What is Public Administration ?

- Meaning and
its Definition
Public administration is like any other administration which is carried out in public interest.
Before we dwell deeper into understanding public administration it would be beneficial to try
and see how different authors have tried to define what administration is.
Marx defines administration as - Administration is determined action taken in pursuit of a
conscious purpose. It is the systematic ordering of affairs and the calculated use of resources
aimed at making those happen which one wants to happen.
Frederic k Lane defines administration as organizing and maintaining human and fiscal
resources to attain a groups goals.
A complete definition for public administration however is difficult to arrive at due to the sheer
number of tasks that fall under it. Some academicians argue that all the government related
work falls into this category while other choose to argue that only the executive aspect of
government functioning comprises of public administration.
We can also see how different authors have defined public administration:
According to L D White, Public administration consists of all those operations having for their
purpose the fulfillment or enforcement of public policy. On the other hand as per Woodrow
Wilson public administration is a detailed and systematic application of law. One can also say
that public administration is nothing but the policies, practices, rules and regulation etc, in
action.
Now can public administration be divorced from social and political systems; certainly not and
therefore emerged another definition provided by F A Nigro who argues that public
administration is essentially a cooperative group effort in public setting. Secondly, it covers all
the three branches of government machinery, the executive, the legislative and the judicial. He
further added that since public administration plays a crucial role in formulation of policies
therefore it is a part of the political process as well (for e.g. Bills and Acts). Negro also said that
public administration is different from private administration in numerous ways and that it
interacts with various private groups and individuals in providing services to the community.
Also, on the nature of public administration there have been two popular views, one being the
Integral view and the other one is the Managerial view. The Integral view is all encompassing
and consists of sum total of all managerial, clerical, technical and manual activities and
employees form all levels. This view was endorsed by L D White and Dimock. It may differ from
one agency to another depending on their sphere of work.
On the other hand the Managerial view, as the name suggests says that the public
administration involves only the managerial activities. This view was supported by Simon,
Smithburg, Thompson and Luther Gulick.
After having said that; the word administration itself is highly contextual, and may vary in
meaning and definition from one organization to another.

So if you want to understand it from the context and setting of an organization, it can be roughly
explained that; the top leadership or the Board decides the vision, mission, short and long term
goals and the business unit heads then draw out action plans and create or reform processes,
allot responsibilities, direct planning, get people on board and start working towards achieving
those set goals as per defined guidelines. So, the Board can be the Government and the Business
Unit Heads and their teams can be the public administrators who are the implementers and
actually the people who run the show.
In the next section we shall make an effort to understand whether public and private
administrations are similar, different or are there any overlaps between the two.

Similarity between Public and Private Administration

Henri Fayol says that, there is only one administrative science, which can be applied
equally well to public and private sector. Following are the similarity between public and
private administration
1. Both public and business administration rely on common techniques relating to
planning, organization, budgeting, delegation, control and the like. Both make use
of common skills such as accounts keeping, maintaining files etc.
2. In modern times the principle of profit motive is not particular to private
administration. profit making is now acceptable as a laudable objectives for public
sector industries too. Further, the business organization have also developed the
sense of community service. They have also come to realize that they too have
wider responsibilities in society.
3. In personnel management the private organizations have been influenced greatly
by the practices of public organization. In recent years public organizations have
also attempted to adopt private business method and practices. For example, the
public corporations created to run the government owned economic and
commercial activities are largely modeled on private business concerns. They
resemble the private companies in nature.

4. In modern times private business concerns are also subjected to many legal
constraints. Government is exercising much control over business firms through
taxation, monitory and licensing policies Consequently, they are not as free as
they once used to be.

Distinction between Public and Private Administration

Public Administration has certain special characteristics, which are derived from the
nature of public settings in which it operates. These special feature distinguish Public
Administration from private or business administration.
(a) Political Direction

Public Administration is political, while private administration is non political. Public

Administration takes place in a political context and work under political direction and
scrutiny. They put into effect the policies made by the elected members of legislature
and political executive. Business Administration, on the contrary is not subject to
political direction except in times of emergency. It functions largely under the influence
of market economic condition.
(b) Absence of Profit Motive
The primary purpose of government organization is to provide services to the people of
promote social good. They are not oriented towards making profit for the government.
On the other hand, the major aim of private business organization is to make profit for
their owners. Services to the public is only an incidental benefit of business activity. A
businessman would not continue unprofitable business activity, even it is essential for
public welfare.
The ends of Public administration is communal, while those of private business is
personal. The main beneficiary of public administration activities is the entire
community, whereas that of business is the owner of business himself.
Further, 'Profit' serves as a simple criterion to judge the efficient or inefficient
performance of a business firm. But the abstract value of 'social good' promoted by
public organization can not be measured in terms of monetary gain or loss. There is no
direct comparison between governmental agency's cost and the value of its services to
the public
(c) Legal Framework
Public Administration operates within a legal framework. The activities of Public
Administration are fixed by a set of constitutional practices, law, rules and regulations.
Government officials must always act within their legal power. They can not act outside
the law. If they do so, their action can be challenged in the courts of law on the grounds.
This is the reason why everything done by public officials must be supportable by
reasonably clear statutory authority. The numerous legal constrains on the action of
public officials account the limited discretion enjoyed by them in discharging duties.
However, such legal constrains are essential to prevent the officials from abusing their
powers.
By contrast, the behavior of business organization and the activities of business
administration are subject to less legal constrains. Business executives in the private
sector can usually do anything which is not forbidden by law. This gives them freedom to
select and carry on only profitable activities.
(d) Consistency of treatment
The government official is required by law to maintain a high degree of consistency in
his dealing with the public. He has to observe the principle of equality of treatment in

serving the people. He is under legal obligation not to show any discrimination against
any person. In other words, the public officials is denied discretion in the interest of
fairness and equality.
On the other hand, the business administer is not legally obliged to treat the small and
big customer alike.
(e) Public Accountability
Public Accountability is the hall-mark of Public Administration in a democracy. The Public
administrator carries on his work in a "glass bowl". His actions are open to public review
and scrutiny at all times. His activities must be guided by public needs and public
opinion. In a democracy Public Administration is held accountable for its activities
through legislative oversight and judicial review. This shows that in the sphere of Public
Administration the initiative for securing accountability lies with those to whom it is due.
Public accountability is not a value effecting business administration. Business
administration is not accountable for the public for what they do and what they fail to
do.
(f) Large-scale administration
Public Administration is large scale administration. It is larger then any big business
concern in terms of size, complexity and diversity of activities. The activities and policies
of government affect entire socioeconomic structure of society.
Public administration contrast with the private administration in size and diversity of
activity.
(g) Essentiality of some public services
Certain public services such as national security, law and order, health care, transport
and communications are vital to the existence of community itself. These services can
not be neglected by any government.
On the contrary, the service provided by the business organization such as supply of
costly cloths and shoes and other luxury items are not essentials for existence of
society.

Structure and Functions of Public Corporations and wide spread inefficiencies in Public
sector enterprises in Pakistan
Features of a Public Limited Company

A public limited company is a form of business organization that operates as a separate legal entity
from its owners. It is formed and owned by shareholders. Shares of a public limited company are
listed and traded at a stock exchange market freely. Shareholders of a public limited company are
limited to potentially lose only the amount they have paid for the shares they own.

Board of Directors
Public limited companies are headed by a board of directors. Composition of the board of directors is
set out in the company's articles of association. Normally it comprises of a minimum number of two
members and a maximum of 12. These are elected from the shareholders by the shareholders during
the annual general meeting. They act as the representatives of the shareholders in the management of
the company.

Limited Liability
Shareholder liability for the losses of the company is limited to their share contribution only. This is
what makes it a separate legal entity from its shareholders. The business can be sued on its own and
not involve its shareholders. The company does not belong to any person since one person can own
only a part of it.

Number of Members
A public limited company has a minimum number of seven shareholders or members and a limitless
number of members. It can have as many shareholders as its share capital can accommodate.

Transferable shares
Shares of a public limited company are bought and sold in a stock exchange market. They are freely
transferable between its members and people trading in the stock exchange.

Life Span
A public limited company is not affected by death of one of its shareholders, but her shares are
transferred to the next of kin and the company continues to run its business as usual. In the case of a
director's death, an election is held to replace the deceased director.

Financial Privacy
Public limited companies are strictly regulated and are required by law to publish their complete
financial statements annually. This ensures that they reveal their true financial position to their owners
and to potential investors so that they can determine the true worth of its shares.

Capital
Public limited companies enjoy an increased ability to raise capital since they can issue shares to the
public through the stock market. They can also raise additional capital by issuing debentures and
bonds through the same market from the public. Debentures and bonds are unsecured debts issued to a
company on the strength of its integrity and financial performance.

