What is Public Administration?
Public administration is the machinery, as well as the integral process, through which the government perform its activities ( Kettl, D. 2002)
Public administration is broadly described as the development, implementation and study of government policy public employees work to improve equality, justice, security, efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.( Brudney, 1998).
Classic scholars including Plato, Aristotle and Machiavelli are the foundation of subsequent generations of public administration emphasizing the moral and political human nature as well as the organization of the governing bodies. In the United States, Woodrow Wilson who would later became a president considered as the father of public administration in the United States defined the object of administrative study to discover first, what government can properly and successfully do, and, secondly, how it can do these proper things with the utmost possible efficiency and at the least possible cost either of money of energy
Reforming public management has been an on-going process in many countries of the developed and developing region for one to two decades. The impulse for such reforms came as a result of combination of a number of factors. These included: market determination; public dissatisfaction with service delivery; growing demand for citizen participation in decision making; and disillusion with the standard of public sector resource management (Njunwa, M.H.M. 2005).. Other concerns like cost effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, focus on results, contestability of advice and services, better performance management and decentralization of service delivery also contributed significantly to create pressure for change and reform.
During the last decade a number of significant reforms have been implemented in a number of
countries in the Africa particularly Tanzania. Many governments in Africa were facing serious crises, but evidence shows that even governments in developed countries were searching for renewal of their governments as they were perceived to be getting irrelevant to the citizens need and to their expectations. These reform differ in terms of nature and scope. But both intended to bring about a marked change in governance in these countries. It will not be possible to discuss here in any great length all the reforms in these countries.
Like many African countries, Tanzania public administration has a long and distinguished history due to the influences of different management practices of the changing world (Farazmand, A., 1999) : traditional public administration; public management, new public management; and responsive governance and recent paradigm of Reinventing Government . In some measure, they are chronological, yet they overlap in both historical time and substance.
At the time of independence, the emerging nation of Tanganyika inherited a public service designed to serve its colonial interest. The size of government was then small, with a focus on providing services to the colonial population, Following the Arusha Declaration of 1967 through to the late 1980s, Tanzania saw a dramatic expansion in the role of the state in all areas of the economy therefore, entailed the building of institutional and human resource capacity to respond to the needs of the new nation.
By the early 1990s, in responding to political, economical and social pressure, public sector in Tanzania shift towards a free-market economy, as part of global economy phenomena, where the private sector was to serve as the engine of growth, needed to be better reflected in the structure and size of the nation’s public service (Therkildsen2000). This created a need to introduce some reforms within a public sector in favor of reducing the role of state and increase reliance on market.
As part of wider cross cutting public reforms agenda the government introduced the core public sector reforms which have focused largely on reorganizing service delivery mechanisms within Government, improving systems and processes, and building the human capacity of the Public Service. Examples include the following programmes ;civil service reform program(CSRP), the Public Service Reform Programme(PSRP),the Local Government Reform Programme (LGRP),Public Finance Management Reform Programme (PFMRP),the Legal Sector Reform Programme (LSRP) the National Anti-Corruption Strategy and Action Plan( NACSAP)and Business Environment Strengthening Tanzania (BEST)
GOALS OF TANZANIA GORVERMENT
The National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP), or what is more commonly referred to by the Kiswahili acronym MKUKUTA, has been in effect since July 2005. It is a key document setting out a broad framework and strategy for poverty reduction and economic growth.
