5 REASONS

PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
IS AN IMPORTANT
FIELD
Everyone from grade school onwards
learns about the three branches of
government, but the unsung workers
behind all government and policy are
the public administration professionals.
Without these individuals, the day-to-
day functions of government would
cease and innovation in policy would
slow to a crawl. For those interested in
the filed of public administration (PA),
here’s why professionals in the field are
essential.
1. Planning

Legislators are chiefly responsible for

bringing new laws and policies to their
system. Their administrators are the
professionals who handle the detailed
planning process before implementing
a new program.
For example, if a city council is
considering enacting a new community
service program through the city’s parks
department, it would be the task of
public administrators on staff to draft the
nitty-gritty plans to make that idea
happen.
2. Coordination

A lot is often made of the power of

inter-departmental cooperation.
Mayors’ offices tout the value working
closely with governers’ offices, and
local law enforcement working with
state and federal law enforcement,
and so on.
The reality behind inter-departmental
cooperation is communication between
each department’s respective public
administrators. Pas are the points of
contact between different policy-
affecting groups, so the success of such
partnerships are dependent on the skills
of the administrators.
3. Advisory Value

There are many levels of public

administration work. The field starts at
the most basic levels of public service,
such as in DMV offices, but it reaches
to the highest echelons of government.
Elected officials seek out policy experts
to act as their advisors, meaning that
public administration professionals
are often the people behind some of the
biggest decisions in public policy
enacted by government executives and
legislators.
For example, a career that starts at
the DMV can rise to the state
department of transportation, the
governor’s transit advisory committee,
and even the realm of federal transit
policy.
4. Efficiency and Sustainability

Because public administrators are the

people on the ground, so to speak,
they have the most in-depth
understanding of where waste and
inefficiency occur in a given
department.
Especially in tough economic times and
with a growing concern for
environmental responsibility,
administrators are the watchdogs who
identify and eliminate waste, corruption,
and unsustainable practices in
government offices and programs. It’s a
bottom-up responsibility that makes
government more efficient from within.
5. Non-Profit Viability

Public administration expertise isn’t just

limited to government work. Non-profit
organizations (NPO) that focus on
policy-related causes, need public
policy experts on staff who understand
how government works so they can
support those causes.
Public administrators in the non-profit
sphere are advisors to NPO
managers, and liaisons to government
officials, to make sure the
organization’s efforts work hand-in-
hand with legislators and executives.
Without PAs, non-profits would often
be stuck in an uphill battle against the
complexities of public policy.
Professionals in the field of public
administration are the workers who
make the government functional.
They are essential at all levels, from
the smallest local office, to the
highest halls of executive and
legislative power.