Causes of inefficiencies in Public sector in Pakistan

A study based upon both qualitative and quantitative data explored that widespread corruption and low
governance in the developing states like Pakistan is attributable to intrinsic inadequacies in the public
institutional structures, which can be controlled through restructuring (Tahir and Noor, 2009). Martin
Rama (Public Sector Downsizing) explained that public sector is downsizing in developing countries
because of high deficits and predicted that downsizing would be a reform in developing countries.
Gopal Joshi explained why public enterprises are being privatized, and argued that privatization lead to
more economic democracy, helps in achieving high economic growth and employment and privatization
reduces the budgetary deficit by off loading the losses by public enterprises as early as possible. Public
sector can also be restructured by creation of accountable, transparent and representative system for

regulating public enterprises, independent monitoring of public enterprises by people instead of

bureaucrats and politicians. Privatization leads to weak the labor unions.

Theoretical Framework
The losses of public sector enterprises in 2011 reached their peak, and performance at the lowest ebb in
Pakistans history, threatening the economic conditions of the country 11. Governments have owned PEs
with the intentions of using them as convenient absorber of surplus redundant labor (Rondinelli (2005)).
According to the theory of privatization (Boycko 1996), public enterprises are inefficient because they
have politicians as main decision making and influencing authorities. Politicians work for their selfinterest, to secure their votes in future elections; they try to hold high employment in the PSEs and
therefore high labor spending. This objective is achieved at the expense of the high profit and the
efficiency of the PSEs. Private sector (managers) could decrease the employment spending and
employment in PEs by corruption or giving bribe to politician but it also effect utility function of
managers. Politicians could stop restructuring or slow it by providing subsidies to the managers. If
managers had taste just like politicians then employment would not be decreased, and if managers are
more profit oriented then PEs would be restructured. For PEs to be more effective the main block holders
must be the private sector, whose main objective is to maximize profit as Privatization leads to decrease
the political discretion problems, hence increasing efficiency of PSEs.
Mansoor Ahmad(December 29, 2011). Public enterprises become white elephants with Rs600
bn annual loss: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-84780-Public-enterprises-becomewhite-elephants-with-Rs600-bn-annual-loss
11

So one can say that, it is in the political interest of the leaders to increase employment level, for that
purpose government bounds public enterprise to absorb surplus labor, which increase the employed labor
but decrease its productivity which intends to decrease in total output of PSEs and decrease their profit.
57 | J. Glob. & Sci. Issues, Vol 1, Issue 2, (June 2013) ISSN 2307-6275

Figure no. 1
Bound PSEs to hire
Government wants to
Low productivity
Excess
labor
in
labor and absorb
reduce unemployment
labor
enterprises
surplus labor
Low total production of goods or services
Low profit/ Deficit in PSEs

of

Negative relation between corruption and productivity of PSEs:

The key indicator of the bad governance is corruption, due to corruption resources are not properly allocated to
PSEs, misallocation of resources decrease the productivity of PSEs and in result decrease the profit or increase
the deficit of PSEs. Chetwynd, etal. (2003) argued that corruption affects governance factors; it reduces the
governance capacity by weakening political institutions and public participation and leads to the lower quality
in government services and infrastructure. Being indicator of bad governance
Figure no. 2
Bad governance Corruption Misallocation of resources to PSEs
Less resources Less output Low profit/ Deficit in PSEs
Monopoly of governance:
Figure no. 3

Government has monopolistic power at PSEs, so the all the positive and negative changes in the
government and its policies effect PSEs. The poor performance of government gives budget deficit in
country, and performance deficit of government. That performance deficit of government is reflected
in the performance deficit of PSEs, which intended to decrease the creditability of PSEs, resulting in
more poor performance by PSEs, low productivity and

financial deficit. That financial deficit will again give more poor performance, more decreasing the
credibility of PSEs again a performance deficit and the process will continue.

Decisions in Political Interest:

Good governance takes decisions which are in the public interest. A poor leadership would take
decisions which are in their political interest. And force the bureaucrats to take wrong decisions,
those wrong decisions spoil the productivity of PSEs, decrease their profit by decreasing total
productivity. Many PSEs become bureaucracy plagued by inefficiency, ineffectiveness, corruption
and draining resources from public sector (Rondinelli (2005)). The best example for all this is the
Indian Airlines, a large enterprise in India, famous for its services. When customers complained for
the poor services, managers blamed wrong decisions of bureaucrats are responsible, bureaucrats
intend blamed political leaders who asked them to take those decisions. Trivedi (2005) explain the
following channel as Not me syndrome
Figure no. 4
Governance is affecting the performance of PSEs by different means, corruption, less accountability,
monopolistic powers of government lower regulatory quality all decrease credibility of PSEs and
increase the performance deficit for it.

Solution to remove inefficiencies

Governance
Variable governance is the average of all the six indicators of governance and it is found that good
governance has negative relation with the fiscal deficit of PSEs. Results indicated that one unit
increase in good governance will lead to 7.232179 units decrease in the fiscal deficit. It is the bad
governance which has effect the credibility of PSEs. Accusation of governance is very right for poor
performance of PSEs. Weak governance and poor leader ship can never flourish PSEs. For poor
performance of PSEs the most lacking ingredients are general leadership and governance (John-Mary
(2005)).
In the next models it is tried to analyze that what is the effect of particular indicator of governance,
remaining all other indicators constant in this context we find that all the indicators are negatively
proportional to fiscal deficit of public sector

Voice and Accountability

Accountability is very important in any sector. Increased accountability in PSEs will improve the
performance of PSEs. Trivedi (2005) stated, Accountability and efficiency are the two 64 | J.
Glob. & Sci. Issues, Vol 1, Issue 2, (June 2013) ISSN 2307-6275

faces of same coin. Results of the study conducted show that voice and accountability is very
effective for the performance of PSEs. Voice and accountability has negative and significant relation
with fiscal deficit of public sector. It is found that one unit increase in voice and accountability leads
to 6.949833 units decrease in fiscal deficit of public sector. According to the study of Trivedi there
are two main reasons for what there is low accountability in the PSEs, one there are unclear
expectations from PSEs; every PSE has multiple goals and principals. So the mangers face diverse
problems. Second is Not me syndrome that is no one is ready to take the responsibility for what
had happened.
Increased voice and accountability can improve the situation. If PSEs would be accountable for
everything, they could be in very better situation today.

Political Stability and Absence of Violence

Political stability and absence of violence prove significant in influencing at PSEs, results show that
one unit increase in political stability and absence of violence will lead to 5.711054 units decrease in
fiscal deficit. High Political stability will decrease uncertainty and will increase saving in the state.
Right directional investment will increase the profit of PSEs, as Basu (2005) highlighted that wrong
guideline for investment is the key factor for poor performance of PSEs.

Government Effectiveness
Government effectiveness proved effective and significant in reducing fiscal deficit of public sector,
results showed that one unit increase in government effectiveness decrease fiscal deficit by 7.187894
units. As government failures limits the role of PSEs in the economy. Government failures lead to
management deficit because of which PSEs can suffer from technological short comings, which
would worse their performance. Also to overcome these short comes technology could be imported
through foreign aid or soft loans, can be filled by low and second grade machinery which would
make the performance of PSEs worst (Khan (2005)). As mentioned in theoretical backgrounds
indicate that government has monopolist power at PSEs, so all the rules, policies and changes in
them affect PSEs. High government effectiveness will prevent performance deficit of PSEs, which
could better their creditability so as their production and profit.

Regulatory Quality
Regulatory quality proved significant and most effective in reducing fiscal deficit, as indicated by the
results one unit increase in regulatory quality will decrease fiscal deficit by 7.855069 units. It is
found that high regulation leads to significant decrease in the fiscal deficit of public sector.
Government should provide regulatory environment for both public and private sector, it should be
clear that PSEs will never contribute in the development of state until unless regulator quality is
provided.

Rule of Law
Rule of law also has effect at public enterprises performance, while holding all others constant,
results indicated that one unit increase in rule of law will decrease 6.423561 units of fiscal deficit of
public sector.

