Planning and Control, the relevance of State in the running of policy networks

over recent years the state has progressively included the private and tertiary sectors in the implementation of public policies, creating, thus, true "policy networks". however, the effects of this new style of policy management are not limited to the manner in which public policies are implemented, but also affect the global logic of those policies and their outcomes. the role of the state in this new order is unclear, in particular following the strong attacks on the public administration that took place during the final quarter of the last century. this article analyzes the policy network that has developed around the ministry of housing, ordenance and the environment's housing programs since 1991. the research concludes that transparency and equity in public policies are not achieved by the simple creation of a policy network. the state therefore has an important role to play in the new forms of management, but the author has the view that efficient action on the part of the state depends on the existence of a technically qualified public administration with personnel policies that must be defined independently of party politics.