Towards an Effective Public Administration - Research Paper Example

Towards an Effective Public Administration . Introduction: In any given society there is always a loud outcry when the public administrators and government leaders do not live according to set standards of ethics and professionalism. Every day, there are revelations and exposes of corruption and other negative matters of integrity against public administrators. This is increasingly leading to lack of trust and public confidence in the administrators and something needs to be done in order to change the situation. Though it is not possible to determine whether this generation is worse than the one before, what is clear is the constant pattern of lack of integrity and accountability in the officers. People are therefore forced to rely on the false outlook of an administration that is accountable while in the real sense they are far from that. There is an urgent need to change the general outlook of the service, and create a more principled and ethical service that earns public trust. The Public Administrator: The title of a public administrator applies to anyone working in the capacity of a civil servant, whose main role is to implement policies set by the government. They are an important part of the administration of any government and ensure that services are offered to the citizens as prescribed in the constitution. In addition to this, they have an added mandate of making laws and ensuring that public policy is in line with the constitution. Although it is the work of the legislature to make and pass laws, the same cannot be effected well without the help of the able public administrators. They have the task of providing a clear understanding of laws for easy consumption by the public who may not understand the complex legal terms. They also have the added role of advising ministers in their respective posts on public policy and necessary reviews in the law. Although this is a noble profession, there are many ethical challenges that are causing distrust in the service. Lewis and Gillman rightly state that, “public managers’ morale, identity and capacity for decision making and innovation are entangled in ethics, and rightly so, because public service is our society’s instrument for managing complexity and interdependency”, (Lewis & Gillman, 2005, p. 21). In any position that requires service to the citizens, there is a requirement for high levels of ethics and professional conduct. These two principles must be applied together because without them, then the office in question gets a bad reputation. People in the public service have made a conscious commitment to serve the people, and this should then be carried out effectively. Geuras and Garofalo correctly observe that, “clearly public managers have their hands full. Their environment is complex, complicated, involving multiple constituencies, responsibilities and challenges”, (Geuras & Garofalo, 2011, p. 5). The role they have to play, is always surrounded by external pressure and stress. This becomes very challenging for the officers who want to conduct themselves in a responsible manner in the workplace. The managers in public service are faced with many ethical challenges that affect their roles and responsibilities. Of most concern is that, their role is actively related to the government and reflects negatively on democracy when they do not conduct themselves ethically. Code of Ethics: Looking at any institution of government and in the public sector, there is evidence of ethical problems that need to be dealt with urgently. The rise of social media and investigative journalism is contributing generously to the constant information about ethical challenges in public administration. It is therefore very important to establish professional organizations that manage and control ethical behaviors of civil servants. The organizations come up with codes of ethics that are used to regulate the public administration offices. Cooper states that, “codes can establish an ethical status to which members of a profession may aspire, the moral optimum rather than the moral minimum established by the ethics legislation”, (Cooper, 1998, p. 151). One of the professional bodies tasked with providing codes of ethics in the United States, is the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). This body seeks the highest level of professional conduct of its members and seeks to have them behave professionally. The codes encourage high standards of behavior that are promoted by high levels of integrity. In addition, it increases public confidence in the public administrators and ensures that they are able to make credible decisions that are enforced on the public. In addition to this, is the International City Management Association (ICMA), who together with other bodies constantly review codes of ethics regularly. Ethics in general are based on honesty, justice, public interest, professional conduct and other principles of ethics necessary for an effective work place. There are various ways that can be applied to ensure that ethical standards are met. In most cases, most employers in the public sector will have internal ethical codes that they rely on to ensure that their employees act in a professional way. They are able to enforce their laws and reprimand any form of misconduct, through various forms from dismissal to criminal prosecution in some cases. There is therefore a relationship between the public administration and the professional bodies to ensure that they enforce proper guidelines that protect the profession and the public at large. Maine and Dunn state that, “professions and professional organizations also tend to rely on ethics codes to focus their