Control of Corruption
Control of corruption is very important indicator of governance. High control of corruption improves
the allocation and quality of resources to PSEs, thus increasing the profit of PSEs. The results of the
study showed that Control of corruption is the second most effective 65 | J. Glob. & Sci.
Issues, Vol 1, Issue 2, (June 2013) ISSN 2307-6275
indicator of governance, results highlighted that one unit increase in control of corruption will
decrease fiscal deficit by 7.729350 units. It is not PSEs which are corrupted it is the authorities
operating PSEs. Corruption is the factor which leads to management failure, and management failure

is the catalyst for performance deficit of PSEs (John- Mary (2005)). Corruption increases the deficit
of PSEs by misallocating and decreasing the quality of resources. The fulfillment of technological
shorts comes by the lower standard machinery through corruption may results in the non-functioning
of the unit and hence great loss. As history indicates In the Philippines, a nuclear power plant
constructed at a cost of approximately $2 billion during the mid-eighties did not produce a single
KW of power, mainly due to sub-standard technological infrastructure acquired at inflated prices a
clear effect of corruption (Khan (2005)).

Good Governance Elements and Media and Civil

Societys role in improving governance
Eight Elements of Good Governance
Good governance has 8 major characteristics. It is participatory, consensus oriented, accountable,
transparent, responsive, effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive, and follows the rule of
law. Good governance is responsive to the present and future needs of the organization, exercises
prudence in policy-setting and decision-making, and that the best interests of all stakeholders are
taken into account.
1. Rule of Law
Good governance requires fair legal frameworks that are enforced by an impartial regulatory
body, for the full protection of stakeholders.
2. Transparency
Transparency means that information should be provided in easily understandable forms and
media; that it should be freely available and directly accessible to those who will be affected by
governance policies and practices, as well as the outcomes resulting therefrom; and that any
decisions taken and their enforcement are in compliance with established rules and regulations.
3. Responsiveness
Good governance requires that organizations and their processes are designed to serve the best
interests of stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe.
4. Consensus Oriented
Good governance requires consultation to understand the different interests of stakeholders in
order to reach a broad consensus of what is in the best interest of the entire stakeholder group
and how this can be achieved in a sustainable and prudent manner.
5. Equity and Inclusiveness
The organization that provides the opportunity for its stakeholders to maintain, enhance, or

generally improve their well-being provides the most compelling message regarding its reason
for existence and value to society.
6. Effectiveness and Efficiency
Good governance means that the processes implemented by the organization to produce
favorable results meet the needs of its stakeholders, while making the best use of resources
human, technological, financial, natural and environmental at its disposal.
7. Accountability
Accountability is a key tenet of good governance. Who is accountable for what should be
documented in policy statements. In general, an organization is accountable to those who will be
affected by its decisions or actions as well as the applicable rules of law.
8. Participation
Participation by both men and women, either directly or through legitimate representatives, is a
key cornerstone of good governance. Participation needs to be informed and organized, including
freedom of expression and assiduous concern for the best interests of the organization and
society in general.

Towards Improved Governance:

Good governance is an ideal which is difficult to achieve in its totality. Governance typically
involves well-intentioned people who bring their ideas, experiences, preferences and other
human strengths and shortcomings to the policy-making table. Good governance is achieved
through an on-going discourse that attempts to capture all of the considerations involved in
assuring that stakeholder interests are addressed and reflected in policy initiatives.

Role of Media in good Governance

The role of the media in promoting good governance is clear. All aspects of good governance are
facilitated by a strong and independent mediascape within a society. Only when journalists are
free to monitor, investigate and criticize the public administrations policies and actions can good
governance take hold. Independent media are like a beacon that should be welcomed when there
is nothing to hide and much to improve. Indeed, this is the concrete link between the functioning
of the media and good governance--the media allow for ongoing checks and assessments by the
population of the activities of government and assist in bringing public concerns and voices into
the open by providing a platform for discussion. Instead, all too often governments devise laws
and informal means of keeping their activities hidden from public view or only available to
media favorable to their viewpoint. In recent years, many governments have tried to co-opt
journalists by paying part of their salaries or by giving them certain kinds of access on condition

that they will not report from other perspectives. If the media are to function in the public
interest, governments have to protect the independent functioning of the media and allow various
viewpoints to flourish in society.
1. Participation
Greater participation is crucial for good governance in two ways: greater participation by citizens
in the decision-making process allows greater transparency and can help ensure that political
decisions are adapted to the needs of the people affected by them. Second, greater participation is
important for democratic legitimacy, which depends on the investment people have as citizens in
their own governing.
The role of independent and pluralistic media in fostering participation is critical as the media
report on aspects of the decision-making process and give stakeholders a voice in that process.
Freedom of the media allows for the formation of a public sphere in which a wide range of
debates can take place and a variety of viewpoints be represented. The citizenry can thereby use
the media to express their assent or dissent or explore aspects of issues not considered through
official channels. Government has a responsibility to allow the media to contribute to the
participation process, especially in arenas where face-to-face participation is not possible.
2. Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all human beings have certain basic
inherent, inalienable and unassailable rights to which they are entitled by birth. Guaranteeing
these rights to citizens is a precondition for a functioning democracy.
By reporting and denouncing cases of human rights violations, a free and open media can
increase awareness among citizens about their rights and act as a reliable source of information
on the basis of which civil society organizations and public authorities can work to bring down
the incidences of arbitrary abuse. However, many obstacles often face journalists investigating
cases of human rights violations: restrictive censorship, lack of fair access to official information,
heavy fines or even prison terms. Ensuring freedom of expression and press freedom should
therefore be regarded as a priority as they are rights that make it possible to advance and protect
other human rights.
3. The rule of law
The rule of law is implied in the existence of law and other judicial systems within societies and
is enshrined in the texts of the law itself. The rule of law can be understood both as a set of
practices which allow the law to perform a mediating role between various stakeholders in
society and as a normative standard invoked by members of society that demonstrate their assent

to this principle. The rule of law is fundamental to the stability and smooth functioning of
society. Only when the rule of law is respected can citizens have confidence in democratic
process over the long term and invest in the sustainable development of their society. When the
rule of law is not respected, arbitrariness and impunity dominate the political scene. The rule of
law depends heavily on the development of an independent and honest judiciary and the will of
any particular government to restrain itself and show respect before the law. The rule of law is
best seen not as the given state of affairs of any particular society but as an ideal requiring
constant instantiation and vigilance.
The media have a crucial function as the sector of society most able to promote vigilance
towards the rule of law, especially through fostering investigative journalism, promoting the
openness of court, legislative and administrative proceedings, access to officials and to public
documents. The government has a key role here in protecting the independence and pluralism of
the media, especially during critical moments of these processes.
4. Anti-corruption, Transparency and Accountability
Corruption is one of the hardest issues states have to face in the governance process. Corrupt
practices rob governments of the means to ensure the best life for their people, while many in
government may feel that exposure of corruption erodes their legitimacy. Journalists who
investigate corruption often face severe reprisals as corrupt officials threaten their place of work,
their families and their reputation. It is important for governments to take a firm stand against
corruption and to protect both whistle-blowers and the media that report on corrupt practices in
government. Legitimacy is only aided by a governance strategy that sees independent
investigative media as an ally and not as a threat.
A current issue in many governmental reform processes is transparency. As state bureaucracies
have grown into large, often opaque entities, practices of secrecy often cover the hidden
struggles and interests of particular sectors and civil servants beyond their stated missions. In
some cases, the social networks that link civil servants and the broader society lead to conflicts
of interest in the practice of governance that are hidden by the secrecy of administration. Greater
transparency in public administration allows for checks on these possible conflicts of interest and
ensures greater legitimacy for the government. An independent media that is guaranteed access
to public documents and to decision-making processes is able to bring possible conflicts of
interest to light and assist the government in maintaining clarity in the execution of its directives.
Positive expressions of an open relationship between the media and democratic governments
include judicial protections for the media, inculcated respect for freedom of expression and
access to information, support for national independent broadcasters and news agencies in the
public service and the lessening of punitive restrictions on journalistic activities.
Closely linked to the issue of transparency is accountability. Where transparency focuses on the

practices of public administration, accountability points to the responsibility for judging those
practices and their effectiveness by various entities, including the public. Accountability includes
a sense of moral accountability to the public with various kinds of sanctions guaranteed by the
rule of law. While most forms of state government include internal regimes of accountability,
accountability to the public is critical to the legitimating of a democratic society. In an
atmosphere in which the public is free to examine the transactions of the government and to hold
its representatives accountable for their actions, the public simultaneously takes responsibility for
the functioning of their government through this form of participation.
Access to Information
Ensuring wider access to information, through the enactment of freedom of information
legislation, ensures greater citizen participation in governance. This allows for maximum
verifiability of information and allows all stakeholders to come to the table equally on important
issues.
Governments should also explore ways to strengthen e-governance which provides media and
citizens with direct access to administrative information and decision-making processes.
Openness and transparency in the electoral process is also critical. Media coverage is a crucial
component of elections and it is of vital importance that journalists be trained to cover the
election campaigns and the elections themselves in a fair and impartial manner, giving equal
coverage to the viewpoints concerned.
6. Poverty reduction
The Millennium Declaration adopted at the Millennium Summit, New York, September 2000,
states as its first goal to reduce the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by one half by
the year 2015 with a view to eradicating poverty. The eradication of poverty is indeed today a
vital condition for global stability, democracy and peace. As long as the poor are excluded from
participation in global growth, sustainable peace and development will remain out of reach.
An open and free media can play an important role in the fight against poverty. Firstly, by on the
one hand increasing the accountability of both businesses and governments, and on the other
allowing citizens to make better informed decisions, it promotes and encourages good
governance, without which the battle against poverty cannot be won.
Secondly, by acting - as mentioned above - as a watchdog against corruption, it can help ensure
that greater importance be attached to development issues in the allocation of resources, while at
the same time strengthening the institutions responsible for promoting the overall development
of society.

