Accountability in outsourced public service delivery: an Australian study

Deshani Chathurangani Hettiarachchi, Dessalegn Mihret, Nava Subramaniam and Sarath Lal Ukwatte Jalathge

Public Management Review, 2025, vol. 27, issue 12, 2839-2860

Abstract: We examine Australia’s aged care system to understand how the accountability architecture was shaped by outsourcing and explore the resulting implications for service outcomes. We conceptualize quality service provision as a boundary object – i.e. an idea, information, or other mechanism of governance – shared by stakeholders potentially with differing meanings across sites. We highlight NFPs’ emphasis on regular reporting with a compliance focus and muted outcome-based accountability. This accountability deficit was masked by the multi-layered principal–agent relationships. The study suggests the need for integrating outcome-based performance monitoring mechanisms of the state with those of outsourced service sites.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/14719037.2024.2372450

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