members on appropriate ethical principles and behavior, but their enforcement tools are significantly more limited”, ( Meine & Dunn, p. 3). These ethics are effective in guiding professionals and ensuring that they work in a professional manner. The International City and County Management Association (ICMA): This body has a mandate to promote professional local governments in the whole world and ensure that they operate in a professional manner. Their mission is, “to create excellence in local governance by developing and advancing professional management of local government”, (ICMA, 2013). Their beliefs are supported by the code of ethics that they promote and call for the highest standards of honesty and integrity among staff in the local government. In addition to this, they advocate for professional management of resources and duties in the departments and seek to have public administrators serve the people effectively. They also ensure that there is a clear reflection of the diverse cultures in the country, to promote a sense of inclusiveness and fairness in employment and opportunities. They are dedicated to producing an effective and accountable government that is democratic and able to fulfil the needs of their citizens. They also ensure that citizens are treated with dignity and that public administrators do not get involved in political activities that may cause conflict in their roles. It promotes a culture of transparency and ensuring that the general public is able to report any incidences of unethical behavior by members of the public service. A good and effective government is one based on democracy and transparency and this are the key requirements of any government body. The organization promotes a system where information is available to people who need it and that citizens are able to access documents when they need them. The most important part of this is ensuring that, citizens are given the best care possible and treated with dignity and respect when dealing with the relevant officers. This enables greater transparency and also promotes the fundamental objectives of ICMA in public administration. In addition to this, it deals with any questions if misappropriation of funds by officers and deals with any problems that could threaten good governance. American Society for Public Administration (ASPA): It was founded in 1939 and initially had the mandate of ensuring that they effect a high level of professionalism in the public sector. This organization is the largest professional body offering this service and also consists of many professional bodies in its membership. It deals with ethical issues of students, academics, government bodies and even practitioners in the various fields. In carrying out their mandate, they seek to ensure that, they promote excellence in any origination that deals directly with citizens and promote high levels of integrity and ethical conduct. This was the first organization to come up with codes of ethics for professionals in the public sector. They are actively involved in promoting ethics and competence in public officers in the government and ensuring that they work effectively. They have a mandate to serve the public interests by opposing all forms discrimination and ensuring that there is inclusivity in employment. They also ensure that citizens are actively involved in decision making and assist citizens in matters dealing with the government. In addition, they advocate for respect of the law and in particular to the provisions of the constitution by the officials in the public administration. In this they ensure that respect, support and enough civic education is carried out to enforce laws and implement them effectively. In demonstrating professional integrity, they ensure that officer is honest and also promote ethical standards in their organizations. ASPA, is also involved in publishing of journals and information about the various requirements in terms of conduct and ethics. This is found in journals and newspapers that assist in public management and enforcement of ethical standards. Promoting Public Confidence: There are now more instances where persons serving in public institutions are continually causing harm on innocent citizens. All public institutions are prone to having ethical lapses in carrying out their mandates. The increase in bureaucracy however, make it difficult for the officers recognize and even take account of their negative actions. The work of public administrators is based on trust and it is important for this to be effected to ensure that there is smooth functioning of the various departments. Lewis and Catron state that, “public service is a public trust. If there is anything unique about public service, it derives from this proposition”, (Lewis & Catron, 1996, p.699). There is always a high expectation on public servants of the citizens to act right and carry out their mandates responsibly. They also expect them to act fairly and without prejudice of any kind which allows them to serve the public effectively. For this reason, ethics in work become more important as they determine the work and relationships developed. The fact that the codes are written down and effectively implemented by professional bodies show that they are important and of great concern. These ethics are also clearly reflected in the various laws. The fact that they are directly reflected in the company’s code of conduct and have proper mechanisms for enforcement spell their importance. In addition to this, the disciplinary principles and procedures set out are very effective sometimes even leading to criminal prosecution. It is very clear just by looking and studying people’s behaviors that, public confidence in government