Finally, it can contribute to combating the exclusion and marginalization of the poor. This is
important, for poverty is more than just a lack of resources; it is a lack of empowerment. Poor
people are generally unable to participate fully in society and earn a living. Simply providing
them with additional resources is therefore not enough to lift them from their deprivation. What
they need are increased capabilities. Only then can they gain control over their lives and learn
how to productively use whatever resources are available. Reducing poverty through achieving
sustainable development is thus the key objective of UNESCO programmes.
Providing the poor with access to the media is an important step in achieving this objective: by
supplying them with reliable information, it allows them to take well-informed decisions and
make better choices about their lives; it also gives them the opportunity to express their views
and have a say in the election of decision-makers, thus increasing the chances of a more efficient
allocation of resources. Finally, a free media can contribute to the empowerment of citizens
through educational programmes and public health programmes such as HIV/AIDS education
campaigns.
7. Governance of the media
If we affirm that independence and pluralism in the media are in fact preconditions for
democracy to flourish, it is possible for key elements in government to be committed to media
that do not simply repeat what they would like to hear. A positive relationship between the state
and media goes beyond pure laissez-faire to nourishing an independent and pluralistic
mediascape. A current issue in many countries is the monopolization of media by powerful
interests, whether private or public, which lessens the plurality of voices in the public sphere.
Perhaps the most important expression of an open relationship between media and the
government is the airing of unpopular viewpoints that may reflect tensions in the society. If the
mediascape is not open and pluralistic, these viewpoints may leave the democratic sphere and
foment violence.
Governance of the media also includes the dimension of governance among the different sectors
and interests present in the media themselves. The implementation of a legal and regulatory
environment that encourages freedom and pluralism in public information is often facilitated
when governments and professional associations have access to comparative examples of media
legislation, codes, and cooperation strategies for media development.
Associations dedicated to media accountability such as ombudsmen and press councils also have
a key role to play in the governance of media. One important role they play is in encouraging
discussion within the media sector about ethical practices and their professional responsibilities.
They can thereby strengthen the medias internal professional standards and increase public
confidence in the reliability of the information provided.
In countries with emerging independent mediascapes, professional media industry associations

can take the lead in assisting various media outlets to understand their role as independent media
and encourage them to find ways to be economically self-sustaining. This should include both
media as well as information services such as news agencies, community-based radio, web-based
distribution and media production networks. Considering the smaller number of women in the
media in most societies and the special situations they may face, professional associations should
actively encourage training for women and greater gender equity within the profession.
These associations should also promote training among media professionals and broad education
for those who wish to enter the profession. Such training should emphasize the values of
independence, professional ethics, gender equity and the role of media in democratic societies.
Such associations can sponsor debates that touch at the heart of the particular circumstances and
challenges confronting the media in particular societies, while opening up wider discussions
about the relationship between governance and media in the region and in the global context.

Role of Civil Society in Good Governance

Democracy is not a spectator sport (though politicians make a spectacle of themselves!)
We have representative parliamentary democracy leaving the decision-making to a small group
of elected representatives. This could result in government of the people becoming a
government off the people. Progressive marketisation of traditional government functions has
widened this gap. There is a gap between the not-so-efficient state and the profit-alone-matters
private sector which needs a third sector to bridge it. This is how civil society is seen today.
Core ingredients
Governance is the process by which a society manages itself through the mechanism of the state.
The core ingredients of good governance are:
Peoples effective participation, transparency, responsiveness, consensus orientation, equity and
inclusiveness, the rule of law, effectiveness and efficiency, accountability, and strategic vision.
These are crucially value-laden and constitute the bedrock of democracy.
Innumerable administrative reform commissions have produced no appreciable impact on the
quality of governance. The emphasis now is on facilitating external pressure from citizens on the
system to improve through the Right to Information Act, Consumer Protection Act, Citizens
Charters, Whistleblower protection, e-governance, Report Cards, Democratic Decentralisation,
Public Interest Litigation, etc.
Governance has three levels internal systems and procedures; cutting edge systems and
procedures; and check-and-balance systems

At level (a), civil society can influence policy and project formulation through membership of
committees, submission of memoranda directly or through elected representatives, and
interactive rule-making in the implementation of policies, projects and schemes affecting
citizens. The maximum day-to-day interaction between the government and the citizens takes
place and the popular image of governance is formed at level (b).
Interactions of civil society with level (c), infrequent but important, will be more of an exposure
of irregularities rather than steps for improvement in the quality of governance.
Functional contribution
Civil societys functional contribution to good governance could be:
* Watchdog against violation of human rights and governing deficiencies.
* Advocate of the weaker sections point of view.
* Agitator on behalf of aggrieved citizens.
* Educator of citizens on their rights, entitlements and responsibilities and the government
about the pulse of the people.
* Service provider to areas and people not reached by official efforts or as governments
agent.
* Mobiliser of public opinion for or against a programme or policy.
Civil society acts through social capital the capacity of people to act together willingly in
their common long-term interest. Social capital is strong in a homogeneous, egalitarian society.
Civil society as a whole is, therefore, unable to play its full potential role in enforcing good
governance in India except when extraordinary leadership overcomes narrow loyalties, or when
an issue is of common, major concern to all sections (like natural calamities). Smaller units of
governance and decentralisation of governance are, therefore, indispensable in India.
Individuals cannot take on the huge political-bureaucratic machine that the government is, nor
can the entire civil society act on behalf of every citizen. Civil society, therefore, has to operate
through compact, focused organisations based on strong social capital.
The Government of Indias National Policy on the Voluntary Sector, 2006 envisages encouraging
an independent, creative and effective voluntary sector. Support for NGOs, however, cannot be
blindly sentimental. The government has to assess their suitability, capability and experience, and
evaluate their performance continually.
Efforts to improve the quality of governance will fail if the quality and calibre of the political
executive is unsatisfactory. Civil society needs to note the deterioration in the quality, integrity

and commitment of the elected representatives and the criminalisation of politics. Voter
education, electoral reforms and periodical highlighting of the performance (or nonperformance ) of elected representatives are high priority items in civil societys agenda.
Democracy is not a spectator sport (though politicians make a spectacle of themselves!)
Parliamentary democracy becomes participative democracy only with civil societys active role.

PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION / HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CONCEPT, MEANING & IMPORTANCE OF ITS DEVELOPMENT:
Steps for Efficient Personnel management.
Personnel Administration is also popularly known as Human Resources Management.Just as
people of a country are its whole and sole the same way personnel ( employees) are for an
organisation to make it successful. However, manpower(raw labour/people who are able to do
work) itself does not contribute to the success/development of the organisation,it has to be
converted into human resources through systematic planning,adequate training and proper
education. Human resource is converted to human capital through adequate administration and
human resources are the most important and valuable asset and part of an organisation as over
time their value never depreciates,in fact it only increases with the passage of time unlike other
assets and resources of an organisation. Adequate usage of human resources/personnel
automatically ensures optimum utilisation of financial,physical and technological resources.
With the emergence of democratic institutions and the welfare state,government as well as
corporates' tasks are on a steep increase and so there is an increased demand for personnel at
every level in terms of efficient discharge of their duties,and it is the job of the Personnel
Administration department to assure that this demand is met at the right time with the suitable
candidates.
Personnel Administration does not have a standard definition but still there is unanimity among
writers on one that is as put by Flippo " Personnel function is concerned with the
procurement,development,compensation,integration and maintenance of the personnel and their
inter-relationships in an organisation for the purpose of contributing toward the accomplishment
of that organisation's major goals and objectives.
Thus,Personnel Administration deals with recruitment,placement,training,disciplinary
measures,curbing nepotism and favouritism,monetary and non-monetary incentives and
retirement benefits of the personnel within an organisation as well as handle the nature of
personnel relationships in the organisation as well as assisting the top management in negotiating
with labour unions. Personnel administration also includes all those activities and functions
relating to policy formulation,planning,policy implementation,social change and
modernisation,administrative reforms and public relations in an organisation.

