ETHIOPIAN CIVIL SERVICE UNIVERSITY

INSTIUTE OF Public Management & DEVELOPMENT Studies

Ethiopian Public Administration, Governance and

Ethics MPM-5024

Unit 1: Introduction to Public Administration

Presenter: Melkamu Moshago

2016

Melkamu Moshago – African Institute of Governance and Development - 2016 1

 THE INSTITUTIONAL SETTING OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

State, Government and Society as a general setting

 Public administration operates in a given state, run by a government and serves a defined society.

 Society is a broad grouping of people who live in a common environment and have common
traditions, institutions, activities and interests.

 state refers to a set of institutions that possess the means of legitimate coercion, exercised over a
defined territory and its population or society.
 composed of people living together,

 a defined territory having an international recognition,

 a government which is responsible for the administration of its people and sovereignty .

 Government refers to the process of governing the exercise of power.

Society> state refers > Government

DIVISION OF POWERS OF GOVERNMENT

Powers of government are often divided into three sets:

1. legislature (whose role is to make the law);

2. The executive (sometimes referred the government) which is responsible

for implementing the law; and

3. The judiciary (responsible for applying and interpreting the law).

 THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS MACHINERIES
National states are organized in many ways. But In modern
States, there is
1. Executive Branch
 It is the branch of government that administers laws, and
implements the rules of the legislators.
 It includes the political apex such as:
the president in the USA,
Cabinet in the Great Britain and
Ministerial Council and other institutions under the supervision of Prime
Minister (who make up the government).
 is charged with the execution of the laws, foreign relations and
direction of military affairs, budget and personnel matters and the
general supervision of public Administration.
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
 functions through executive department like ministers, commissions,
agencies, authorities and other institutions etc.
 includes:
 political executives: those politically appointed ministers and
 the prime minister
 and non-political (administrative) executives (civil service): those
permanent public servants working in the bureaucracy
 2. THE LEGISLATIVE BODY

 In many countries, the legislature is the body whose primary role is to make laws based on the

country's constitution.

 This body is usually the parliament, which could be bicameral (two chambers) or unicameral (a single

chamber).

 The legislature is often the highest organ of power of the state.

Legitimacy/ህጋዊነት
 In a democratic political system, members of parliament are elected in a free and fair context through the secret

ballot. The members are often candidates of political parties or organizations, but individuals also compete for a

parliamentary seat.

 Those who win the majority of the seats in parliament become the government of the day; those who win the

minority usually become the opposition.

 There are parliaments made up of handpicked members by the heads of states or a ruling party. In this case, such

assemblies are criticized on grounds of legitimacy.

 2 THE LEGISLATIVE BODY CONT.
Parliamentary parties
 In any given life of a parliament there can be several parties.

 If two or more parties form a government, that is called a coalition government. Such parties
agree on the number of seats in cabinet and the head of government.

 The definition of a parliamentary party relates to the assembly or group of party members
elected to parliaments. Examples of the legislature include: -

 The House of Peoples Representatives of Ethiopia,

 U.S. Congress, and

 the British Parliament, etc.

 Elected Representatives in Democracy- whether members of a parliament, assembly, or

congress are there to serve the people they perform a number of roles essential to the
functioning of a healthy democracy.
 LEGISLATIVE BRANCH –ROLE
 The principal forum for deliberating, debating, and passing laws in a representative democracy

 Investigation of actions and decisions of government officials

 Approve national budgets

 Conduct hearings on pressing /ስብሰባ በመጥራት/issues, interest groups, political parties, general public (electorate),

etc

 Confirm executive appointees to courts and ministries.

 Legitimizingማውጣት government policy.

 Legislators may serve as a loyal political opposition that after alternative policies and programs

 Legislators must work within the democratic ethics of tolerance, respect, and compromise to each agreement

that will benefit the general welfare of all the people. Not just their political supporters.

 In a parliamentary government system, executive and legislative structures are so interlocked and policy

processes so fused/አለመነጣጣል/; that it is virtually impossible to differentiate their activities.

 This is because the majority party in the legislature forms the executive branch of the government, headed by

a prime minister.
 3. THE JUDICIARY
 Independent and professional judges are the foundation of a fair, impartial, and
constitutionally guarantees system of courts of law known as the judiciary.

 This independence mean judges can make lawful decisions not decisions based on
personal preferences.

 In democracies, independence from political pressures of elected officials and

legislatures guarantees the impartiality of judges.

 Judicial rulings should be impartial, based on the facts of a case, individual merits
and legal arguments, and relevant laws, without any restrictions these principles
ensure equal legal protection for all.

The power of judges to review public laws and declare them, in wish of the nation's
constitution serves as a fundamental check on potential government a base of
power…… even if the government is elected by a popular majority.
 REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

• Who are the three bodies of the government?

