George Washington University Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration alumnus Ruairí Macdonald, Ph.D. ’24, has co-authored the book, “Public Contracting for Social Outcomes.”
The book explores how in recent years, outcomes-based contracting has emerged as a compelling solution to service quality shortcomings and collective action challenges. This comes as governments around the world have increasingly shifted from directly providing public services to contracting and collaborating with cross-sector networks.
Grounded in research from public policy, administration and procurement, the book explores how specifying and managing outcomes can shape the effectiveness of public contracts in advancing policy goals. It also raises concerns, warning that governments may use outcome-based approaches to avoid proactive contract management or sidestep public accountability.