National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP), has divided into three clusters.which are:
(1) Growth and reduction of income poverty
(2) Improvement of quality of life and social wellbeing and
(3) Good governance and accountability
in the MKUKUTA is ‘. Income poverty is defined as “when people live on less than one US dollar a day. This means that they cannot afford enough food or medicine and they will have poor clothes and houses” (Tanzania without poverty – Phase two 2005: 5). The broad outcome of this cluster is phrased in the following way: ‘Broad-based and equitable growth is achieved and sustained’. Accompanying this broad outcome, six goals are presented: 1) Ensuring sound economic management; 2) Promoting sustainable and broad-based growth; 3) Improving food availability and accessibility;
4) Reducing income poverty of both men and women in rural areas; 5) Reducing income poverty of both men and women in urban areas; 6) Provision of reliable and affordable energy to consumers. It would make this report far too extensive if I were to go into detail on all the goals and activities. I will therefore confine my comments to some of the most important issues in this cluster and try to compare them with the content of the Manifesto.
two broad outcomes: 1) , with a
Particular focus on the poorest and most vulnerable groups; 2) Within these outcomes five goals are identified: 1) To ensure equitable access to quality primary and secondary education for boys and girls, universal literacy among men and women, and expansion of higher technical and vocational education; 2) To improve the survival, health and well-being of all children and women and of specially vulnerable groups; 3) To ensure access to clean, affordable and safe water, sanitation, decent shelter and a safe and sustainable environment – and thereby reduce vulnerability from environmental risk;
4) To ensure adequate social protection and provision of basic needs and services for the
vulnerable and needy; 5) To ensure effective systems to permit universal access to quality and affordable public services. education, health, access to clean and safe water and outcomes, goals and activities with the general aim of reducing inequality.
of the MKUKUTA defines four broad outcomes: This third cluster covers a wide range of issues. It deals with economic and political structures and processes, systems of management broadly defined, security, tolerance and inclusion as well as participation in decision making. Democratic development, human rights and the rule of law are additional issues under this cluster. It also has to do with effective, transparent and accountable use of public resources. To achieve the desired outcomes under this Cluster several ongoing reform programmes need to be sustained. Some of these are: the Public Service Reform Programme (PSRP), the Local Government Reform Programme (LGRP) and the Legal Sector Reform Programme (LSRP).
Within these four broad outcomes seven goals are set: 1) To ensure that structures and systems of governance as well as the rule of law are democratic, participatory, representative, accountable and inclusive; 2) To ensure equitable allocations of public resources – with corruption effectively addressed; 3) To put in place an effective public service framework as a foundation for service delivery improvements and poverty reduction; 4) To ensure that the rights of the poor and vulnerable groups are protected and promoted in the justice system; 5) To reduce political and social exclusion and intolerance; 6) To improve personal and material security, reduce crime and eliminate sexual abuse and domestic violence; 7) To enhance and promote national cultural identities. As mentioned in the introduction, ‘good governance and accountability’
(As according to National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP)
after analyzing different documents such as national strategy for development ,Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015 and the Vision 2025 and CCM election manifesto 2005 you can identify that all these aimed at archiving the same goals with different ways because they have only differ in term of form and scope and they are both aligned with National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP), MKUKUTA MKUZA of Zanzibar
on 0bjectives /goals of public sector reform s in Tanzania (CSRP PSRP1 PSRP II) .CSRP Established under the umbrella of achieving a smaller, affordable, well-compensated efficient and effectively performing civil service while stated objective was to enable the Public Service to deliver efficiently and effectively the Government’s economic and social programmes on a continuous and sustainable basis.
Both CSRP and PSRP aimed at
a) To change the mindset of the public service towards greater orientation for performance results and accountability. The theme of the program is ‘Enhancing Performances Results and Accountability in the Public Service’.
b) Ensure the delivery of quality public services within priority sectors conforms to public expectations for value, satisfaction, and relevance by the end of 2011
c) Improvement in the policy-making, processes and regulatory capacity of MDAs and Local Government Authorities (LGAs) that will contribute to a more predictable and well regulated environment for service delivery institutions and for private sector development.
d) Greater access to information and responsiveness to the demands of stakeholders as measured by feedback on client service charters that contributes to greater transparency and accountability of government and improved governance.
e) Efficient delivery of internal operational and administrative services MDAs; and Improved management of information and records that supports service delivery
f) Create and Maintain a Quality, Diverse Workforce which are capable to respond to the extensive and softcated needs of the people this done through Improvement in management of public servants, measured by the percentage of staff targets realized in MD
g) Create an organizational culture to support learning and growth to the public. The strategic emphasis is to transform the culture of public service delivery to that of demanding improved performance, with an emphasis on results and greater accountability
h) Develop systems and partnership by Reduced bureaucracy and red tape in the delivery of services by developing Systems and structures in place to enhance access and efficiency of service delivery;
i) Leadership Development through Building management capacity to develop staff.
