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Features and functions of public administration
Concepts of public administration
Public administration and its features
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An Introduction to Public Administration
1. Define Public Administration and discuss its scope.
Public Administration has various definitions, and the most important definitions are:
Traditional Viewpoints (functions and actions)
o ' Public Administration is a detailed and systematic application of law. ', (Prof. Woodrow Wilson)
o ' Public Administration consists of all those operations having for their purpose the fulfillment of public policy as declared by authority. ', (L. D. White)
Broad View
o ' By Public Administration is meant the activities of the executive branches of the national, state, & local governments. ', (Simon)
o ' Public Administration in broadest sense denotes the work involved in the actual conduct of governmental affairs, and in narrowest senses denotes the operations of the administrative branch only. ', (Willough)
o ' Public Administration is that part of the science of administration which has to do with government and thus, concerns itself primarily with the executive branch where the work of the government is done. ', (Gullick)
o ' Public Administration is the art and science of management as applied to the affairs of the state. ', (Waldo)
o ' Administration is concerned with ‘what’ and ‘How’ of the government. The what is the subjectmatter, the technical knowledge of a field which enables the administrator to perform his tasks. The ‘How’ is the technique of management according to which co-operative programmes are carried to success. ', (Marshall E. Dimock)
There are various perspectives about the scope of Public Administration, I will mention the most important three perspectives here briefly:
1. Narrow perspective or posdcord perspective. (concerned only with those aspects related wit...
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...ocial welfare, food, agriculture, health, sanitation, transport, communication etc. are run by the department of Public Administration. Hence, Public Administration is a great stabilizing force in society. It is a preserver of the society and its culture.
2) POSBCORB represents an abbreviation of the seven types of functions which shows the scope of Public Administration. The seven types of functions are:
1. ‘P’ stands for planning
2. ‘O’ stands for organization
3. ‘S’ stands for staffing.
4. ‘D’ stands for Directing.
5. ‘Co.’ stands for Co-ordination.
6. ‘R’ stands for Reporting
7. ‘B’ stands for Budgeting
3) POSDCORB Perspective about the Scope of Public Administration is limited and narrow. It stressed on the tools of Public Administration. It does not show the substance of administration. It is a technique oriented perspective, not a subject oriented.
The main aim of public service is to deliver services that are of need to its people. How fast a public manager can address its people’s problem and concerns indicates its effectiveness. Responsiveness of the manager develops trust between him, the government, and the people. According to (Rainey, p106) bureaucratic responsiveness implies two things; responsiveness to the people’s wishes or responsiveness to the interest of the government.
...r pillars of public administration are equally important in the process of public administration and complement one another in the provision of quality public service. When public administrators have economy in mind they focus on the best combination of available resources to provide optimum public service. To ensure that public service is not limited to only a section of the public, the issue of equity is taken into consideration so that public interest is realized. Efficiency and effectiveness additionally go hand in hand in ensuring that allocated resources are used in the best possible manner to attain set goals. Thus whereas the first three public administration pillars – Economy, efficiency and effectiveness are concerned with how public service is provided the fourth and most recent addition (Equity) concerns with for whom public service is provided.
As, Goodnow has iterated the functions of politics communicate and addresses the state’s will however, he articulates that there is no boundaries or limitations to one or more authorities when managing politics, thus eluding to no appointed organization who handles political matters and the interest of the people. Perhaps, a contributing factor to complexities in the political and government systems and the functional roles of politics and administration. Woodrow Wilson essay “The Study of Administration,” he stresses that government systems and methods are in need of great improvement. (Woodrow. 1887) However, Wilson believes politics should be separated from administration, for administration should be a “field of business.” (Woodrow. 1887) Possibly speaking, if administration was separated would politics become more organized and an authority given to
The study of public administration only continued to grow over the course of the next two decades. As the study of public administration expanded, so did the development of s...
