Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration?

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? Academic disciplines that feed into public administration are:  Political science  Government  Economics  Law  Sociology and Social Policy

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? Applied disciplines that contribute to public administration are:  Organisation theory  Management Science and Operations Research  Finance  ICT  Quantitative Methods

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? One approach is that it studies…  The activities of public servants (i.e. whatever roles they are called upon to perform)  The structure of executive government i.e. structures and patterns of relationships

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? Two different approaches are: Legal/administrative - A strong centralist tendency - Strongly influenced by legal influences (powers, duties of local authorities towards citizen, centre) - Very much a Continental (Napoleonic?) tradition

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? Two different approaches are: Managerialist - Strategic planning - Management by Objectives - Financial Management regimes (e.g. cost centres) - Budgetary controls - Use of Management Information Systems, ICT

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? Modern concerns include:  Efficiency, Economy and Effectiveness (3 ‘E’s)  Control of the executive i.e. scrutiny and accountability  ‘value for money’  Modernisaion  Constitutional issues including devolution,Reform of 2 nd chamber, regional assemblies, place in Europe

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? But we are now seeing the growth of Quangocracy i.e. institutions removed from direct government control  Health (although NHS remains top of the political agenda!)  Education (Schools, Higher education)  Utilities (privatised or semi-privatised)  Regulatory and control mechanisms (Courts, prisons, regulatory offices)

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? Stakeholder theory of the modern commercial firm… Shareholders  Consumers  Managers  Suppliers    ( Community ) Employees ( Legal )

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? Stakeholder theory of the public servant… (Ministers) Parliament (Auditors)    Businesses  Managers  Ratepayers    Community Voters Legal Requirements

BS1032: Public Administration in Britain 2: What is Public Administration? You are organising an educational system for Turkghanistan. How do you solve the following dilemmas?  Who pays?  Organised centrally or locally?  How do you measure effectiveness?  How do you deal with opposition to your ideas?