1010 Class 4: Accountability in the Public
Sector
Part 1: What is Public
Administration?
► Administration in its simplest form is the art
or effort of getting any job done.
► As humans we are limited in our
accomplishment of tasks by our own
physical and environmental restrictions.
► As organizational units we are better able to
handle or administer tasks or goals.
Why has it grown as a practice?
► Cooperative action has
shorted our ability to
accomplish goals and
tasks that better society
as a whole.
► The human capacity for
wants is virtually
unlimited whereas the
resources to meet these
needs is limited.
Role of the Civil Service
► While the civil service is theoretically supposed
to be concerned only with the administration of
policy, in practice the vast majority of
government initiatives originates within the civil
service.
► This is because the civil service is a solution
provider. While politicians are good at
identifying problems they are not so good at
fixing them.
Why separate administration
from Politics?
► It is important to separate administration
from politics.
► Politics is about how to exercise power,
carrying out the will of the electorate.
► Public Administration is about carrying out
the will of the political decision maker to the
best of your ability.
The Practice of Public
Administration
► Up until the 1950’s the concept of
Management, regardless of it was public or
business were viewed identically.
► During the great Depression, however, the
idea of business administration had almost
poisonous connotations.
► Public Administration therefore became a
separate discipline.
What are those differences?
► The concept of a career in
the public service.
Lifetime employment and
high expectations.
► Security in tenure and
rights in employment.
► Once past the initial
probationary period, the
employee could expect to
remain in employment
until his/her retirement.
What are those differences?
► Focus: Business
Administration the
focus is primarily on
the company.
► Focus: Public
Administration the
focus is more
diverse. The
Legislature, The
Executive, The
Judiciary and The
Bureaucracy.
What are those differences?
► Unionization. In the
past the idea of public
service going on strike
was unheard of.
► The transfer of rights
such as pension and
tenure to the private
sector through
unionization led to
further demands by the
civil service.
Perception of the Civil Service
► While the perception of civil servants in the past
was of a loyal, noble and professional civil service,
that is not perhaps the prevailing view today.
► During the 1970’s and 1980’s the Canadian
economy was in a very difficult situation. The
inability of the government to deal with this crisis
and the growth of the welfare state led to broad
mistrust and dissatisfaction.
Public Administration: Authority
► In public
administration, public
law is the chief
source of their
authority.
► This is important
because if a Ministry
is seen to exceed
their authority, the
public may seek
redress in Court.
Impartiality and Fairness
► Civilservants must be
seen to be impartial.
Thus bureaucracies are
rule based, acts left to
discretion are frowned
upon an difficult.
► Why?
► Because it may appear
that ‘other’ factors are
involved.
Legal Accountability
► While legislators pass laws in Parliament it
is up to the civil service to ensure they are
upheld.
► Laws delegate power, public
administrators enforce that power in a fair
manner.
► Example: Regulation governs to whom a
Canadian passport may be issued. If a
citizen meets those requirements a
passport MUST be issued. If not, the
citizen has legal recourse.
Financial Accountability
► Since the civil
service is funded by
tax dollars, rigid
forms of accounting
are observed.
► The Auditor General
seeks out waste and
reports on it
regularly.
► This is unique to
government.
Measuring Performance
► In the private sector
profit is the
measure of a
company’s
performance
► In the public sector,
profit, for the most
part does not exist.
Only expenditure.
► Public Sector
Performance is hard
to measure.
Measuring Performance
► Examples of tools
to measure public
sector
performance.
► Unemployment rate.
► Waiting lists in
hospitals.
► Service delivery
times.
► Numbers of
complaints.
► Political pressure
Personnel Administration and
Control
► In the private sector
human resources
practices are based on
the idea that the
owner rules.
► In the public sector
the ability to hire and
fire is more
fragmented and in
turn, quite unwieldy
► Result?
Part 2: The Reform of the Public
Service
► During the 1970’s and 1980’s the Canadian
economy was in crisis.
► Oil supply shocks created by OPEC led to
‘stagflation’. Rising prices and a deep recession.
► The inability of the government to deal with this
crisis and the growth of the welfare state led to
broad mistrust and dissatisfaction with the civil
service.
► Great demands for reform.
The Rise of Keynesianism
► We recall that the rise
of the public service
was created out of the
demands of easing the
Great Depression.
► Increases in business
regulation.
► Increases in social
welfare services.
The Rise of Keynesianism
► The idea that
government could
solve every problem
from unemployment to
socialized medicine.
► The electorate voted in
political parties who
promised more
government services.
The Fall of Keynesianism
► Unfortunately, it was paid
for with borrowed money.
► The impact of the
recessions of the 1970’s
and 80’s left governments
broke.
► Governments turned from
expenditure to inflation
and budgetary control.
Neo-Conservatism
► The welfare state is important but no
longer affordable. Causes structural
problems in the economy.
► The public sector is too large and too
expensive. Reductions are needed.
► Too much red tape and regulation.
► Privatize crown corporations.
► Need to cut taxes and balance the books.
What was the effect of this?
► Reinventing
Government
► The effect was that a
business sector
model was applied to
the public sector.
► Government in terms
of clients, bench
marking, and ‘best
practices’.
What was the effect of this?
► New Zealand led the
way with its new model.
► Tony Blair “Create a
distinctive public service
philosophy which
borrows techniques from
the private sector, while
enforcing long standing
public service values”
What was the effect of this?
► In many countries
government departments
were mandated to have a
new entrepreneurial vision.
► Many government
functions were
transformed into ‘semi-
autonomous’ agencies.
SOP’s.
► Examples?
Deregulation
► Along with entrepreneurship in the
public service, the neo-conservative
revolution also demanded a retreat
from the over-regulation of business.
► The feeling was, the more you regulate,
the greater the loopholes. As well the
greater the cost of enforcement.
► Red Tape it was thought, should be cut.