Importance Of Efficiency And Accountability

When thinking of the importance of increasing the efficiency and accountability of public service and democratic responsibility, the first thought that comes to mind is efficiency in residential heating. High efficiency heating appliances are constructed in a way to produce the maximum amount of heat energy while using the least amount of fuel. High efficiency washing machines mean more loads cleaned with less detergent and automobiles mean more kilometers driven with less gasoline. It would appear logical to think that less efficient appliances or automobiles would use more fuels and more effort to achieve the same results. In the example of an automobile, output (distance traveled) then is linked to the processing (engine) of the input

Also external influences can hinder institutional reforms and there is difficulty in isolating their direct effects.

Is improving public service efficiency that easy? Were the bureaucratic processes not created to make an accountable democracy and public servants? The engine created in Canada since Confederation has had a few overhauls over the years but can it be modified enough to create efficiencies with the demands and expectations of the public? This essay will discuss accountability and how efficiency can be measured and present a model that suggest that both efficiency and accountability can be achieved.

There is a need to have accountability in the public service to ensure that government, the public service processes and actions are conducted in an ethical, legal and fair manner and to ensure the financial spending and creation of policies meet the needs and wants of the greater population. Historically in Canada, patronage was a form of greasing the political or public service wheel to gain

In the search for increased efficiency and effectiveness Ospina, Grau and Zaltsman, (2004) state that changes of management and accountability are often to the detriment of democratic governance. There is little empirical documentation of the relationship between the results based accountability and democratic governance. However, from a study they reviewed of four Latin America countries, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Uruguay, Commissioned by the Latin America Center for Development Administration (CLAD), it was determined that public service management and accountability enhancements could be achieved in two distinct