Poverty and inequality remains a critical concern for Tanzania, with income levels still amongst the lowest in Africa. Between 1992 and 2001, the proportion of people living below the national poverty line fell slightly from 39 percent to 36 percent, while the number of people living below the international “dollar a day” poverty line was 58 percent. Strong sustained growth since 1995, of almost 6 percent per annum, have not yet been captured in the poverty estimates. While poverty today is likely below 2001 levels, the lack of data is a problem for policy making (Bourgon, J. 2008) .
Despite the immense advancements in all spheres of human activity, the increased global wealth, and the opportunities unleashed by globalization, the world today still faces great challenges. These in turn affect public administration in a number of ways. The State and its institutions are, in fact, increasingly subject to pressure both from the domestic and international arena. New challenges and old threats suggest that the State, especially in developing countries, needs to be strengthened and to operate differently from the past. The challenges that are affecting how the State operates and that call for major innovations in public administration
Environmental degradation poses significant challenges to public administrations world-wide. Economic liberalization and the lifting of barriers to trade and commerce in many countries around the world has provided the corporate sector with greater opportunities for investment and profit, as well as higher access to new markets, especially in the developing countries. The opening up of “new frontiers” has, however, also accelerated the depletion of natural resources and has produced higher levels of industrial pollution. Although, as is well known, environmental degradation is not a consequence of globalization per se, greater access to and exploitation of previously protected areas is creating further risks for the environment. Worldwide unsustainable consumption
The increase in migration of workers, especially from developing countries to the developed world, is posing serious challenges to public administration systems around the globe. Although migration is by no means a new phenomenon and is actually less extensive than in the past, it should not be underestimated and deserves to be addressed from a developmental approach. States must become more attuned to these new realities and find incentives to retain skilled workers within their borders, while also ensuring that social networks are in place to support workers who suffer sudden unemployment. (Bourgon, J. 2008)
Bridging the digital divide: Information technology opens new vistas for humankind. IT promises to improve our study, work and leisure. IT offers possibilities to broaden and accelerate the global integration of information networks , Currently, however, many developing countries and countries with economies in transition like ours are only passively integrated, . The unequal access to IT is creating what is known as the digital divide generally between rich and poor countries and also within countries. Technological penetration is still very low in Tanzania if compared to the developed world. Most enterprises in developing countries have neither the capacity nor the means to be active players in the globalization process. Challenge based on how to close the digital gap and create the opportunities for a wider participation of all people in the information age
The unsatisfied number of qualified public administrators is another major challenge to be faced by our countries. The problem got compounded by a need for these countries to assert their national sovereignty by Africanizing the services, recent research findings clearly demonstrate that investment in effective human resources management can make a decisive contribution to improving public sector performance. Empirical studies suggest that investment in human capital in the public sector is more likely to enhance the effectiveness of government than downsizing. Furthermore, in a competitive labor environment, characterized by changing demographics and rapid turnover, governments will increasingly have to develop effective strategies to recruit and retain a fair share of the best talent
Another challenge facing public administration is on how to improve efficiency, productivity, at the same time to ensure quality and service, this is a bid challenges to many government now days because the increase of productivity tend to decrease the quality for example is the secondary school in Tanzania as the government struggle to increase the number of student the quality of education offered to become low as the number increases.