Personnel Administration is affected by the socio-economic-political environment as well. For

example,in the era of welfare and developmental programmes,personnel/employees are now
expected to be more efficient,effective,sympathetic and competent. People's involvement in
administration is also increasing via NGOs,NPOs,Civil Society and other policies and
programmes of the government.
Personnel are to perform 'line' and 'staff' functions,line functions refer to those activities related
to the primary activity of the organisation and the staff functions are those which facilitate and
assist the performance of line work. Like staff perform the functions of processing and supplying
required number of personnel and training and development of personnel whereas those
personnel perform the field and executory works of the organisations goals and objectives.
It is not a simple area of management in today's times as Personnel management/administration
has to keep the motivation and morale of the personnel high every time for them to whole
heartedly perform the humongous tasks they have at hand efficiently and competently as well as
sympathetically.
Thus we can see that without an efficient personnel management/administration or more
popularly as it is called Human Resources management contributing to Human
Resources/Personnel Development, it is impossible to achieve organisational goals and become a
successful organisation.

EVOLUTION AND THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONNEL

ADMINISTRATION:
Though the concept and theory of Personnel Administration has its germination in the West,in
India the scene developed via motivation by governmental efforts and managerial preoccupation
with welfare concept and frustration with unsystematic recruitment practices,loss making Public
Service Undertakings,growing labour unrest,loss of production,etc. It led to establishments of
posts like Labour Welfare Officer/Personnel Officer in public as well as private organisations
that have evolved over time since the early 1930's.
Taylor's Scientific Management was the foundation stone for the development of this field
through his principle of scientific selection and systematic training and development of the
worker and Gantt later emphasised on it by adding that together with the above there was also a

need for obtaining the willing cooperation of the worker. The same was also emphasised by M.P
Follett.
The biggest watershed came with the advent of the Human Relations revolution which made the
study/theory of this field interdisciplinary by integrating sociology,psychology,industrial
psychology,social psychology,etc that brought in the approach of motivation and morale.
Also a lot of events led to its growth in the practical sense like the shortage of labour and labour
issues during the world wars,the Great Depression of 1930's warranted efficient personnel
administration for elimination of wastage and maximum utilisation of resources for maximum
benefit.
FUNCTIONS OF PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION / HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT1) MANPOWER PLANNING:
Before the process of Recruitment begins,Manpower Planning precedes it. Now first lets
understand what is Manpower Planning. Manpower planning as one of the functions of
Personnel Administration is of utmost importance.It is the process of assessment of an
organisation's requirements in terms of number of personnel needed for a job,job
definition/description,skills and specialisation it incorporates,duration for which the personnel is
required,nature of work,objectives of the job in line with the objectives and goals of the
organisation,etc. It is a sound manpower planning that gives adequate time for
recruitment,selection and training of such personnel,in short it lays down a full blueprint/chart of
processes to follow and the time period it should follow.

2) RECRUITMENT:
Once Manpower Planning is done,the process of recruitment begins. Recruitment is the process
that entails the search for prospective workers and stimulating them to apply for the jobs put up
by the personnel administration on behalf of the organisation. It is based on selection of the best
principle where a number applicants are invited for a single job opening and then the unwanted
are eliminated selecting the one for the job who suits all the prerequisites suitably. Recruitment
can make a break an organisation because even a brilliant training module cannot repair a faulty
recruitment. The recruitment process consists of attractive recruitment literature and
publicity,finding out target sector and people,usage of scientific tests for ability and aptitude
testing of prospective candidates,tapping right candidates from within the organisation as well as
outside as the requirement be(sometimes only one way or combined),placement of the right man
for the right job and effective probation period process and proper induction into the
organisation.

3) TRAINING:
Training is the continuous process of imparting and upgrading/developing professional
knowledge,broader vision,correct,ethical and novel patterns of behaviour,habits and
aptitudes,awareness of organisational as well as societal objectives,increasing morale and
motivation and the employee's potential contribution to the same. It is a ongoing process of
response to a need.
Types of Training:
There are two types of training - Formal and Informal.
a) Informal Training - Trial and error method is used and lessons are learnt from the mistakes
by employees. The success of this technique of training lies on the experience and seniority of
the senior officer and his/her interest in the new entrant.
b) Formal Training - It is the inculcation of administrative skills in the personnel through well
defined courses. Examples are - Pre entry training,orientation training,in-service
training,vocational training,etc.
Informal training helps in improving the quality of administration whereas formal training helps
in the broadening the faculty of the personnel.
Other methods of training can be the lecture method,case-study method,syndicate method (group
of individuals or organisations combined or making joint effort to undertake some specific
duty/transaction,in this case training purpose),etc.
Every organisation and system of personnel administration must pay immense and minute
attention to the training needs of employees of the organisation as it is the heart of the system.

4) CAREER ADVANCEMENT:
Career advancement as a function of personnel administration is concerned with the activities
that promote job growth or expansion of job roles/responsibilities.It is how an individual
/employee manages his/her career within the organisation(promotion,internal job postings,etc)

and between different organisations( shifting jobs,changing organisations for career growth and
development/advancement) as well as providing refinement of skills opportunities and
knowledge to the employees together with identifying options of growth for them. It is an
ongoing and dynamic process.
The Personnel Administration dept/Human Resources management dept has the responsibility to
encouraging and supporting in reviewing and re-assessing their goals and activities as well as to
provide valuable feedback and learning activities or resources and can contribute significantly
to the staff member's career development by supporting career development activities within the
department.
The support for career development via the Personnel/Human Resource dept.is important
because:

Current information about the organization and future trends helps employees create
more realistic career development goals .

Focus on skill development contributes to learning opportunities .

Opportunities for promotion and/or lateral moves contribute to the employee's career
satisfaction .

A greater sense of responsibility for managing one's own career contributes to selfconfidence

Career planning and development clarifies the match between organizational and
individual employee goals .

It's cost-effective to use the HRD(Human Resource dept./Personnel Administration) staff

talent to provide career development opportunities within your department .

Career development increases employee motivation and productivity

Attention to career development helps the HRD attract top staff and retain valued
employees

Supporting career development and growth of employees is mandated by the Philosophy

of Human Resources Management .

Career development can be supported by:

Referring to the Employee Development & Training catalog for the career development
course listings.

Annually, conduct an individual development plan and career discussion with employees
and require other supervisors in the concerned department to do the same.

Hold supervisors in the respective department accountable for supporting employee

development efforts.

Create programs and activities to provide skill development, such as job rotation, crosstraining, mentoring, internships, coaching, and career strategy groups.

Recognize that HRD's role includes providing support and/or release time for staff
members' development beyond their current jobs. Refer to the Education and
Development Leave policy and the Flextime Scheduling: Guidelines and Procedures
policy.

Support requests for alternate work schedules from staff members.

HRD should serve as a role model by participating in career and professional

development opportunities.

See staff members' applications for other positions as a healthy sign of a dynamic
workplace.

Support lateral moves within the organization.

Refer employees to the Staff Internship Program to explore opportunities to apply for
career development internships or self-initiate an internship in an area of special interest.

Create job vacancy listings that allow for the most diverse applicant pool while honoring
transferable skills.

Roles the department can play to attain the goal of career development/advancement of
employees:
COACH: Helps employees identify strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values by maintaining
open, effective communication and ongoing encouragement. Coaching can be improved by:

Encouraging two-way dialogue

Showing employees how to identify their skills, interests, and values

Scheduling uninterrupted career development discussions

ADVISOR: Provides organizational information, realities, and resources to employees. Can

improve advising by:

Helping employees develop realistic career goals based on HRD department's needs and
their individual development plans

Helping employees understand the current opportunities and limitations on the campus

Advising employees on the feasibility of various career options

APPRAISER: Evaluates employees' performance in an open, candid way and relates this to
potential opportunities. Can improve the appraisal skills by:

Providing frequent feedback in a way that fosters development

Conducting performance appraisals that define strengths, weaknesses, and career

development needs

Relating current performance to future potential in realistic ways

Using an individual development plan as a tool for continual feedback and development

REFERRAL AGENT: Helps employees meet their goals through contacts with people and
resources. You can improve your referral agent skills by:

Helping employees formulate development plans and consulting on strategies

Providing opportunities for experience, exposure, and visibility, such as committees and
task forces)

Using personal resources who HRD would know and what the dept. knows to create
opportunities

