one specific input for future evidence-based public policies in CEE. It discusses the role of New Public Management (NPM) in our region, with the focus on the new CEE EU members and their experience. NPM was, with very limited success, used in many developed countries at the end of last century. It was also part of several reforms, at least in some CEE countries. It may be "misused" for simple cost-cutting, but it may also be well used for better efficiency in the near future of public finance crises. The issue - our core question - is very simple: How to understand: "Adieu NPM"?