This document provides an overview of external public consultants and think tanks in Germany. It defines think tanks as privately or publicly funded, non-profit research institutes that aim to influence policymaking. Germany has 80-130 think tanks, with about half founded in the last 25 years. Examples of prominent German think tanks include the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik and Bertelsmann Stiftung. The document notes criticism of problems with translation, pricing, influence, and transparency in public sector consulting. It concludes there is a growing complexity and demand for consulting services but also increasing calls for more transparency.

1. Minister
and
Mandarines
External Consultants
in Public
Administration
Tom Schlansky
Public Management
Spring 2013
Prof. Dr. Eckhard Schröter

2. Introduction | Term: Mandarin
Civil servants
in Imperial China
• Teachers,
judges,
bureaucrats
• Elitist training
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

3. Introduction | Goal of presentation
Provide an overview about the field of
1 external public consultants
2 Deeper insight about think tanks
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

4. Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Consultants
3. Focus: Think Tanks
4. Criticism
5. Conclusion
6. Discussion

5. Overview | Utility
GOALS OF CONSULTING
Information Legitimation
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

6. Overview | Operations – Examples
Consulting in concrete policy questions
External reports and evaluations
Information delivery in law making
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

7. Overview | Providers of Public Consulting
PR- and PA-
Associations Foundations
agencies
Others
• Chambers
Think tanks Law firms • Churches
• Unions
• (Independent) Experts
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

8. Definition „Think Tank“
• practically oriented research institute
• giving decision-preparing results
Think • private or public funded
• usually non-profit
Tank • independent
• trying to influence policy-making
Problem: Free term
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

9. Situation in Germany | Facts
no
ideology
80-130*
80-
think tanks
50% founded
in the last 25 years
Majority
state-
state-funded academic think tanks
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

10. Situation in Germany | Examples
Economy research • Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung
institutes • IFO-Institut München
Foreign policy • Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik
institutes • Deutsches Überseeinstitut
• Max-Planck-Institut für Gesellschaftsforschung
Social-
Social- and
technical instiutes • Fraunhofer-Institut für Systemtechnik und
Innovationsforschung
• Bertelsmann-Stiftung
Mixed
organizations • Forschungsinstitut der Deutschen Gesellschaft für
Auswärtige Politik
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

11. Situation in Germany | Zoom: SWP
CLASSIFICATION FINANCING
academic state-funded
state-
FOCUS STAFF
foreign and
security policy 130 people
customers
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

13. Situation in Germany | Zoom: Bertelsmann Stiftung
CLASSIFICATION FINANCING
advocatic private-
private-funded
FOCUS STAFF
broad 300 people
cooperation partners
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

14. Criticism | Problems in Public Sector Consulting
Translation Amount Pricing
Influence Transparency Measurability
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

15. Conclusion
1 Huge range of public consultants
2 Different interests and backgrounds
3 Increasing complexity creates growing demand
4 Rising criticism and demand for transparency
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

16. Discussion | Questions
1 | Should the influence of political consultants be limited?
2 | Is there neutral political consulting?
3 | Should there be more advocating think tanks in Germany?
Introduction | Consultants | Focus: Think Tanks | Criticism | Conclusion | Discussion

17. Minister
and
Mandarines
External Consultants
in Public
Administration
Tom Schlansky
Public Management
Spring 2013
Prof. Dr. Eckhard Schröter

18. Sources (excerpt)
Answer of the Federal Government on the „Kleine Anfrage“ of the party
Die Linke
http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/16/039/1603968.pdf
Website :„The Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik“
http://www.swp-berlin.org/en/about-swp.html
BPB-
BPB-article by Martin Thunert
http://www.bpb.de/apuz/27231/think-tanks-in-deutschland-
berater-der-politik?p=all
Website: Transparency International
http://www.transparency.de/Transparenz-und-
Unabhaengigkei.1133.0.html
Website: ThinkTankDirectory
http://www.thinktankdirectory.org
Additional information