Administrative supervision and information relationships

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Bekkers, Victor^a | Homburg, Vincent^a

Affiliations: [a] Erasmus University Rotterdam, Faculty of Social Sciences, Public Administration Group, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 10 4082133; E-mail: {bekkers, homburg}@fsw.eur.nl

Abstract: In many countries, administrative supervision has grown dramatically in recent years. Administrative supervision is a form of interaction between policy makers and policy executors, aimed at improving political accountability. In this paper, the role of information and information relationships between policy-making bodies, executive institutions and administrative supervisors is explored. We identify three roles of administrative supervisors: a classical (cop) role, a modern (coach) role, and a networking (director) role. Each role has requirements with respect to the information relationship, particularly in the relationship between the supervisory authority and the executive institution. In this paper, we analyze the sometimes contradictory roles of administrative supervisors and the implications for information relationships, and we indicate the consequences for practice.

Keywords: supervisory authorities, administrative supervision, information relationships

DOI: 10.3233/IP-2002-0007

Journal: Information Polity, vol. 7, no. 2-3, pp. 129-141, 2002