• How do you explain their roles, duties, responsibilities and

power relationship?
 TYPES, FORMS AND SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT

There are three major types of government. These are:

1. Monarchy (rule by one person) – is a type of government headed by a hereditary,
life long ruler. His power may be: Absolute; Limited by a constitution, or merely
symbolic. Example haileselase
2. Aristocracy (rule by an enlightened few) – is a type of government in a society
with rigid class distinction. Aristocracy represents the highest ranks and is largely
identical with nobility. Exampl derg

In some communities, certain groups (few people) develop a some what superior
standing by virtue of their ancestry, long time residence, wealth, contribution to
business and industry, professional status

3. Democracy(rule by all the people) – is a type of government with majority rule

(i.e. people rule, either by directly or indirectly electing their representatives to form
a government on their behalf) Exampl EPRDF
FORMS OF GOV’T
Unitary (Unitarism) Federation Confederation
(Federalism) (Con-federalism)

Better to handle central Responsibilities are Allows regional

Comparative
and streamline/ቀጥታፈሳሽ/ clearly demarcated diversity.
advantage
national issues and between national and
problem efficiently regional governments

Bureaucracy problems to With out the existence of Relative inability to

Comparative
meet demands in remote developed culture, execute national
disadvantage
areas. Difficult to problems may emanate policies without a
implement policies from ethnic, religion, central government
uniformly throughout the linguistic and economic
nation diversity.
DECENTRALIZATION UNDER THE FEDERAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT

 Decentralization refers to the transfer of legal, administrative, and political authority to make
decisions and mange public functions form the central government to different government agencies,
subordinate units of government semi autonomous public corporations, functional authorities,
autonomous local governments, or non-governmental organizations.

 Decentralization has been undertaken for:-

 Organizational effectiveness ( due relatively high levels of employee motivation and

productivity, smooth communication b/n various levels of organizational)

 Making public administration /more responsive to the citizens – (sensitive and responsive to
the needs and views of the citizens & whose personnel & programs represent their interests
&serves their needs).

 Promotion of national development ( facilitating national development by providing local

self-government for its villages and rural districts.
FORMS OF DECENTRALIZATION
 DECENTRALIZATION – SUMMERY
decentralization depends on the following three characteristics of the decisions made at
lower levels of the organization:
 Frequency of decisions – the greater the frequency of decisions made at lower levels of an
organization, the greater the degree of decentralization in that organization.
 Breadth of decision – the broader the scope of decisions made at lower levels of an organization,
the greater the degree of decentralization.
 Extent of control over Decisions – the extent of controls exercised over the decisions made at
lower levels of an organization is an important measure of the degree of decentralization. ubord
 E.g. An organization that permits a sales manager to approve customer credit up to Birr 10,000 is
much more decentralized, other things being equal, than the organization that permits approval by
the sales manager of only Birr 2000 credit.

 In conclusion, decentralization is the transfer of at least three things :

 power and authority,

 resources, and /financial human capital material/

 functions and responsibilities from higher levels of government to the lower units.
 CONCLUSION
Advantages of Decentralization
 Allows for more rapid decision making

 Allows for the development of professional managers

 Allows for the effective use of top- management resources

 Realizes the participative management process in the organization,

 Creates a competitive environment among the decentralized units

 Allows for improved controls and performance measurements

 Local needs and problems are best handled by local people who are familiar with the local

conditions.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
 Local government- is a part of government dealing with local matters concerning the residents of a
particular area.

 Local government undertakes its work through local councils and financed by a mix of local taxes.

 For example, local government administration in ‘Ethiopia includes: municipal administration,

Woreda administration, Zonal administration.

Local governments have the following functions to carry out

1. Rule making at the local level

 The most common rule making body at the local level is the elected boards or councils. These local
legislative bodies normally make rules (commonly referred to as ordinance- decree የመንግስት ትእዛዝ ,
regulation, order ) that apply to the local matters over which the central government has
delegated them the authority to rule.

 Eg. The tax base of local government is always limited; the demands of citizens for local government
response to their daily needs are not.

 Local communes constantly seek new sources of revenue to finance programs that higher levels of
government have assigned to their domain.
 LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONT .
2. Rule application at the local level
 There are great variations in how local rules are carried out and by whom.

 The chief executive at the local level may be a traditional chief entitled to his post by his place in the
kinship system.

 A manager elected by the people or by the rule-making council;

 a city manager hired by that council, or

 a civilian or military administrator appointed by the national government can lead local governments and
apply local rules.

3. Rule adjudicationመወሰን at the local level(negotiation )-arbitration

 No question of local government is more sensitive than the resolution of disputes. For example, when
crimes are committed, when reputationsዝና are degraded, or when contracts are violated, local governments
must resolve these.
SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT
 COMPARISON BETWEEN PARLIAMENTARY AND PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS
Issues Parliamentary System Presidential System
For the party instead of the individuals Members of legislature are not
Voting The candidate has no his own position beholder to their parties at all
rather it is the party’s position times.

