The efficiency of public administration

Even though the role of the state in development in Africa has been downplayed for decades, a paradigmatic shift and a rediscovery of the importance of the state in the development process and the need for a more capable public sector occurred in the 1990s. The relevance of the state or the public sector to socio-economic development in Africa cannot be underestimated. This was re-echoed in the 1997 World Development Report which argued that an effective state is vital for the provision of the goods and services and the rules and institutions that allow markets to flourish and the people to lead healthier, happier lives. Without it, sustainable development, both economic and social, is impossible. The basic function of the public sector in Africa therefore is to provide goods and services to citizens based on realization and representation of public interests and its possession of unique public qualities compared to business management. However, the public sector was not able to perform its function effectively because of its accumulation of excessive power, lack of accountability and representation, indifference towards public needs and demands, official secrecy and inaccessibility, and role in depoliticizing the public sphere. This ineffectiveness coupled with the economic crises of the late 1970s and 1980s and the apparent lessons from international experience of the success of market-friendly economies have combined to produce what some scholars have referred to as the redefinition of the role of the state or public sector. This redefinition entails that the state only performs functions that should be at the level of the state while leaving the other functions to sub-national governments and the private sector. The main issues are the need for the state to nurture an environment that is conducive to private-sector development; decentralization of functions and privatization; and commercialization or liquidation of state-owned enterprises.

Public Administration is a multi-disciplinary field concerned with the managerial or administrative dimension of the public service. Public Administration centres on the purpose and performance of government, in articulating and applying policy, the skills required to manage the civil service, and the ethics and values which would guide the behaviour of public activities.

Public administration is a field of political science that plans, organizes, directs, coordinates, and controls operations at government, public sector, and non-profit organisations. The government grants public administrators the authority to advice policymakers on the general feeling of the public, based on observations and daily contact with members of the community. Every government employ some form of public administration within its government systems.

Public administrators coordinate civil servants to write public policy and achieve policy objectives. Professional public servants also work to develop strong relationships between public and private groups by advocating for consensus and interests through policy. In any society it will happen that different groups will have competing desires, so it is important that public administrators have the skills to mitigate conflict.

The efficiency of public administration depends on the understanding and collaboration amongst the societies and public employers. The main concern of the citizens in a good civil society is that their administration must be fair and good. For a Government to be good it is vital that their systems and sub-systems of Governance are effective, efficient, moral and unbiased. Additionally the governing procedure must also be just, reasonable, fair and citizen friendly. For these and other qualities and good governance, the administrative system must also be accountable and responsive, besides promoting transparency and people's participation.

QUESTION 1

As alluded to in the narrative, Public Administration is a multi-disciplinary field concerned with the managerial or administrative dimension of the public service.

Discuss the multidisciplinary approach to public management and public administration.

QUESTION 2

In the narrative it is argued that for a Government to be good it is vital that their systems and sub-systems of Governance are effective, efficient, moral and unbiased. Additionally the governing procedure must also be just, reasonable, fair and citizen friendly. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, Henri Fayol defined the field of management to have five functions, namely planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling. By making use of practical examples to illustrate your understanding elaborate on the generic functions of public administration.