Assisting in seeking employees' placement lateral or vertical

5)
POSITION
CLASSIFICATION:
In Personnel administration position classification means grouping of various positions on the
basis of the commonality of responsibilities and duties. It started with the movement of equal pay

for equal work. It brings orderliness into the system and makes treatment uniform to people
irrespective of their caste,status,birth,age,gender,etc. It also is handy as a functional tool since it
makes clear even to the incumbent about his responsibilities and duties as well as hierarchical
systems
formally
associated
with
his/her
position.
A set of similar/identical positions and having identical qualifications,functional and salary
structure when put together form a 'class'. In India classes are further grouped into broader
occupational groups called 'services' like All India Service,Central and State Services.
The Grade system of position classification is used to denote all 'classes' of positions which
(though different in subject matter or kind of work) are sufficiently similar as to the level of
difficulty and responsibility and level of qualifications for the job like civil
engineer,accountant,geologist,etc.
Each position classification is placed under a 'class' and each class should be placed in the
appropriate
'Grade'.
Advantages
of
position
classification:
a)
Facilitates
Division
of
work.
b)
Removes
arbitrary
standards.
c)
Promotes
employee
equality
and
motivation.
d)
Ensures
effective
Manpower
planning
and
utilisation.
e)
Lays
down
uniform
work
standards.
f)
Speeds
up
recruitment
process
and
indicates
training
needs.
g)
Helps
in
maintaining
updated
personnel
records.
Disadvantages
of
position
classification:
a)
Introduces
element
of
rigidity
in
personnel
system.
b) Under it,it is difficult to shift an employee from one position to another in the interest of the
administration.
c) Tends to get stale rather soon and a lot of effort is needed to keep it up to date.
d)
Constant
pressure
from
employees
to
upgrade
their
positions.

6)
DISCIPLINE:
Discipline in simple terms can be stated as the force that prompts
individuals,organisations,nations,etc to observe rules and regulations and policies stipulated by

the above mentioned which are deemed necessary for the effective running of the same.
How
disciple
is
instilled
in
an
organisation:
a)Clearly stated rules,regulations, objectives and code of conduct of the organisation which are
constantly
updated
and
reviewed.
b)
No
discrimination
in
enforcing
the
above.
c)
Proper
communication
among
all
levels.
d) Strong disciplinary action so that indiscipline is not committed the second time.
e) Practices that breed indiscipline should be discouraged and prevented like favoritism,lack of
communication,lack of leadership,low morale and motivation among staff,irregularity and nonpunctuality.
Disciplinary actions to be taken and sequence of actions followed from trivial offences to
serious:
a)
Oral
warning
b)
Loss
of
entitlement/incentive
c)
Suspension
d)
Demotion
e)
Appointment
termination
f)
Dismissal

7)
PERFORMANCE
APPRAISAL:
A performance appraisal (PA) or performance evaluation is a systematic and periodic process
conducted by the human resource/personnel administration that assesses an individual
employees job performance and productivity in relation to certain pre-established criteria and
organizational objectives. It happens annually in most organisations. It also considers other
factors as well like behaviour,potential for future improvement,strengths and weaknesses,etc.
That is it looks into professional as well as personal accomplishments within the organisation but
the
focus
being
on
the
former
more.
It uses a number of techniques to do so like forms to fill in and rate the criteria mentioned on
it,one is done by the employee of himself and what he thinks of his management and the other is
filled in by the manager or superior officer of the concerned employee which then is followed by
an interview with the human resource/personnel administration and the higher management.
It
can
lead
to
promotions,higher
pay
and
job
responsibilities,etc.
It helps in establishing clear communication and also informs and updates both parties of factors

that can be improved upon,goal setting,performance improvement and determination of training

needs
of
the
employees.
The personnel administration should ensure a fair,transparent and just performance appraisal
system to get out the positive effects of it and promote morale and motivation by excluding
arbitrary
actions
of
higher
management.

8)
PROMOTION:
Promotion is derived from the Latin word meaning 'to move forward'. It can be a horizontal
(same level) promotion or vertical (higher position) promotion along with higher emoluments
and
responsibilities.
It is necessary for rewarding an employee for accomplishments and boosting morale and
motivation
and
retain
his/her
services.
It should be just,fair and equal for the true spirit and benefits of the same to be yielded for the
organisation.
The standard specifications should be made clear to all employees of the organisation setting
forth the duties,qualifications,merit factors and ways of determining the same should be clearly
outlined and specified beforehand so that there is no ambiguity regarding the same in any body's
mind.
Promotion as a process is required because from time to time there are vacancies that need to be
filled up in an organisation and the best are to be selected for the same from within. There are
few posts and many contenders therefore the personnel administration has to be very careful and
alert while carrying out the same as a bad promotion policy has major negative ramifications for
the
whole
organisation.
Principles
of
promotion
are:
a) Seniority principle - The employee having the maximum length of service should be
promoted once the senior officer retires/leaves. The merits are that it is easy to follow,promotes
equity,filters out nepotism and favouritism,reduces unhealthy rivalry. Its drawbacks are that it
does not necessarily select the best and most deserving,it leads to demoralisation of employees in
matters of work and initiatives because all they will be concerned about is maximising their
tenure
and
nothing
else,etc.
It has been agreed by many that for promotion to higher posts the principle of merit should be
followed,in promotion to secondary posts there should be merit first and secondary should be
seniority.and in promotion in lower level positions the principle of seniority works well because

higher

positions

need

qualities

more

than

age

to

be

carried

out.

b) Merit Principle: It is the opposite or counter view to the seniority principle and advocates the
technique of tests like aptitude and personality,etc and specific criteria to determine the best
candidate
for
promotion
amongst
the
respective
class/grade/service/rank,etc.
There are various methods used to determine merit which are Written exams,Direction of the
head of department(like the recent appointment of Cyrus Mistry as head of Tata group on the
methods prescribed by the owner Mr. Ratan Tata),Efficiency ratings like production/work
records and personality potential,etc. And the last is the interview method that brings out the
personal as well as professional characteristics of the person spontaneously in front of
distinguished
panelists.
For a sound promotion system there should be a sound and just promotion policy outlined and
clearly communicated to the employees and they should be provided with all the opportunities to
bring them on equal footing with the other contenders as well as there should be a promotion
grievance board setup with a representative if the head of organisation presiding over to hear
appeals
against
the
same.

9)
PAY
AND
SERVICE
CONDITIONS:
Pay is one of the mainsprings of motivation in a society and together with appropriate working
conditions it is the base of a sound organisational system and it's functioning.
A salary scale should be determined on the basis of the current and expected cost of living of an
individual and his family.There should be equal pay for equal work with no discrimination at all
in the same.The minimum wages benchmark should be religiously followed. Public and private
jobs should have less salary disparity as possible between each other as well as within their
respective same sectors. A sound and attractive incentive scheme to boost efficiency and
production.
SERVICE CONDITIONS Proper leave structure,holidays list and hours of
work,rest periods,staff welfare and office accommodation conditions,health care policy and
housing policy should be clearly defined and communicated to the employee. The hygiene
factors that affect the productivity of the employee like proper ventilation,lighting and noise
reduction premises as well as proper sanitation should be taken good care of. Drawbacks like
unnecessary documentation,complex policies and delay due to the same should be checked and
avoided for it to function properly and keep the employees charged.

There should also be a neutral and just board/system set up for grievance redressal regarding the
same in the organisation for the above process and function so that it is kept up to date and
relevant with the current needs and changing times and does not become redundant leading to
employee
dissatisfaction
and
attrition
at
times.

10)

EMPLOYER

EMPLOYEE

RELATIONS:

Employer employee relations can be amplified and made better through the following
mechanisms
that
are
already
being
followed:
A) Employee Unions: From private organisations right to civil servants there have always been
associations of all co-workers who come together for collective bargaining and negotiations on
their behalf where an individual voice could be drowned out. This is encouraged by the govt. as
well a employers in other organisations as it helps maintain that they have a concern for the
employees with a view for transparency and open communication and that team work and
relations are bettered leading to better quality of work and efficiency. As civil servants under the
civil services rules and regulations have been denied the right to strike and participate in political
activities given their sensitive positions and tremendous importance in the service of the
country,therefore this is the recourse they have taken to protect themselves and make the govt.
hear their grievances and solve the same. These associations have been recognised by the govt
officially under central Civil service(Recognition of service association) rules,1959.

