Current Public Administration Magazine (NOVEMBER 2023)

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Online Course

Sample Material of Current Public Administration Magazine

(NOVEMBER 2023)

1.Accountability & Responsibility

NPM Both Panacea and Plague to PA

New Public Management (NPM) is a term that refers to a set of reforms that aim to make the public sector more efficient, effective, and responsive by applying private sector management principles and practices. NPM emerged in the 1980s and 1990s as a response to the challenges of globalization, competition, and technological changes that affected the public sector. NPM has been adopted by many countries around the world, especially in the Anglo-American and Western European contexts.

NPM has been both praised and criticized by scholars and practitioners of public administration. Some of the arguments in favor of NPM are:

NPM improves the performance and accountability of public services by introducing market mechanisms, such as contracting out, competition, and customer orientation.
NPM enhances the flexibility and innovation of public managers by granting them more autonomy, discretion, and incentives.
NPM reduces the costs and bureaucracy of the public sector by downsizing, decentralizing, and streamlining the organizational structures and processes.

Some of the arguments against NPM are:

NPM undermines the democratic values and principles of the public sector by prioritizing efficiency over equity, participation, and transparency.
NPM erodes the professionalism and ethics of public servants by exposing them to market pressures, conflicts of interest, and corruption.
NPM creates new problems and challenges for the public sector by increasing the complexity, fragmentation, and uncertainty of the governance system.
Therefore, NPM can be seen as both a panacea and a plague to public administration, depending on the perspective, context, and outcome of its implementation. NPM is not a monolithic or universal model, but a diverse and dynamic phenomenon that varies across time, space, and sectors. NPM has both strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and risks, benefits and costs, for the public sector and the society at large. NPM requires careful analysis, adaptation, and evaluation to ensure its suitability and sustainability for the public interest.

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2. Indian Government and Politics

Contribution of Max Weber Bureaucracy to PA

Max Weber's theory of bureaucracy is one of the most influential and enduring theories of public administration. It is based on the idea that bureaucracy is the most rational and efficient form of organization for the modern society, which is characterized by complexity, diversity, and dynamism .

According to Weber, bureaucracy has the following features :

A clear division of labor, where each official has a specific and specialized task to perform.
A hierarchical structure, where each official is subordinate to a higher authority and accountable for their actions.
A formal and impersonal system of rules and regulations, which govern the behavior and decisions of the officials.
A merit-based and career-oriented system of recruitment and promotion, which ensures the competence and loyalty of the officials.
A separation of the personal and professional spheres, where the officials act in the interest of the organization and not their own.

Weber's theory of bureaucracy has several implications for public administration. Some of the positive implications are:

Bureaucracy enhances the performance and accountability of public services, by ensuring that they are delivered in a consistent, reliable, and impartial manner .
Bureaucracy enables the public sector to cope with the challenges of complexity, scale, and diversity, by providing a clear and coherent framework for coordination and communication .
Bureaucracy facilitates the implementation of public policies and programs, by providing the necessary expertise, resources, and authority .

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3. Social Administration

Emerging Problems in PA

Emerging problems in public administration are the issues and challenges that affect the functioning and performance of the public sector in delivering public goods and services to the citizens. Some of the emerging problems in public administration are:

Fiscal sanity: The public sector faces the problem of managing its finances in a sustainable and responsible manner, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has increased the demand for public spending and reduced the revenue sources. The public sector needs to balance its budget, reduce its debt, and ensure its fiscal credibility and accountability.
Crisis of competence: The public sector faces the problem of attracting, retaining, and developing competent and committed public servants, who can cope with the complex and dynamic challenges of public administration. The public sector needs to improve its human resource management, enhance its training and development, and foster its organizational culture and values.
Information overload: The public sector faces the problem of managing and utilizing the vast amount of data and information that is generated and collected by various sources and stakeholders. The public sector needs to improve its data governance, data quality, data security, and data analytics, and leverage the potential of data for evidence-based decision making and innovation.
Governing without boundaries: The public sector faces the problem of collaborating and coordinating with multiple actors and sectors, such as the private sector, the civil society, and the international community, in addressing the cross-cutting and interdependent issues of public administration. The public sector needs to adopt a networked and participatory approach, enhance its communication and trust, and foster its partnerships and alliances.

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4. Current Topics

Ethics in Public Administration

Ethics in public administration is a topic that deals with the moral principles and values that guide the behavior and decisions of public officials and employees. Ethics in public administration is important for ensuring the integrity, accountability, and legitimacy of the public sector, as well as the trust and confidence of the citizens.

Ethics in public administration can be influenced by various factors, such as the legal framework, the organizational culture, the professional codes, the political environment, and the personal conscience of the individuals.

Some of the main issues and challenges related to ethics in public administration are:

How to define and measure the ethical standards and outcomes of public administration, and how to balance them with other criteria, such as efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness.
How to prevent and combat corruption, fraud, abuse of power, and other forms of unethical conduct in the public sector, and how to enforce accountability and transparency.
How to promote and foster a culture of ethics and values in the public sector, and how to educate and train public officials and employees on ethical principles and practices.
How to cope with the ethical dilemmas and conflicts that arise from the complex and dynamic nature of public administration, and how to resolve them in a fair and impartial manner.
How to adapt and innovate the ethical framework and mechanisms of public administration to the changing needs and expectations of the society, and how to incorporate the perspectives and interests of various stakeholders, such as the private sector, the civil society, and the international community.
Ethics in public administration is not a static or universal concept, but a dynamic and contextual one, that requires constant reflection, dialogue, and evaluation.
Ethics in public administration is not only a matter of rules and regulations, but also a matter of values and virtues, that shape the character and conduct of public officials and employees.

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5. Indian Administration

Public Administration as An Academic Discipline

Public administration as an academic discipline is the study of how public policies are developed, implemented, and evaluated by public officials and employees in various levels and sectors of government. Public administration as an academic discipline also prepares students and practitioners for working in the public service, by providing them with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to perform their roles effectively and ethically.

Public administration as an academic discipline has several characteristics, such as:

It is a dynamic and interdisciplinary field, that draws on concepts and methods from various social sciences, such as political science, sociology, economics, psychology, and law, as well as from other disciplines, such as management, philosophy, and history.
It is a normative and applied field, that aims to improve the performance and accountability of public services, by using evidence-based research, best practices, and ethical principles to inform and guide the decision-making and problem-solving processes of public administrators.
It is a diverse and contextual field, that reflects and responds to the changing needs and expectations of the society, as well as the specific challenges and opportunities of different public organizations, sectors, and regions.

Public administration as an academic discipline has several functions, such as:

It educates and trains current and future public servants, by offering various programs and courses, such as bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, certificates, diplomas, and professional development programs, that cover the core topics and competencies of public administration.