in the key for them to trust them. It would be impossible for the government by itself to promote and implement ethical codes of conduct and behavior in the workplace by itself. They cannot even do this even if they came up with new legislation as they would not have the mechanism to carry out the mandate. People employed in public administration need to understand that they are part of the government and are expected to be accountable for their conduct. They should also be aware of their conduct on a personal level and ensure that there is no conflict of interest that would affect their work. Taxpayers have a right to demand for the best possible service and have all the legal rights to do the same. Professional accountability makes the difference between people working hard and others being lazy and unproductive. Promoting accountability in the public sector is the most effective way of ensuring that there is no abuse of power. Changing Role of Public Administration: There have been effective and fundamental changes that have been carried out over the years in terms of ethical conduct in the public service. This is based on changing times and systems and the establishment of monitoring mechanisms to ensure effective working standards. The public administrator is now seen more of a manager than merely an administrator as was seen before. They are expected to act in the same managerial capacity as their counterparts in the private sector. There is also an increase in the links created between the state and the people and this has created a situation where public services must be promoted. Peters and Pierre state that, “ the government is no longer an autonomous actor in implementing its policies, but often depends upon the private sector or other third sector to accomplish its ends”, ( Peters & Pierre, 2012, p.32). This new system of linking the services will ensure that the services provided are of the highest standards. The persons working in the public sector are now expected in the same way as their counterparts in the private sector. There is also a change in the way government departments and run and managed with a reduction of bureaucracy. There is also a reduction in the hierarchical system of reporting that creates a lot of integrity issues and makes some officers feel that they do not have to be accountable on the basis of their status. It is important to note that in any organization based in the public sector, the managers must ensure that they maintain a strict code of conduct that promotes effective working practices. In conclusion, public administrators are the most important people in the working of government as they promote an effective civil service. They have a mandate to serve and ensure that everything they do is credible. In addition to this, they must ensure that they keep the highest level of ethics as they are the face of a democratic government that cares for its citizens. Although ethics are important, they must not in any way affect the culture and values of the public offices in which they serve. A culture of transparency and openness should be maintained as well as maintaining integrity to avoid constant shaming of the public sector. References: Adams, G.B., and Balfour, D.L. (2009). Unmasking Administrative Evil. M.E Sharpe. 3rd edn. ISBN: 0765623315. 1-199. American Society for Public Administration. (2013). Codes of Ethics. Retrieved from: http://www.aspanet.org/public/ASPA/Resources/Code_of_Ethics/ASPA/Resources/Code%20of%20Ethics1.aspx?hkey=acd40318-a945-4ffc-ba7b-18e037b1a858ﾧ. Bowman, J.S. (1981). Virtue Ethics in J. Rabin. (Ed). Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy. Retrieved from: http://books.google.com/books?id=55ghk_xYpToC&pg=PA1259&dq=bowman+virtue+ethics&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Pr5wUdeeAbXe4AP28oGABg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=falseﾧ. Box, R.C. (1998). Citizen Governance. Leading American Communities into the 21st Century. London: Sage Publications. ISBN: 0761912584. 1-200. Cooper, T.L. (1998). The Responsible Administrator: An Approach to Ethics for the Administrative Role. 6th Edn. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. ISBN: 0470873949. Geuras, D., and Garofalo, C. (2011). Practical Ethics in Public Administration. Vienna, VA: Management Concepts. ISBN: 1567261116. 1-303. Kuye, J.O. (2007). The Role of Public Administration in Leadership and Governance: A Review Of Civics, Citizenship and Political Education. School of Public Management and Administration. University of Pretoria. Retrieved from: http://hdl.handle.net/2263/4448. Lawton, A., and Doig, A. (2012). Researching Ethics for Public Service Organizations: The View from Europe. Retrieved from: http://www.cism.my/.../201106161228100.researching%20ethics%20for%20public... Lewis, C.W., and Gilman, S.C. (2005). The Ethics Challenge in Public Service: A Problem Service Guide. Jossey-Bass: A Wiley Imprint. Retrieved from: retrieved from: http://www.oecd.org/mena/governance/35521418.pdf. Meine, M.F., and Dunn, T.P. (2005). Ethics Codes and Their Administration: A Particularly Illustrative Case Study and a Call for Collaboration. The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal. 15(2). 5. Retrieved from: http://www.innovation.cc/scholarly-style/meine_dunn_ethics_codes5final.pdf. Menzel, D.C. (2007). Ethics Management for Public Administrators: Building Organizations of Integrity. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN: 0765618141. 1-215. Peters, B.G., and Pierre, J. (2012). Introduction: The Role of Public Administration in Governing. Sage Publications. Retrieved from: http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/49552_Peters_&_Pierre_Proof.pdf. Read More