Public Administration and Management: Advantages and Disadvantages of Partnerships

Before weighing the pros and cons a partnership may bring in terms of improving service delivery and accountablity in public administration, definitions and more information regarding the topic must be laid out. Public administration is generally defined as the development, implementation, and study of government policy.

For the good of the public, it highlights civil society and social justice. It is also historically referred to as government management, it calls for non- government organizations that do not act out of self- interest.

It has become area of discussion which talks about the meaning and purpose of government, bureaucracy, budgets, governance, and public affairs tha take place. Public management that hand in hand works with public administration in achieving public good is the economically driven side of operation of government.

It attempts to reemphasize the professional nature of both fields that are connected with one another. Government and non-profit organizations would then resemble private sectors in some ways. Even with management tools which are appropriate for public and private domains, there are still differences that make public administration different from being a private sector for it emphasizes the social and cultural drivers of government that many contend (e.g. Graham T. Allison and Charles Goodsell).

What should always be kept in mind is that there is always a need for a quality system of public management. This system has to deliver quality and speedy service to the citizens that it serves.

When this can be done, a country may progress and prosper. Even after introducing public service reforms such as long queues, delays and bad attitudes of workers towards work and clients, there is still poor service delivery making the objective stated unachieved.

Also, another explanation is maybe due to the lack of accountability wherein officials are not always accountable for their work, either to parliament or the citizens concerned. It is important that the public service both delivers what is expected of them to the public and at the same time be accountable for the work that they do.

To further explain, for any government service, it is fundamental to have a service delivery. Citizens look up to government and its department for their needs and for any services they may need. What of then about public service?

It has to fulfill the government’s broad economic and social objective in formulating economic and social policies and implementing public programs which will be used to achieve what is needed.

Then it must be asked whether the public service has fulfilled their duties and satisfying citizens’ needs and expectations and whether the service they have delivered is quick, reliable and effective. Meanwhile accountability is imperative as a means in providing quality public service. It is how public bodies should be handled.