Summary

NATURE AND THRUST OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

In general, deals with the system, processes and dynamics of the management, operation or
administration of the affairs of the state, which include the entire gamut of government service in the national
and sub-national politics, including but not limited to, government officials and public employees.

In the operational level, public administration is concerned significantly on normative political values
in the delivery of public good and on the administrative thrusts of the civil service like accountability,
transparency, efficiency, and among others.

From very broad perspective, it may be viewed to refer not only to those activities in carrying out or
in implementing the policies and programs of the government but also to the processes and contents of these
policies and programs.

From an even broader perspective, it may refer to cooperative human action whether within the
public bureaucracy, the private sector or in nongovernmental organizations or at delivering services to the
people.

It is concerned with public policies and programs, and their formulation and implementation, and the
sociocultural, economic and political factors bearing on them. It deals with the systematic study of institutions
and processes and the interplay of factors involved in authoritative decision-making on goals, in implementing
them, and in achieving desired results.

As a subfield of Political Science, the study of Public Administration centers on the knowledge of the
machinery of the government, and the politico-administrative framework and even the legal environment in
which political actors work and compete.

It is chiefly performed by public servants and politicians at all levels of government specifically among
the executive, legislative, and judicial departments, including bureaus, agencies and other sub-national
politics, extending to non-profit organizations or private enterprises.

It is not “an administration of the public but an administration for the public.” The government for the
public is aimed to deliver effective and efficient social provisions for the welfare of the constituencies.

FIELDS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

1. LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

It refers to the institutions around local governments engaged in the design and
implementation of political, economic policy like business elites, community leaders, development
cooperatives, training and enterprise councils, and voluntary groups.

2. FISCAL ADMINISTRATION

It generally refers to the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies and decisions
on:
a. Taxation and revenue administration;

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Summary

b. Resource allocation;
c. Budgeting and public expenditure;
d. Public borrowing and debt management; and
e. Accounting and auditing.

3. PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS AND PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Defined as what the government chooses to do or not to do in a particular issue or program

that includes the administration of the following processes:

a. Policy initiation;
b. Policy formulation;
c. Policy implementation;
d. Policy and program monitoring; and
e. Policy and program evaluation.

4. ORGANIZATIONAL AND PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

It refers to the creation of an environment that hastens the improvement of individuals and
their organization to provide better public service

EMERGING SUBFIELDS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

1. PUBLIC ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT

It is an undertaking where the investment is owned and controlled by any government
organization whether national or local.

2. VOLUNTARY SECTOR MANAGEMENT

Voluntary sectors like the civil society and non-profit organizations or the nongovernmental
organizations have also become effective alternative service providers in the community
development programs.

3. SPATIAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

In delivering public goods and services efficiently or effectively, it is very important that we
will be aided with the support tools enabling the use of all kinds of spatial data/information which can
be processed immediately and can be transported easily. This technology is currently used by many
government agencies and corporations, thus the introduction and popularization of some technology
terms in government such as e-government, e-commerce, geo-visualization, e-finance, and among
others. Other systems are also introduced in system information management like global positioning
systems and remote sensing.

SETTING GOALS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

The goals of public administration are identified to democratic norms and governance such as
pursuing public good, ensuring efficiency and effective delivery of a public service, improving the quality of
life, promoting social justice and equity, transparency, accountability, and accessibility along the way in the
business of public service.

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These goals however are ever changing dependent on the needs of time and the society but
traditional Public Administration ethos like efficiency, effectiveness, and economy remained to be the ground
rules of developing future goals and thrusts of public administration.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS A FIELD OF STUDY

Classical Public Administration concerns on the methods of (1) administrative organization

(structure, coordination, control); (2) personnel administration (training, recruitment, promotion, morale of
public employees); (3) financial administration (budgeting, accounting, purchasing, borrowing, tax
assessment); and (4) the management of human factors in government (such as maintaining good relations
between government and citizen, and between department head or bureau chief and the rank and file
employee).

Traditional Public Administration embraces “the conduct of the functions of government, the
execution of public policies and public law,” while New Public Administration embraces also the formulation
and preparation of policies and programs for consideration and determination by the political officers of the
government especially by the legislative body.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS AN ART AND AS A SCIENCE

It can be said that Public Administration is an art of government in terms of the conduct and
management of public affairs; in terms of dealing with bureaucratic inefficiencies and red tape; in terms of
implementation of public policies and programs; and the use of resources for public good.

Consequently then, PA is also a science because knowledge is generated and evaluated according
to scientific method.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AS A DISCIPLINE AND PRACTICE

Public Administration as a discipline and practice is a continuing search for relevance, meaning, and
strategy in the effective management of public resource. Public Administration as a discipline is often
confronted with issues as to how theories or principles can be applied in real politic-administrative setting in
the same or equal manner as they are contemplated and profounded in existing literature.

Public Administration as a practice tries to bring forward the organizational goals through workable
and competent mans. The classical ethos of public administration like efficiency, economy and effectiveness
should blend in with the modern Public Administration values like accountability, transparency, predictability,
and participation in achieving a considerable level of success in the governance and administration of public
institutions.

Nonetheless, Public Administration as a practice is not only confined within the hands of those in the
government bureaucracy. The participation and involvement of the civil society (NGOs, POs, voluntary
sectors, the media, and the religious), and cause-oriented groups (pressure and lobby groups, interest parties
and even political parties) bring together a better performance track that the administration of the public
functions and responsibilities can be mutually shared and reinforced toward good and effective management
through what they call as participatory government.

Reference:
Principles and Practices of Public Administration in the Philippines by Ricardo S. Lazo

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