PAS 16 : CHAPTER 1 (PART 2) Flashcards
Key Development Theories in Public
Administration
Classical Theory (Weber’s Bureaucracy)
New Public Management (NPM)
New Public Administration (NPA)
Dependency Theory
This emphasizes hierarchical structures, clear rules, and
merit-based promotion to achieve efficiency in government
operations, which can be applied to development projects by creating
well-organized systems for resource allocation and
implementation.
classical theory (weber’s bureaucracy)
This is a structured system that prioritizes formal procedures
over personal connections to ensure fair and consistent
application of policies across the board.
classical theory (weber’s bureaucracy)
key points of weber’s bureaucracy
Hierarchical structure:
A clear chain of command with authority flowing from higher levels to lower
levels, ensuring accountability.
Specialization of labor:
Each position has defined tasks and responsibilities, allowing for expertise
development within specific areas.
Formal rules and regulations:
Standardized procedures and written guidelines govern decision-making,
promoting consistency and predictability.
Impersonality:
Decisions are made based on objective criteria and not personal
relationships, preventing favoritism.
Merit-based recruitment:
Employees are selected based on their qualifications and competence, not
personal connections.
Written documentation:
All important decisions and actions are documented for transparency and
accountability.
How Weber’s Bureaucracy can be applied in Development?
Efficient service delivery:
By clearly defining roles and procedures, bureaucracies can streamline the
delivery of essential services like healthcare or education to citizens.
Combating corruption:
A system based on merit and formal rules can minimize opportunities for
bribery and nepotism.
Policy implementation:
Well-structured bureaucracies can effectively execute development plans
and monitor progress.
This focuses on market-based approaches, performance-based
accountability, and privatization to improve efficiency in public service
delivery, often advocating for competitive contracting in development
projects.
new public management (NPM)
This also refers to an approach that applies business management
principles and practices to public sector organizations, aiming to improve
efficiency, effectiveness, and service quality by adopting market-based
strategies and performance-oriented management techniques, essentially
treating citizens as “customers” and focusing on delivering better
services through competition and accountability within the public
sector.
new public management
Key aspects of NPM?
Performance-based management:
Emphasizing measurable outcomes and setting clear performance targets
for public agencies to track their success.
Market mechanisms:
Introducing competition within the public sector by creating quasi-markets
where different service providers can compete for contracts, similar to
private sector competition.
Decentralization:
Giving more autonomy to local agencies to manage their services and
budgets, allowing for flexibility and responsiveness to local needs.
Customer focus:
Viewing citizens as customers and prioritizing their satisfaction with public
services.
Privatization:
In some cases, transferring public services to private companies to benefit
from their management expertise.
How NPM impacts development
Improved service delivery:
By focusing on efficiency and performance, NPM can theoretically lead to
better quality public services delivered more effectively.
Increased accountability:
Performance-based management systems can hold public officials more
accountable for results.
Cost reduction:
NPM can potentially identify areas to cut costs within public agencies
through better resource allocation.
This prioritizes citizen participation, equity, and social justice in development
initiatives, advocating for community engagement and addressing diverse
needs within a society.
new public administration
This refers to a contemporary approach in governance aiming to improve
the effectiveness and relevance of public services in development by
moving away from traditional bureaucratic structures and incorporating
more flexible, decentralized methods like public engagement and
collaborative decision-making.
new public administration
This focuses on “doing development with people, not just for them.”
new public administration
Key Aspects of NPA
Citizen-centric focus:
Emphasis on actively involving citizens in policy-making processes through
public hearings, consultations, and community-based initiatives.
Decentralization:
Distributing power and decision-making authority to lower levels of
government, allowing for tailored solutions to local problems.
Accountability:
Establishing clear mechanisms to ensure government transparency and
responsiveness to citizen concerns.
Collaboration:
Promoting partnerships between government agencies, private sector, and
civil society organizations to tackle complex development challenges.
Performance-based management:
Utilizing metrics and indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of public
programs and services, encouraging continuous improvement.
Social equity:
Striving to address inequalities and ensure that development benefits all
segments of society, particularly marginalized groups.
How NPA impacts Development?
Improved service delivery:
By incorporating citizen feedback, governments can better tailor services to meet
community needs.
Enhanced legitimacy:
Active citizen participation builds trust in government institutions, leading to greater
compliance and cooperation.
Capacity building:
Decentralization empowers local communities to manage their own affairs, fostering local
leadership and development.
Innovation and adaptability:
A collaborative environment encourages creative solutions to emerging challenges.
This analyzes development challenges through a lens of global power dynamics, arguing that
peripheral nations are often dependent on developed countries and may face barriers to
development due to unequal economic relationships.
dependency theory
This dynamic is often attributed to historical colonial ties and the global capitalist system.
dependency theory
Key points about Dependency Theory
Core-Periphery Model:
The “Core-Periphery Model” in governance and development refers to a
theoretical framework that describes a spatial inequality where a dominant,
economically advanced “core” region exerts influence and power over a less
developed “periphery” region, leading to disparities in wealth, infrastructure,
and political representation between the two areas, often within a country or
even on a global scale; essentially, the core benefits from the periphery’s
resources while the periphery remains underdeveloped and dependent on
the core.
Unequal Trade:
“Unequal trade” in the context of governance and development refers to a
situation where international trade dynamics disproportionately benefit
wealthier nations, often at the expense of developing countries, leading to
wider gaps in economic development and exacerbating existing power
imbalances due to poor governance structures in less developed
nations; essentially, the rules and dynamics of global trade create an
uneven playing field that hinders the economic growth of poorer countries.
Political Influence:
Political Influence refers to the ability of entities, such as corporations or
organizations, to shape political decisions and outcomes through activities
like lobbying, campaign contributions, and strategic partnerships with
political figures.
How Dependency Theory impacts Governance and Development?
Focus on self-reliance:
Dependency theory advocates for policies that prioritize domestic production and reduce
reliance on foreign imports, promoting import substitution industrialization (ISI) strategies
to develop local industries.
Critique of foreign aid:
Dependency theorists often argue that foreign aid can perpetuate dependence by
reinforcing existing power imbalances and not addressing the root causes of
underdevelopment.
Emphasis on regional integration:
Some proponents suggest that developing countries can leverage collective bargaining
power through regional blocs to negotiate better trade terms with developed nations.
One of the early proponents of the theory, who highlighted the declining
terms of trade for Latin American countries exporting primary commodities.
Raul Prebisch
A prominent scholar who developed the “dependency on the metropolis”
concept, emphasizing the exploitation of peripheral countries by core
nations.
Andre Gunder Frank
defines governance as the system of values, institutions, and policies that a society uses to manage its affairs. It’s how a society makes and implements decisions, and how citizens and groups exercise their rights and obligations.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