B) Joint consultative machinery: It consists of representatives from both sides of parties,that

is,from the employer side as well as from the employees' side who sit across to get a means of
clear communication between the two and work towards a solution unitedly and in the benefit of
both. Staff councils at various ministries of govt,departmental councils in various
departments,etc are examples of the same. It is a voluntary machinery where on a particular
subject of disagreement the both parties sign a joint intent agreement and enter into a joint
discussion machinery mode. Sometimes the respective parties also form committees to study the
matter and advise them or arbitrate on their behalf if the final authority which is the cabinet
rejects the joint declaration and sends back for reconsideration. Most of the times the arbitration
is done by a Compulsory Arbitration Board consisting of three members where one is drawn
from a panel of five names submitted by the official side that is the parties concerned,second

from similar panel submitted by staff side of the National council(apex body of all joint councils
in all ministries and departments in the nation consisting of 85 members,25 of whom are
nominated by the govt. and rest by the staff of various associations/unions/federations,etc), and
the chairman is an independent,just and neutral candidate having no connection with anyone. All
of them are selected by the Ministry of Labour and the first board was set up in 1968. It
adjudicates in matter relating only to pay and allowance,weekly hours of work and leave of a
class or grade of employees. No individual cases are taken. Its guidelines are binding on both
parties for five years until repealed by parliament on grounds of national economy or social
justice.
C) Rights of public servants: Fundamental rights from article 14 to 32 listed under part 3 of the
Indian constitution, can refer to link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_Rights_in_India
D) Motivation and Morale: We have discussed this in the previous article on this blog with the
heading
"Administrative
Behaviour"
,
refer
to
link
:
http://publicadministrationtheone.blogspot.in/2012/07/process-techniques-of-decisionmaking.html

11)
GRIEVANCE
REDRESSAL
MECHANISM:
This topic has been discussed in a previous article of this blog (read Tribunals CAT and SAT,etc)
under
the
heading
"Administrative
Law"
,
refer
to
link
:
http://publicadministrationtheone.blogspot.in/2012/08/administrative-law-meaning-scopeand.html

12)
CODE
OF
CONDUCT:
A right code of conduct should be prescribed by organisations to put the employees/personnel on
the right track and get the goals of the organisation realised because if left to the employees to do
the same each one will have their own way of doing so and that will lead only to disharmony and
chaos.
Code
of
conduct
of
civil
servants:

a)
restrictions
on
political
activities.
b)
Political
neutrality.
c) Restrictions on relation with mass media,outsiders and indulging in criticism of government as
well
as
public
demonstrations
and
accepting
gifts/presents.
d) Restrictions on matter of private business/employment,property apart from government
sanctioned ones,and investments speculation that he is privy to that could cause him or any pvt
organisation
undue
benefit(like
stock
market
trading,etc).
e) No disclosure of Official documents/information to anyone not authorised to receive the same.
Any deviation from the above will invite strict disciplinary action which has been discussed
above
under
the
sub
title
of
"
Discipline".

13)
ADMINISTRATIVE
ETHICS:
Manipulation and lack of ethics lead to humongous negative effects and reduce efficiency in an
organisation. Therefore the enforcement and development of administrative ethics in public
servants in today's welfare state times as well as the sensitive position they occupy is of utmost
priority
and
urgency.
The essentials to ensure the practice of ethics in administration are:
a) Faith,determination towards pursuit of excellence of service in their professional activities via
methods
of
training
and
sensitisation.
b) Infusion of ethics into politics through trainings,etc so that it is passed on to their sub
ordinates
that
are
the
civil
servants.
c) Relations between citizens and personnel to create favourable opinion of society and people
towards
public
services
and
servants.
d) Need for character building in public servants through education,adult education and
functional
or
job
responsibility
literacy.
e)
Impartiality
should
be
practiced
and
encouraged.
f)
Political
neutrality
in
civil
servants.
g) Education of people and society regarding their rights the work of public servants and
redressal mechanisms available to the people against them and the government.

14) LEGAL FRAMEWORK TO CHECK EROSION OF ETHICS AND CORRUPTION:

a)
Prevention
of
Corruption
act
1947
and
1988.
Please
refer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevention_of_Corruption_Act,_1988 &
http://www.lawyersnjurists.com/resource/legal-documentations-litigations/laws-ofbangladesh/1943-1956/the-prevention-of-corruption-act-1947/

b) Civil Servants Conduct Rules like All India Service Conduct Rules 1954,Central Civil
Services Conduct Rules 1955,Railway services conduct rules 1956. Refer to:
http://vigilance.bsnl.co.in/Acts_and_Rules/CCS(Conduct)_Rules_1964_20.1.2006.pdf

c) Santhanam Committee . Refer: http://arc.gov.in/arc_12th_report/ARC_12thReport_Ch7.pdf

d) Central Vigilance Committee & State Vigilance Committee (already discussed in previous
articles)
,
refer
to
link
:
http://publicadministrationtheone.blogspot.in/2012/08/accountability-and-control-conceptsof.html

e)

Central

Bureau

Of

Investigation

refer

to

http://cbi.nic.in/history.php

f) Lok Pal and Lok Ayukta (discussed in previous articles) , refer to link :
http://publicadministrationtheone.blogspot.in/2012/08/accountability-and-control-conceptsof.html

For a clear and detailed understanding if the Administrative Reforms Commission and their
recommendations till date please refer : http://darpg.nic.in/ArticleContent.aspx?category=106

15)
RETIREMENT
:
Retirement as a function of Personnel Administration as well as from an organisational point of
view is extremely necessary as it helps increase efficiency of public services and organisations

by eliminating employees from services due to old age,infirmity,inability to perform duties

anymore,etc. It is essential to maintain the system of promotion as the employees have to retire at
a certain age and also this policy helps bring in new and fresh blood and ideas. A sound system
of pension and retirement benefits help attract and retain the best talents as they do not have to
worry about their future. The basic guidelines,rules and regulations of the same have been laid
down and prescribed by the state/govt. and updated from time to time and proper adherence is
mandatory

Ombudsman its, Appointment, Powers and Removal

1. Introduction
The concept of Mohtasib (Ombudsman) is an ancient Islamic concept and many
Islamic states had established the office of Mohtasib to ensure that no wrong or
injustice was done to the citizens. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) introduced
a system of accountability. He as well as his companions presented their public and
private life and conduct for accountability. Through this Ombudsman concept, an
institution of accountability was established and developed with the passage of
time. Now a days various western states have adopted concept of Ombudsman
including Norway, Denmark, Finland, New Zeland, England, India and Pakistan.

2. Meaning of Ombudsman

Ombudsman means;
An attorney or a delegate, agent, officer or commissioner.

3. Appointment of Ombudsman
Wafaqi Mohtasib is appointed by President of Pakistan.

4. Terms and conditions for appointment

Following are the important terms and conditions for appointment of Ombudsman

(i) Oath and Tenure

Before entering upon office, Wafaqi Mohtasib takes an oath before President of
Pakistan for a period of four years.

(ii) Removal for Office

The Ombudsman can be removed from the office on the ground of misconduct or
incapability of performance of duties of his office by reason of physical or mental
incapacity.

(iii) Re-appointment
Wafaqi Mohtasib is not eligible for any extension of tenure or for re-appointment as
Ombudsman under any circumstances.

(iv) Resignation
Ombudsman can send his written resignation to President of Pakistan.

(v) Salary and Allowances

The salary, allowances and privileges and other terms and conditions of services of
the Ombudsman are determined by the President.

(vi) Limitation
The Wafaqi Mohtasib cannot hold any office profit in the service of Pakistan or
occupy any other position carrying the right of remuneration for rendering of
services.

5. Jurisdiction of Ombudsman
The Ombudsman can assume jurisdiction on the complaint by an aggrieved person
or on a reference by the President, the Parliament or the motion of the Supreme
Court or Hight Court during the course of any proceedings before it. The
Ombudsman can under take any investigation into any allegation of
maladministration on the part of any agency or any of its officers or employees.

5.1. Circumstances,
Jurisdiction

in

which

Wafaqi

Mohtasib

cannot

exercise

his

In following circumstances, Ombudsman cannot exercise his jurisdiction

(a) Matters, which are sub Judice before court or Judicial Tribunal or Board
Ombudsman does not have any jurisdiction to investigate or inquire into those
matters, which are sub judice before a court of competent jurisdiction or judicial
tribunal or board in Pakistan on date or receipt of a complaint or reference or on
date of motion by him.

(b) Matters, which are about external affairs of Pakistan

Wafaqi Mohtasib does not have any jurisdiction to investigate or inquire into those
matters, which are about external affairs of Pakistan or relations or dealings of
Pakistan with any foreign state or government.

(c) Matters, which are about defense of Pakistan

Wafaqi Mohtasib does not have any jurisdiction to investigate or inquire those
matters, which are about defense of Pakistan or defense of any of its parts, and
which are about military, naval and air forces of Pakistan.