Since its emergence as a field of study, there have been some important contributions to public administration. Its goal has always been to improve productivity which then improves workplace performance. All of the contributions have been aimed at completing the work with the highest level of efficiency and at the lowest cost.
In the future I would like to see myself, as a continuously promoted public official who could possibly become a pro-active politician in today’s demanding political arena. To achieve this, I would like to gain more knowledge which can help me reach intellectual maturity to the latest practices adopted in the field of Public Administration. My desire for self-development in this area and curiosity to learn past and contemporary developments in different societies will help me to solve the problems easily.
M. Petrescu, e. a. (2010). Public Management: between the Traditional and New Model. Review of International Comparative 408 Management , 411.
This essay discusses the radical transformation of the principles and foundations of public administration from traditional to New Public Management. Firstly the essay will attempt to define the key terms of traditional public administration and the doctrine of New Public Management. Rabin J. (2003) explains that New Public Management embodies “a process in public administration that uses information and experiences obtained in business management and other disciplines to improve efficiency, usefulness and general operation of public services in contemporary bureaucracies.“Traditional Public Administration progresses from governmental contributions, with services perceived by the bureaucracy.
Public sector reforms adopted in a number of countries such as USA, UK and New Zealand in the last fifteen years and characterised by efficiency units, performance management, contracting out, market type mechanisms, and agency status have come to be known as the New Public Management or NPM. Appearance of the NPM as shifting the paradigm from the old traditional model of administration has been promoted by a remarkable degree of consensus among the political leadership of various countries and is presented today as the major tool for public sector management reforms.
In the political approach, political authority is divided between a central government and the provincial or state governments. This means that some provinces or states are accorded a substantial measure of constitutional or legal sovereignty, although they still remain subordinates of the central government in certain constitutional or legal respects. The political approach promotes the political values of military strength, economic development, union, and representation. In addition, it is characterized by three central features: state sovereignty, bicameralism, and multiple layers of representation.
“If you can write it and you can say it, you can do it.” In a single sentence Professor Eric Claville succeeded in attracting me to the study of public administration. Sitting in Introduction to Public Policy class, I was instantly fascinated by the idea that through effective communication I could improve policies and programs to better serve the public. Professor Claville’s lessons enabled me to think analytically as I developed a scholarly policy brief entitled “Enforcing a State-wide Texting While Driving Law in Arizona”. Soon, I was faced with the notion that public administration was not only an agent for change, but a tool to fulfill my passion. It is a possible pathway to take on a leadership role that would make a difference for disadvantaged groups.
Under the POAS, the Chief Executive has the right to first nominate candidates that he thinks fit for the fourteen Political Officials posts, to the Central People’s Government who has the power over official appointment. However, unlike the previous system, where the Principal Officials were civil servants hired on permanent and pensionable terms; the Principal Officials under the POAS will be employed on contract, where their contract term will not exceed that of the Chief Executive whom they were nominated
Woodrow Wilson’s purpose in writing “The Study of Administration” is to bring awareness that the government systems in place need to be re-evaluated and improved. Wilson encourages we need to examine the history of administration set forth by others in determining certain needs to be accomplished in effective ways and methods. Wilson’s desirable outcomes for research within the public administration field are for government systems to become more productive and organized.
Public policy can be defined as “What ever governments choose to do or not do” (Dye, 2008, p 2). In the context of this essay, public policies are a set of actors by the government in order to reach out to the masses. The ministries and departments are mandated to deliver specific mandates in the form of public goods and services.
Despite these criticisms, the reforms in public administration have had a widespread impact across this country and around the world. The principles underlying these reforms have enhanced government performance and accountability, public administration has employed various strategies to streamline management and enhance pubic service. It is important to keep in mind that while there may be significant improvement in productivity as a result of technological advances or reform, the most meaningful long-term gains will come about as a result of attention to the humans side of the organization. Successful public administration demands a successful balance between the concerns of the technical side of the agency and paying attention to people.