Role of Public Administration MPA 509

Lecture 03

Agenda • Preview of the Last Lecture • Public Administration • Role of Public Administration• Role as Basis of the Government• Role in a Democracy• Role as an Instrument of Public Policy• Role as Instrument of Social and Economic Development• Role as a Subject of Study• PA Concerns• Public Administration Model• 4 D Cycle

• Quote of the Day

Preview of the Last Lecture

(1) Public administration is an administration in the public sector. (2) It is the administration by the state. (3) Public administration is governmental administration. (4) It is the administration of the public authorities. (5) Public administration should be the study of administration, descriptive, theoretical and normative. (6) It is multi-dimensional in nature. (7) Public administration is the accomplishment of politically determined objectives.

(8) It is concerned with the effectiveness, efficiency and economy with which all the services are provided to the people. (9) Public administration is a coherent well-knit and integrated discipline like other disciplines of social sciences. (10) Public administration is a science in the same sense as political science is a science or economic is treated as a science. (11) Public administration has theories to explain administrative phenomenon. (12) Public administration has principles. (13) Public administration is the marshaling of men, materials

and money in a joint endeavor to achieve the ends of publicpolicy.

(14) It works not for profit but for public welfare. (15) It is an Instrument of Providing Services

Role of Public Administration

Role as Basis of the Government• Professor Appleby says that without administration

government would be a discussion club.• It maintains stability of social institutions. • It is a stabilizing force in society. • It maintains social unity and harmony by solving social

problems.• It is possible for a state to exist without a legislature, or

an• independent judiciary, but it is difficult for it to exist

without• administration.• It is independent of the executive and legislature in its

day-to-day working.

Role in a Democracy• The ideals of democracy i.e. the welfare of the people, sovereignty

of the people, progress, prosperity and protection of common men can be obtained only through impartial, honest and efficient administration.

• If democracy is defined as the government of the people, by the people and for the people, the system of administration must be democratic to uphold democratic ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity.

• Democracy stands for the liberty and equality.• For the successful accomplishment of the goals and ideals of

democracy, an administrator, must be a man of integrity, honesty, devotion, dedication, high morale, discipline, high standards and efficiency so as to execute the policies and decisions of the government.

• Though, in democracy, policies and decisions are made in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of the people, but people's hopes will be dashed, if there is no democratic system of administration.

• The success or failure of democracy, depends on the type of administrative system, a country has.

• From the above, it is clear that public administration is a great social force in the life of the nation.

• Ramsay Muir to remark that in England the minister is a tool in the hands of the permanent executive.• "While governments may come and governments may go,

ministries may rise and ministries may fall, the administration of a country goes on forever. No revolution can change it and no upheaval can uproot it.“

Systems of government may come and go, constitutions can be made and unmade but administration goes on forever.

Role as an Instrument of Public Policy

• Public policy is an important branch of the study of public administration. In a democracy, the policies are decided by the political leadership, but the effective execution depends upon the competence and the dedication of administrators.

• Public administration is an instrument which plays greater role not only in the management of men and material but also in policy enforcing.

• Ministers are amateur, unfamiliar, unschooled, untrained and• unversed, to understand those problems. Hence, they have to

depend more and more upon the permanent officials.

Role as Instrument of Social and Economic Development

• Public administration is the key instrument of social and economic development. In order to play their role in a meaningful way, the civil servants have to develop greater skills and capabilities in dealing with the citizens.

• Public administration acts as an instrument of socio-economic development.

• it has become our helper, servant, educator, manufacturer, distributor in different directions. It oils the machinery of politics.

Role as a Subject of Study

• Public administration is a subject of growing importance.

• Its study cannot be ignored by the students of public administration. It is said that the students of today are the administrators of tomorrow.

• The study of public administration prepares them into better administrators.

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Concerns

• Centrally concerned with the organization of government policies and programs as well as the behavior of officials, the elected representatives are formally responsible for the conduct of civil servants;

• Many unelected public servants can be considered to be public administrators, including heads of city, county, regional, state and federal departments such as municipal budget directors, human resources (HR) administrators, city managers, census managers and cabinet secretaries;

Public Administration ModelA B C D E

• Environmental Scan

Assessment

• Background Information

• Situational Analysis

• SWOT – Strength’s, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats

• Situation – Past, Present and Future

• Significant Issues

• Align / Fit with Capabilities

• Mission & Vision

• Values / Guiding Principles

• Major Goals

• Specific Objectives

• Performance Measurement

• Targets / Standards of Performance

• Initiatives and Projects

Baseline Components

• Performance Management

• Review Progress

• Take Corrective Actions

Down to Specifics

Evaluate

Where we are Where we want to be How we will do it How are we doing

• Gaps • Action Plans • Feedback upstream – revise plans

Discover(The best of what is available)

Dream“What might be?”

(What is the world calling for)

Envisioning

Design“What should be--the ideal?”

Co-constructing

Deliver“How to empower, learn,

and adjust/improvise”Sustaining