The transformation of the coordination element in public administration and the Presidential Policy Councils

Coordination arises when two individuals come together to accomplish a task. While an individual can directly plan and carry out work alone, the inclusion of a second person necessitates at the very least mutual communication in order to merge their efforts and pursue a shared goal. In management, coordination can be achieved through mutual communication in situations where the division of labor is minimal or the spatial scope of the organization is small. However, with the expansion of organizations following the Industrial Revolution, coordination has become an indispensable condition for effective administration. In the literature, coordination mechanisms were initially defined in hierarchical terms, but over time, new approaches emerged involving market-type and network-based organizational structures. In recent years, especially under the New Public Management approach, the growing need for coordination has been addressed through various theoretical and institutional models. This study explores the role of coordination in public administration within its historical development and emphasizes its contemporary significance, along with the transformation of coordination mechanisms. The first part of the study focuses on the conceptual framework of coordination, including its mechanisms, types, functions, and levels. In the second part, the historical evolution of coordination is examined through management and public administration theories. Particularly drawing on the New Public Management approach, it is acknowledged that specialization in public administration has elevated coordination to a much more critical function. Within this context, theoretical insights from meta-governance and collaborative governance approaches are discussed as possible solutions to the challenges brought about by specialization. The final part of the study analyzes, within this theoretical framework, the expanding roles and scopes of Centers of Government (CoG) around the world in recent years. In this context, the Presidential Policy Councils, established in Turkey by Presidential Decree in 2018, are evaluated both institutionally and functionally as Centers of Government actors, from the perspective of coordination.