The current wave of economic revitalization resonates as a wake-up call for governments to come up with appropriate policies and apply them in both private and public administration to be at par with global competition from countries that they have historically shared favorable trade relations. As a result of this awareness, public sectors in these nations have continued to experience periodic policy reforms all aimed at increasing efficiency in the use of public resources as well as reducing prodigality. This paper addresses some of the strategies used in management of public administration that could have potential lingering effects on normal public service activities.
Strategic management refers to an informed decision to select policies,
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Public organizations need to conduct a thorough analysis to avoid incidences of misread environments or over-estimation of the institution’s capability. Additionally, most organizational changes are incremental. Other implementers of strategic planning work on the assumption that their organizations are colossal and capable of implementing rapid changes though haplessly leading to aborted plans (McBain, L., 2010).
Reengineering Strategy
Another managerial strategy is reengineering the public administration. In basic terms, reengineering refers to radical redesigning of various business processes in order to invoke great improvements in outcomes (Hammer, M. & Champy, J., 1993). It is akin to starting over on vestal ground. According to Hammer and Champy, (1993) various theorists who support this mechanism strongly advocate it because of its ability to empower organization and public sectors to meet various needs to client population even when both competition and demand change regularly.
Reengineering Strategy
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Primarily, the strategy is both risky and costly. Consultation fees alone are at a premium before implementation even begins. Moreover, whenever this strategy is implemented, displacement and panic disrupts the efficiency of the ongoing processes more so in the public sector (Wright, B., 2007). Unfortunately, it also yields to proclivity for misuse by administrators who instead of doing the right thing take on it as a cover to implement large-scale downsizing to demotion of middle level managers within the public administration framework. Withal, certain politicians may also stand in the way of implementation process in order to protect their vested interests which may again pose a major impediment to the implementation of this reengineering
The benefits to those organizations that choose to embark on the process of developing a long-range plan are numerous as well as invaluable. Organizations that commit to such planning are able to establish objectives and priorities, make clear their future direction, adapting to both internal and external environmental changes, resolve major issues that impact the organization and obstacles and provide a clear and justifiable rationale for decision making (Bryson & Einsweiler, 1988, p. 3). Ultimately, the public is better
Modern Bureaucracy in the United States serves to administer, gather information, conduct investigations, regulate, and license. Once set up, a bureaucracy is inherently conservative. The reason the bureaucracy was initiated may not continue to exist as a need in the future. The need or reason may change with a change in the times and the culture needs. A bureaucracy tends to make decisions that protect it and further it’s own existence, possibly apart from the wishes of the populace. It may not consistently reflect what might be optimal in terms of the needs and wants of the people. Local governments employ most of the United States civil servants. The 14 cabinet departments in the U.S. are run day-to-day by career civil servants, which have a great deal of discretionary authority.
Many public agencies in recent years have followed the trend of privatization, or contracting-out. Activities and functions that were once performed, or services that were once provided, by public employees are now being performed by private sector employees (Lyons). Vehicle towing, health services, police protection, and solid waste collection are among the many services and functions that government has contracted out. A survey in 1995 that was sent to mayors or city managers of America's largest cities (based on population) revealed that only three of the 66 cities that responded to the survey had not privatized any city services. http://fpac.fsu.edu/parbaby/pdf/1997/janfeb/dilger.pdf This trend translates to not only an administrative concerns but a staffing concern faced by many managers.
This paper will be broken down into six sections profiling each critical part of implementing and managing change in an organization. The sections included are; outline for plan creating urgency, the approach to attracting a guiding team, a critique of the organizational profile, the components of change, and how to empower the organization.
Wilson described public administration as “the most obvious part of the government; it is government in action; it is the executive, the operative, the most visible side of government, and is of course as old as government itself.” Furthermore, public administration is efficient and detailed implementation of public law. Every particular application of general law is a demonstration of administration.
Public Administration involves the development, implementation and management of policies for the attainment of set goals and objectives that will be to the benefit of the general public. Since Public Administration involves taking decisions that affect the use of public resources there is often the question of how to utilize public resources for maximum public good. The National Association of Public Administration has identified four pillars of public administration: economy, efficiency, effectiveness and social equity. These pillars are equally important in the practice of public administration and to its success. This paper seeks to explain the role of each of the pillars in the practice of public administration.
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.
The PAD report outlines the global challenges in public administration revitalization while reviewing regional priorities. It advocates implementation of “home-grown” demand driven solutions as compared to “externally developed formulas” promoted by donor institutions. The report shows that most governments recognize the push for revitalization of public administration “not as a bitter pill to be reluctantly swallowed, but as a natural and prudent response to escalating chal...
... EVALUATION OF NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT REFORMS. International Public Management Review, 34-35. M. Petrescu, e. a. (2010). The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'.
Over time, how have members of the field of public administration examined the subject of policy and administration (has the dichotomy changed)?
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.
Ohemeng, Frank, L.K. and Leone, Robert P. “Should Public Sector be RUN like a Business.” Approaching Public Administration. Edmond Montgomery Publications Limited, (2011), P. 1-362.
Max Weber, Henri Fayol and Luther Halsey Gulick all addressed issues, concerning how an overall organization should be structured, bureaucratic administration, while Frederick Taylor’s theory of scientific management concentrated on techniques for increasing production (Tomkins, 2005). This essay will focus on the disadvantages and the advantages, including the effective and efficient components, of bureaucracy in public management.
...ot function properly. Politics and administration should be seen as very interconnected. It is worth reiterating just as the structure of governments has changed over the years, the structure and role of public administration have also changes dramatically. Furthermore, it is important to state that public administration has grown from its traditional role of merely implementing policies adopted by the “political” branches of government to playing very significant role in the formation of public policies. This is definitely more evident in regards to professional expertise bureaucratic officials provide during problem identification, agenda setting, policy formulation, and evaluation that shape the content of public policy today. Overall, the idea that Wilson has proposed gives an accurate idea of what the relationship should be between politics and administration.