Abstract Reform of local government in Ireland has tended to involve both reform initiatives that mirror broader trends in public service reform nationally, as well as reform initiatives that are distinctive to the local government sector. Amongst the former we can include managerial reforms, digitisation and efforts to make local government more open and accountable. Other initiatives have included changes to the service portfolio of local government, pointing to an enhanced role in some fields and a reduced role in others. Some reforms can be characterised as enduring – in that they have been recurring themes in successive reform programmes. Other reform themes have been somewhat more occasional or sporadic and arguably brought about by the specific circumstances in which they were implemented. Looking to the future, we might speculate that upcoming challenges may include how public services generally can cope with diversity in addressing challenges that are likely to vary in different parts of Ireland, for example, based on distinctions between urban, suburban and rural areas. The article appeals for a more evidence-based approach to reform in the local government sector – this should be aided by existing research contributions and the enhanced evaluation capacity that exists in the Irish public service.

中文翻译：

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地方政府改革：过去、现在和未来

摘要 爱尔兰地方政府的改革往往涉及反映全国公共服务改革更广泛趋势的改革举措，以及地方政府部门特有的改革举措。在前者中，我们可以包括管理改革、数字化和努力使地方政府更加开放和负责。其他举措包括改变地方政府的服务组合，表明在某些领域的作用增强，而在其他领域的作用减弱。有些改革具有持久性——因为它们在连续的改革计划中反复出现。其他改革主题比较偶然或零星，可以说是由实施它们的具体环境引起的。展望未来，我们可以推测，即将到来的挑战可能包括公共服务通常如何应对多样性，以应对爱尔兰不同地区可能不同的挑战，例如，基于城市、郊区和农村地区之间的区别。文章呼吁对地方政府部门的改革采取更加循证的方法——这应该得到现有研究贡献和爱尔兰公共服务中存在的增强评估能力的帮助。