In recent years reform in South Africa's public sector has compelled public managers to take the interests of various stakeholder groups into consideration when dealing with "strategic" issues. Given the degree of uncertainty that invariably accompanies public sector reform, real-time management is critical in dealing with issues as they arise. With regard to the processing of any strategic issue put forward as a priority, two normative paradigms are proposed as guidelines for decision making in the public sector, particularly with reference to the management of stakeholder interests at any point in time. Empirical research based on the erstwhile restructuring and re-engineering of the National Department of Public Works contextualises the way in which an important strategic issue can be managed over time. These paradigms can be used to train public managers in the formulation of the most effective contact strategies fo