6. Powers of Ombudsman
(i) The Ombudsman has the same powers as are vested in a civil court in respect of
summoning and enforcement of attendance of any person and examination on oath,
compelling the production of documents, receiving evidence on affidavit and issuing
commission for the examination of witnesses.

(ii) The ombudsman or any member of the staff authorized in this behalf can enter
into any premises for the purposes of any inspection or investigation where he has
reason to believe that any article book of account or any other document relating to
the subject matter of inspection or investigation would be found.

(iii) The Wafaqi Mohtasib or his delegate could search premises inspect such article,
book of accounts or other document, take extracts or copies, impound or seal them
or make inventories of the same there from.

(iv) The Ombudsman can also constitute an inspection team for the purpose of any
of his function. He can establish standing or advisory committees with specified
jurisdiction for performance of such of his functions as are assigned to them from
time to time.

(v) The Wafaqi Mohtasib can also delegate, by order in writing such of his powers as
may specify in the order to any member of his staff or such delegate are required to
submit their reports to the ombudsman with their recommendations for appropriate
action.

(vi) The ombudsman can also refer the case of any person guilty of
maladministration to the concerned authority for appropriate, corrective or and
disciplinary action.

7. Role and Importance of Ombudsman

Following points reveal role and importance of Federal Ombudsman in providing
remedies to citizens against administrative actions;

(i) Root causes of corrupt Practices and Injustice

For ascertaining root causes of corrupt practices and injustice, Wafaqi Mohtasib
makes arrangements for studies or research. He also recommends appropriate
steps for their eradiction.

(ii) Institutionalization
accountability

of

system

for

enforcing

administrative

Wafaqi Mohtasib is to institutionalize a system for enforcing administrative

accountability. In this way, administrative actions are made accountable.

(iii) Investigation and Rectification of Maladministration

Ombudsman is to investigate and rectify maladministration. In this way,

maladministration is checked and citizens are provided remedies against
maladministration.

(iv) Awarding of Compensation

Ombudsman possesses power to award compensation to those citizens, who have
suffered loss or damages as a result of maladministration.

(v) Briding Gab between Administrators and Citizens

Ombudsman bridges gab between administrators and citizens. This role improves
friendly relations and atmosphere between them and paves a way for better
administration of public affairs by administrators and for better citizens
understanding of administration of public affairs.

(vi) Improvement of Administrative process and procedures

Ombudsman is to improve administrative process and procedures so as to check
misuse of administrative powers and to save citizens from misuse of administrative
powers.

(vii) Checking of Misuse of Discretionary Powers

Ombudsman plays an important role in checking misuse of discretionary powers.
And checking of discretionary powers saves people from negative effects of misuse
of discretionary powers.

Conclusion

To conclude that the office of ombudsman is an effective agency to tackle

administrative corruption and maladministration concerned with the diagnosis,
investigation, redress and rectification of any injustice done to a person through
maladministration of a federal Government Agency. In short institution of
ombudsman is public safety value against maladministration.

Administrative Accountability Problems

Reccomendations
This paper presents certain best practices from all the
three mechanisms that can be incorporated into
Pakistan's anti-corruption structure. Hong Kong, being
the most effective in controlling corruption undertook
certain measures that went a long way. For instance, to
begin with, the ICAC is headed by individuals with no
previous track of corruption. Appointments are made
by the State council on the recommendation of the
Premier. Secondly, the ICAC built up public
confidence and conveyed the message of zero tolerance
towards corruption by focusing on big cases like
extraditing and subsequently prosecuting several high
ranked former policemen. Thirdly, it focused on
educating the public on laws and adverse effects of
corruption. Fourthly, it also publicized cases involving
prosecution of citizens in petty corruption cases,
creating a deterrent environment and making
corruption a high-risk activity. India too is on its way to
reforming and restructuring its antic-orruption
mechanisms. It has implemented a robust anticorruption
law accompanied with an operationally and
functionally independent ACA with jurisdiction
extending to the Prime Minister. Not only the new laws
have made the appointment procedure stringent, but
have also granted the ACA (once established) the
power to prosecute any Government functionary
without obtaining the consent of any authority.
The Japanese system is focusing mainly on
implementation of disclosure of information in the
public institutions and citizens' involvement in
initiation of prosecutions. In light of the discussion of
Japan, Hong Kong, and India, certain reforms are
recommended for the NAB in Pakistan,

i. Incorporating provisions that ensure investigation

and prosecution of corrupt officials and politicians

without seeking any Government's permission
should also make a difference and would allow
impartial and across the board accountability
without any political control.
ii. Parallel jurisdictions ought to be withdrawn, and
all cases of corruption must be handled by a single
ACA.
iii. To be effective, the NAB has to have public
support for its effectiveness, and to gain that it has
to achieve convictions particularly in high profile
cases.
iv. It should educate the public on adverse effects of
corruption through extensive 'continuous' (at least
monthly) campaigning instead of scattered efforts.
v. Motivate the public to come forward with their
complaints and information when they notice
corrupt activities.
vi. Involve the public using social media and
smartphone technology (as used by Hong Kong
where an ICAC application was launched for
smartphone users).
vii. The right to information and whistleblower
protection laws should be implemented seriously.
viii. Convictions in political or public sector corruption
should be publicized regularly using social and
other media.

Challenge of accountability
ACCOUNTABILITY of and corruption by public officials may dominate the political discourse,
and rightly so, but rarely is this understood in its proper context. A trio of articles in this
newspaper yesterday provides a convenient sample of the scope and depth of the problem. To
begin with, the NAB chairman, Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, defended his organisation against
claims that some individuals are let off after returning less than the corruption proceeds that they
are accused of. The chairman explained the difference between voluntary return and plea
bargaining and denied that anyone investigated for or accused of corruption can return less than
the principal plus mark-up and still strike a deal with NAB. However, he did not dwell on the
details of which category of individuals is allowed or encouraged to make voluntary returns or
reach a plea bargain and whom NAB decides to bring the hammer down on. Discretion and its
misuse, then, remain a fundamental problem. Moreover, in some high-profile cases, the scams
can be multiple allowing the return of some money while failing to unearth the totality of
stolen wealth is just another way of allowing true accountability to fail.
In another case, senior bureaucrats are believed to be blocking, most likely in collusion with their
political bosses, the amendment to rules that would allow the FIA to register cases against the
uppermost tiers of bureaucrats, Grade 20-22 officers. The current conflict of interest is quite
clear: for the FIA to register a case against a senior bureaucrat, it must first seek the permission
of the Federal Anti-Corruption Committee, a body stuffed with senior bureaucrats. To be sure,
there are some safeguards needed when it comes to proceeding against senior officials, especially
given the vulnerability of bureaucrats to political pressure and petty rivalries that dominate the
executive. Yet, a system that effectively allows bureaucrats to work in collusion with politicians
to block the FIA from proceeding against senior bureaucrats is an unacceptable situation. It also
demonstrates why, despite a litany of allegations, senior bureaucrats somehow largely avoid
trouble with the FIA.
Finally, there is the case of the Balochistan chief minister, Abdul Malik Baloch, complaining to
the Benazir Income Support Programme chairperson, Marvi Memon, of corruption in the
disbursement of BISP funds. In effect, unscrupulous individuals are exploiting the poor literacy
of the target group of the BISP and taking advantage of their failure to understand automated
disbursements or how to navigate the lower tiers of bureaucracy. Yet, the problem is also a
failure of awareness-building and information dissemination. The Balochistan government, as
other provincial governments, and the BISP itself can develop and sustain more targeted
information campaigns that can discourage the exploitation of beneficiaries. The lesson is the
same in all three cases: better rules, stronger systems and more transparency alone will lead to
real accountability.

How are the auditor general of Pakistan appointed and removed and what are the
function and powers?
Appointed of auditor general
The auditor general is appointed by president. Before entering upon office the auditor
general shall make before the chief justice of Pakistan oath in the form of set out in the
third schedule. His term and condition of service, including the term of office is
determined by act of parliament and until so determined, by order of the president.
A person shall not be eligible for further appointment in the service of Pakistan before
the expiration of two years after he has cased to hold that office.
Removal of auditor general - He can be removed only in cases of physical or mental
incapacity or gross misconduct and not otherwise. He can be removed from office by
the president only on the recommendation of the supreme judicial council. (Art. 169).
Function and power of auditor general - The auditor general in relation to
(A). The account of the federation and of the provinces and
(B). The account of any authority or body established by the federation or a Province,
Perform such function and exercises such powers as determined by or under the act of
parliament and, until so determined, by order of the president. (Art. 169)
Power of auditor general to give direction as to account
The auditor general with the approval of the president gives the direction for the
maintenance of accounts of the federation and of the provinces in the manner
prescribed by