The discussion on how to resolve mass disputes stemming from faulty financial products among banks, insurance companies and other stakeholders in the Netherlands ended in deadlock. While diligent action is considered imperative, parties shy away from discussing options for settling damages suffered by consumers for fear of triggering mass claims themselves. To contribute to a new framework for resolving mass disputes, a responsive evaluation was conducted between 2011 and 2015. In such evaluation, the way stakeholders make sense of the situation serves as an organizing principle in knowledge production. This article discusses the methodical challenges implied in adapting the methodological guidelines for such inquiry to fit the ill-structured, controversial and complex legal issue and its highly politicized context. Because of a careful handling of confidentiality in the inquiry and a focused selection of participants on the basis of their proximity to the issue, the evaluation resulted in insight in options for resolving mass disputes that are supported by various parties. Furthermore, the evaluation itself served, it is argued, as a vehicle to overcome the deadlock by sensitizing stakeholders to the fact that they all aspire similar practical objectives and all acknowledge the need for cooperation on the issue.

As long as the existence of public administration, there is discussion whether public administration should focus on practice or mainly be a purely scientific field. Opinions of public administration scholars are divided on the matter. Moreover, the question is whether public administration is a discipline in itself or part of other disciplines such as political science, law or the management sciences. This article shows how public administration scholars see the discipline and the developments therein, based on a survey among scholars. Dutch public administration scholars are compared with their European colleagues. There are major differences between the Netherlands and the rest of Europe with regard to the status of the discipline. Firstly, as a separate discipline, public administration in the Netherlands is more important in comparison with other European countries. In the rest of Europe, in particular political sciences play an important role. Secondly, regarding the tension within the discipline, the public administration in the Netherlands is developing less towards practitioners than public administration in other European countries.

In this article we discuss the influence of external policy advisors on the policy process. In the Dutch context, little is known about the role, function and influence of external policy advisors (like consultants) who are hired on a temporary basis by the government. Based on a survey (N = 378) this study provides a profile of external policy advisors and the nature of their advice work. An interesting result is that external advisors generally conduct process-related policy work, but may also provide policy substance. Furthermore, the article develops an empirically and theoretically informed research agenda as a starting point for additional research.

Surveys show that Dutch people want more options with regard to the own pension. Can freedom of choice be combined with collective organised solidarity within supplementary pension schemes? To answer this question the article discusses the pros and cons of options of workers and employers within and between pension schemes. The theoretical and empirical consequences of choices in the Dutch supplementary pension schemes are reviewed. The neo-classical economic theory, the neo-institutional theory and behavioral economic theory are applied to supplementary pensions. In addition, lessons are learned from the experience in the Netherlands with choices within pension schemes and with choices in other areas. Only a very small minority will use the new options in the supplementary pension schemes. Unlike the neoclassical economic theory, the neo-institutional theory and behavioral economic theory recommend to extend the compulsory supplementary pension to all employed persons. The welfare gain of more choices is questionable. Lifting the mandatory participation will affect the relative success of the Dutch pension system: large numbers of insured workers and relatively cheap and a relatively high pension as a result of this supplementary pension.

This article describes our knowledge on the performance of ZBOs (a type of quangos), based on annual reports and official evaluations. We find that evaluations are not done very often even though they are required by law. The content and quality of evaluation reports do not always facilitate the drawing of clear conclusions. Evaluations and annual reports depict a modestly positive picture of ZBO performance, and a negative image of the relationship between ZBOs and their parent departments. Evaluation reports are only occasionally used in political debates and decision making on ZBOs. That raises the question of why politicians have so little interest in ZBO performance and its evaluations, all the more so because expectations regarding ZBO performance were very high at the time when these organizations were established.

Achterliggende motieven en overwegingen van Nederlandse overheidsbesturen om dan wel en dan weer niet te kiezen voor publiek-private samenwerking (PPS) bij infrastructurele projecten bleven tot voor kort onduidelijk. Diverse kabinetten predikten sinds het midden van de jaren tachtig uit de vorige eeuw weliswaar publiek-private samenwerking, maar daarmee was PPS nog geen feit. Wisselende (macro-)motieven werden in nota’s opgevoerd om PPS onvermijdelijk te maken, waarbij financiële meerwaarde een constante was, maar dat bleek niet genoeg. Per project wisselende (micro-)motieven moesten de gewenste PPS-keuze rechtvaardigen, waaronder ook niet-politieke motieven. Het bereiken van financiële meerwaarde bleek wel een officieel doel of motief, maar was in de praktische besluitvorming lang niet altijd de enige relevante factor. Dit betekent dat de stelling dat financiële meerwaarde juist bepalend is, niet volledig blijkt te sporen met de PPS-praktijk. Sterker gesteld, bestuurlijke afwegingen blijken vaak bepalender voor keuzen pro of contra PPS bij rijksinfrastructurele projecten, of ook van grote invloed.