---
canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-38/review-article-on-growing-the-productivity-of-government-services-2nd-edition/"
title: "Review Article on Growing the Productivity of Government Services (2nd Edition)"
author:
  name: "CSLS"
  url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/"
date_published: "2026-07-13T07:53:14+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:53:14+00:00"
post_type: "ipm"
summary: ""
ipm_issue_period:
  - "Spring 2020"
ipm_keyword:
  - "Atkinson Review"
  - "Carrera"
  - "digital government"
  - "Dunleavy"
  - "government productivity"
  - "output measurement"
  - "public sector"
  - "review article"
  - "UK"
ipm_research_theme:
  - "Sectoral and firm-level dynamics"
ipm_country_focus:
  - "International"
  - "OECD"
  - "United Kingdom"
featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp"
status: "publish"
---

# Review Article on Growing the Productivity of Government Services (2nd Edition)

Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-38/review-article-on-growing-the-productivity-of-government-services-2nd-edition/

# Review Article on Growing the Productivity of Government Services (2nd Edition)

[Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-38-6-Drummond.pdf)

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Cite this article as:

Drummond, Don. 2020. “Review Article on Growing the Productivity of Government Services (2nd Edition).” International Productivity Monitor, No. 38 (Spring 2020): 136–144. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-38/review-article-on-growing-the-productivity-of-government-services-2nd-edition/

## Author:

-
Don Drummond
Centre for the Study of Living Standards (CSLS)

## IPM Issue 38

Spring 2020 pp. 136–144

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## Abstract

## Résumé

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This review article evaluates the second edition of Growing the Productivity of Government Services by Patrick Dunleavy and Leandro Carrera (Edward Elgar, 2019), which updates the first edition (2013) with new material on digital government and extends the analysis to a broader set of countries. The reviewer finds the updated edition maintains the strengths of the original — practical application of Atkinson Review principles, concrete UK agency case studies — while adding valuable material on digital government transformation. The reviewer emphasizes that measuring government output remains the fundamental prerequisite for improving productivity.

Cet article de recension évalue la deuxième édition de Growing the Productivity of Government Services de Patrick Dunleavy et Leandro Carrera (Edward Elgar, 2019), qui met à jour la première édition (2013) avec de nouveaux éléments sur le gouvernement numérique et étend l’analyse à un ensemble plus large de pays. Le recenceur juge que l’édition mise à jour maintient les points forts de l’original — application pratique des principes de l’examen Atkinson, études de cas concrets d’agences britanniques — tout en ajoutant des éléments précieux sur la transformation du gouvernement numérique. Le recenceur souligne que la mesure de la production gouvernementale reste la condition préalable fondamentale à l’amélioration de la productivité.

[Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-38-6-Drummond.pdf)
