A. Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. Who is a public administrator?

2. What are the responsibilities of the government?

3. What are the purposes of public administration?

4. Why are there so many definitions of public administration?

5. From your point of view, is public administration a science or an art? Why?

6. What are the functions of public administration?

7. What are the drawbacks of the traditional view of public administration?

8. What is the modern view on public administration?

9. What are the elements of public administration?

Concept, Nature and Scope of Public Administration ^[33]

Public Administration is the bureaucracy of government, the latter being the working machinery under which the state operates. The government exists for the good of the population/the state. In the absence of state, man's life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. The same may be said of the absence of government, and therefore public administration.

The government has the responsibility of providing security, safeguard the fundamental human dignity and happiness for all. It is therefore charged with serving the proletariat against bourgeoisie exploitation and vice versa (the dictatorship of the proletariat). Anticorruption and antipoverty campaigns are a part of the commitment of public administration in a political system. However, here is a global clamour for democracy, a nebulous concept connoting communalism and pluralism which may be based on irrational decisions. This sharply contrasts bureaucratic coordination on the basis of professionalism, elitism and hierarchical system of operation. The nexus between bureaucracy and democracy is thus provided by public administration.

Public Administration is the act of implementing public policies, as feedback is relayed to the policy makers. It is government in action, a collective effort of getting things done in accordance with the laid down procedures and within the legal framework. Public administration pre-supposes planned human activities by organising human and material resources; it is that which consists of all those operations having their purpose fulfilment or enforcement of public policy. In his words, former American President Woodrow Wilson defined it as a detailed and systematic application of law. To him, therefore, any application of law amounts to public administration.

Some scholars define public administration as "… decision making, planning the work to be done, formulating objectives and goals… establishing and reviewing organisations, directing and supervising employees … exercising control and other functions performed by government executives and supervisors. It is the action part of government: the means by which the purposes and goals of government are realised" (Harris and Corson 1963). It has been argued that public administration should be considered as the fourth arm of government, in addition to the known executive, judiciary and legislature. This is because administration is quite different from the executive, as it comprises of bureaucrats. This is the full time professional civil service, with technical expertise in policy.

Other scholars talk of public administration as “a broad ranging and amorphous combination of theory and practice; its purpose is to promote a superior understanding of government and its relationship with the society it governs, as well to encourage public policies more responsive to social needs and to institute managerial practices attuned to effectiveness, efficiency and the deeper human requisites of the citizenry”.

Generally speaking, public administration has to do with the policy process in general, and policy implementation in particular. However, there is no single definition so far of the concept except that it is government in action. It therefore becomes both a government as well as a public machinery of operation.

Different scholars still have different views on coverage of public administration. Some see it first and foremost as a policy science, thus categorise it as Political Science. These hold the integral view as they also believe public administration concerns itself with all activities and policies that go with administration. As a result, they lump ministers and legislators into one category of 'administrators.' Others conceptualise it as an art. Administrators are thus people who get things done through others, as managers. On their own, they cannot do the work.

As such, public administration provides a link between the three traditional arms of government, namely the legislature, executive and judiciary. It may be said to be supportive in each case, without which the arms cannot operate. As the establishment that interacts with the general public, public administration is part of the political process, and therefore helps in policy formulation through feedback mechanism.

Functions of public administration include the following:

· Planning - setting the broad agenda and fixing the targets to be met by the staff.

· Organising - establishing formal structures of authority, coming up with a chain of command.

· Staffing - getting the correct people for the correct job specifications in a public office.

· Directing - giving orders and providing guidelines to the responsible staff.

· Coordination - creating harmony between and among different departments for optimum functioning. It reduces duplication and wastage.

· Reporting - getting the right information to the right persons within the organisation, for record management.

· Budgeting - this function deals with financial planning and controls as well as budgeting, as the name suggests.

This traditional view has not gone without criticism that it is a shallow view of the concept of public administration. It has been criticised for neglecting human relationship. It is also silent on assigning of roles to trade unions and other organised working classes. Modern view of PA considers the subject in terms of administrative theory (the knowledge) and applied theory (the practice), both of which a public administrator should possess. It lays much emphasis in interdisciplinary approach as it deals with human behaviour which is affected by a whole complexity of issues.

Public administration holds the administrative machinery and this is based on the principle of organisation.

· The subject deals with the staff, that is, the public servants and individuals.

· Finances are also a part of the commitments of public administration.

· The study includes research of administrative resources and where they are available. This brings in material management as an element of public administration.

· Managerial techniques.