The human rights situation remains unsatisfactory. The respect for the freedom of speech and association is not fully respected. The police use assault against suspected criminals and torture and infringements exist in detention and prisons. Gender based violence is a continuing problem and female genital mutilation is still practiced in some parts of the country. The Tanzanian society played a significant role in violating some fundamental rights by clinging to abusive practices such as forced marriages to girls, widow inheritance and killing through mob violence.
Corruption is still widespread, in spite of the national anti-corruption policies and instruments. Tanzania maintained its position in Transparency International Corruption Index between 2004 and 2005 (ranked as 96), despite Government’s apparent commitment to mitigate if not eradicate it, as demonstrated by recent increases in official support for the apex anti-corruption agency, the Prevention of Corruption Bureau. This condition undermines the national poverty reduction strategies and economic progress generally and retards the growth of democratic values of openness and accountability in the use of public resources. Although the Kikwete Administration appears to re-energize the anti-corruption agenda with fresh exhortations, the agenda requires a persistent and focused national attention to succeed.
Labour migration, The departure of a skilled migrant signifies a loss of investment in previous education and training for the country of origin as well as a loss of skills and experience that would otherwise provide future contributions to development, including future tax payments. In developing countries, it is important that this phenomenon be counterbalanced by “earn, learn and return” strategies to take advantage of the enhanced skills and experience of the expatriate population, with programmes to facilitate remittances and encourage migrants to return. In critical employment sectors, such as health and education, governments also need to adopt specific programmes and incentives to stem the tide.
. In some countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV/AIDS Tanzania in particular is having a staggering impact on the performance of governments. The management of HIV/AIDS issues in the work place presents many dilemmas. Mortality is only one aspect of the problem to be managed. Given that the disease normally affects younger adults and those in the most economically productive phases of their lives, HIV/AIDS has the potential to reduce the pool of prospective employees and economic productivity in many countries. in Tanzania public service it is estimated 13% employees are affected by the disease this create a big challenges to the Governments
Promoting public service integrity, ethics and professionalism is another challenge , quality service is not simply a matter of drawing boxes and moving employees from one to another, or even of exposing them to new management “skills” and techniques. Enhancing the quality and standard of service is also about attitude change – that is if “behavior modification” sounds too frighteningly Orwellian. The public, especially the poor, would in all probability welcome an era in which they could receive the services to which they are entitled without having to cringe before, bribe, or exchange favors with, public officials. There is at any rate a more serious reason for looking forward to zero-tolerance of corruption. (Caiden, G. E., 1994)
A capable and democratic state is a prerequisite for success in overcoming the three broad
challenges discussed above. There is a great deal of empirical evidence in the economics
literature showing an important causal effect of good governance on economic outcomes and that Africa’s relatively weak performance in the 1990s (figure 3) on many governance indicators was an additional factor explaining the continent’s weak economic outcomes15.
For the state to discharge its legitimate functions, for civil society to flourish, and for the
private sector to function properly, a system of good governance is required that allows all
stakeholders in these sectors to play their respective roles and fulfill their respective functions.
Good governance is also required to ensure that the country’s economic and social priorities are based on the needs of society as a whole, and that broad based stakeholder participation is facilitated in the economic and political realms of the country. Good governance calls for the ability of a state to anticipate changes to its well-being, provide core services to its people and then augment these services, act as catalyst of change for the good, and guide the various forces in society towards harmony. “The very capable states in the word demonstrate how these tasks are artfully carried out). Building capable states as a means of promoting good governance is thus a key requirement for effectively confronting and overcoming Africa’s 21st century challenges.
Also flexible ,adoptable, learnable and forecasting government would help because the state institution will be in a position to learn both internal and external and if possible to change accordingly as situation requires. This will minimize some unnecessary risk the government facing
The need to serve citizens better has become one of the major preoccupations of public
Administration today and the government can no longer shoulder that responsibility alone. Social and human development needs have become complex and diverse and to address these complex and diverse needs some form of cooperative effort is required. Various players need to be brought into the public service delivery process to be able to contribute effectively to social and human development needs