More flexible (easy to pass laws) Relatively not flexible because

Efficiency because the government is composed to every party member may oppose
the majority seats. their parties proposal as regard to
pass laws.
The public is relatively assured to get Members of legislature may
Party what it had been promised cross party-lines after election
performance and vote with the opposition
party after promises had been
given to the public.

Stability More of unstable Relatively stable

Members of parliament wear two hats; There is strong basis for check
Separation of they are both legislatives and and balance on every level of
power executives, therefore, the power of each government.
branch is unchecked in each case.
 REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

• What is decentralization?
• What are the major forms of decentralization?
• Why has decentralization got much attention in this era of public
administration?
• What are the challenges of decentralization?
 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

1. Public administration in developed countries

Differences in terms of the following important features of administrative
systems. In developed countries,
1. The bureaucracy is marked by a high degree of specialization.
2. Recruitment of personnel is generally based on merits.
3. Laws and political decisions are largely rational. Public policy making is
effectively made by professional public administrators.
4. Administration has become to take all-encompassing functions that
affect major spheres of the lives of citizens.
5. There is high correlation (association) between political power and
legitimacy (legality) and there is an extensive popular interest and
involvement in public affairs.
6. Incumbents of political or governmental offices are generally considered
as lawful or reasonable holders of those positions, and transfer of power
and positions tend to occur in accordance with prescribed rules and
procedures.
 ROLES AND CHALLENGES OF PA IN DEVELOPED
COUNTRIE
1. viewed in their particular socio-economic and cultural context.
• For example, PA in developed societies is extremely affected by the development of modern science and technology, and
communication networks.

• Relative autonomy of institutions in developed countries has also its own (special) administrative
problems, reflected in terms of lack of coherence among numerous service and regulatory
organizations or agencies.

Generally, developed countries (especially in Europe) are typical examples of what is known as the
"administrative state"; and the bureaucracy in these states mainly perform three types of functions:

1. Regulatory and preventive functions, enforcing laws, collecting revenue, and protecting the state

against external aggression.

2. Service functions, providing services like education, health, culture and recreation, social insurance,

unemployment relief, housing, transportation, and communication.

3. Entrepreneurial (commercial) functions, operating industrial enterprises, loaning funds and so forth in

order to maintain or increase economic growth and development of their respective societies.
 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

General administrative patterns currently found in developing (third world) countries .

1. The basic pattern of public administration is imitative (copied) rather than indigenous (original). All developing

counties, tried to introduce some version or style of the bureaucratic model of administration from developed

countries,

2. The bureaucracies are deficient (lacking) in the requisite skills necessary for development programs. trained

administrators with management capacity, developmental skills, and technical proficiency are extremely in

shortfall

3. Emphasis to non-productive orientations is another tendency (trend) of the bureaucracies of these countries. Much

bureaucratic activity is channeled towards the realization of non-developmental goals. Thus, there is always a

surplus of employees in the public services,

4. Extensive (huge) discrepancy or disagreement between form and reality, which Riggs has called it "formalism",

-It mean bureaucrats pretend as if they make things they ought to be done while the reality tells different from

what they say.

 HOWEVER, ……..EXPECTATION FROM DEVELOPING GOV’T
 Regardless of the aforementioned limitations of the current administrative patterns of developing
countries, It is the state to bear or shoulder the principal responsibility of achieving
developmental goals.

 In other words, despite sever handicaps like shortage of capital, skilled manpower, and lack of
developmental infrastructure that they inherited from colonialists, the Third World governments
are confronted with rising expectations of the people they have to administer.

 Besides, Third World governments have been expected to deal with curtailing social
dislocations such as mass rural-urban migration, sever unemployment, riots (social unrest)
and community clashes.

 With such challenges and confrontations, public administration still becomes the main
agency of socio-economic changes; changes not only in terms of formulating and implementing
long-term plans, but also in the context of establishing modern institutions or organizations
equipped with the necessary skills.
 REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
 What are the strengths of developed countries’ public
administration?
 What are the drawbacks of developing countries’ public
administration?
 What lessons can developing countries learn from developed
countries in order to improve their public administration
system?
 How can these lessons be learned?
 ASSIGNMENT- TO BE PRESENTED IN THE CLASS
 Compare and contrast the different forms of government taking a
case study for each

 Characterize forms of decentralization( de-concentration, delegation,

devolution, divestment or privatization) taking cases study.

 Assessments of systems of government( presidential and

parliamentary) : taking a case study

 The Role Of The Three Body Of The Government In The

Constitution Development in developing and developed countries
take examples