The article by Laurence J. O'Toole, Jr., discusses the increasing importance of networks in public administration and the need for both practical and research-based agendas to address this issue. Public administrators face challenges from the involvement of various stakeholders, including businesses, non-profits, other government units, and clients, in complex program operations. However, conventional theory and practice often fail to adequately address these networked settings, leading to counterproductive outcomes. The author highlights the following key points: 1. **Practical Agenda**: Public administrators should recognize that standard practices in public administration may not apply in networked settings. They should not assume authority, conduct regular network self-surveys, identify coordination points, and act to foster cooperation and alter network structures for better program outcomes. 2. **Conceptual and Descriptive Agenda**: There is a need for more systematic research to describe the prevalence and characteristics of networks in public administration. This includes examining historical trends, cross-national variations, and the impact of network structures on performance. 3. **Empirical Theory Agenda**: The field of public administration should explore how networks affect traditional concerns such as efficiency, effectiveness, equity, responsiveness, and responsibility. This involves developing and testing theoretical models that incorporate network features. 4. **Normative Agenda**: Normative theory, which deals with ethical and moral questions, should be reconsidered in the context of networked public administration. This includes redefining norms of accountability and responsibility in complex, networked environments. 5. **Research Implications**: The article suggests several research directions, including systematic studies on network contexts, shifting analytical units to the network level, addressing conceptual and theoretical gaps, focusing on highly networked contexts, and integrating network themes into normative theory. Overall, the article emphasizes the need for a more nuanced understanding and practical application of network concepts in public administration to address the challenges posed by complex, networked environments.The article by Laurence J. O'Toole, Jr., discusses the increasing importance of networks in public administration and the need for both practical and research-based agendas to address this issue. Public administrators face challenges from the involvement of various stakeholders, including businesses, non-profits, other government units, and clients, in complex program operations. However, conventional theory and practice often fail to adequately address these networked settings, leading to counterproductive outcomes. The author highlights the following key points: 1. **Practical Agenda**: Public administrators should recognize that standard practices in public administration may not apply in networked settings. They should not assume authority, conduct regular network self-surveys, identify coordination points, and act to foster cooperation and alter network structures for better program outcomes. 2. **Conceptual and Descriptive Agenda**: There is a need for more systematic research to describe the prevalence and characteristics of networks in public administration. This includes examining historical trends, cross-national variations, and the impact of network structures on performance. 3. **Empirical Theory Agenda**: The field of public administration should explore how networks affect traditional concerns such as efficiency, effectiveness, equity, responsiveness, and responsibility. This involves developing and testing theoretical models that incorporate network features. 4. **Normative Agenda**: Normative theory, which deals with ethical and moral questions, should be reconsidered in the context of networked public administration. This includes redefining norms of accountability and responsibility in complex, networked environments. 5. **Research Implications**: The article suggests several research directions, including systematic studies on network contexts, shifting analytical units to the network level, addressing conceptual and theoretical gaps, focusing on highly networked contexts, and integrating network themes into normative theory. Overall, the article emphasizes the need for a more nuanced understanding and practical application of network concepts in public administration to address the challenges posed by complex, networked environments.