Comparative Public Administration

§     Comparative Public Administration:-

Comparative Public Administration (CPA) is a branch of Public Administration. Through CPA we learn about the administrative procedures which follow in various nations and then we can adopt those practices which can fit in our own nation.

§     Definitions of Comparative Public Administration

1)    CPA is a comparative study of diverse administrative system.

2)    CPA is a cross cultural and cross nation compression. It is a study of many administrative systems. Under the CPA the achievements and political systems of different countries are comparing.

3)    This analysis is made to learn in any specific country that how some specific plans was launch and how many people were benefited from it.

4)    CPA is the study of Public Administration of other countries in comparative form.

5)    CPA is an applied cross cultural and explanatory field of study that carries out cross cultural investigation to provide solutions to the management problems and to develop management techniques.

Cross Cultural means to interaction of people from different backgrounds in the business world.

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Local Government PDF

Local Government and Rural Government

Local Government is a Gross root Government which is very close to the Government. Local Government has a direct link to the people and everyday affairs.

Or

Local Government is the management and the administration of local problems/ affairs by the local people themselves or through the representatives at the local level.

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Government by the local people, for the local people, at the local level for solving the affairs of local people.

Local Government divides into
·         Union Council
·         District Council
·         Town Committee

·         City Government

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Limitations of Legislative Control :

Limitations of Legislative Control :

Though the general assembly lays down the overall policy of the govt. by enactment, change of laws, it's been determined that in follow this responsibility is shifted to the manager branch. The executives usually take initiative in politics during which civil servants play a decisive role. In majority of the cases even the bills of legislation originate from the manager branch and also the forms.

• The work of the executive branch has raised in volume and quality. The members of the parliament World Health Organization meet solely throughout the session don't have the required time and experience to regulate the increasing body work.

• Members of the Parliament typically don't possess the desired technical data of the assorted departments and thus cannot effectively criticize the operating of the department and their demands for grants.

• within the parliamentary type of government the executive officers don't seem to be directly accountable to the general assembly. they can not be known as before the House to provide rationalization of their official acts.

Though they'll be known as by the Committees of Parliament they're not obligated to answer personal criticism. it's the Minister World Health Organization shoulders the responsibility for the executive acts of his department. directors so ar solely indirectly accountable to the general assembly.

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The means of legislative control :

The opportunity to exercise management over the administration assumes many forms like queries, resolutions, Zero-Hour Discussions, Adjournment Motions, Vote of Censure, Budget and therefore the Parliamentary Committees. These varied suggests that square measure mentioned below.

The President’s Speech : Every new session of the parliament disclose with the speech of the President. The President in his speech spells out the broader policies and activities of executives within the foreseeing future. the primary four days of each session ar put aside for the overall discussion on the speech. The members of the parliament hold discussions on the Presidential speech that provide them the chance to criticize the manager action.

Discussion on Budget: The parliament once a year sanctions the funds for the expenditure of the chief. when the budget is given by the government minister within the Parliament the overall discussion on the budget takes place. within the method of enactment of the budget each department puts forth the stress for grants and for the approval of the Parliament. At this stage the members of Parliament get the chance to debate and judge the affairs of the administration of assorted departments. The members of the opposition can even move cut motions to specific their annoyance with the operating of the administration at this stage. therefore the discussion on the finance bill provides the members of Parliament a chance to debate the complete administration.

Question Hour :

It is a very powerful technique of legislative control over administration. During the session of the Parliament, every parliamentary day starts with the question hour. The first hour of the day is reserved for questions. The purpose of the question hour is to elicit information or clarification on the matters pertaining to public interest. The members of the Parliament address written questions to the government. On an average thirty questions are asked. If the members of parliament are not satisfied with the answers they can ask supplementary questions. In practice the actual purpose of the question hour is to draw public attention to the failure and abuse of authority by the government or to address the public grievances.

Adjournment Motions :

To draw the attention of the government to the questions of urgent nature and of public importance such as flood, earthquake etc. The device of adjournment motion is used. If the moving of adjournment motion is permitted by the presiding officer then the normal business of the House is suspended for the day and the immediate debate takes place. During the debate and the discussion on the adjournment motion the members of parliament get an opportunity to criticize the administration. Adjournment Motion is the tool of dayto- day control.

Censure Motion:

This means the Vote of No-Confidence. The members of the Parliament have the right to move the Vote of No-confidence in order to express the total disapproval of the policy of the government or the part of it. In case of an adverse vote the government has to resign.

Debates on the legislation:

The bill of law passes through various stages before the enactment. The various readings of the Bill provide an opportunity to the members of Parliament to criticize the entire policy underlying the bill.

Parliamentary committees:

The Parliamentary committees act as a tool of effective control over the administration. The financial committees of the Parliament such as Public Accounts Committee, Estimates Committee ‘and the Committee on Public Undertakings exercise detail and substantial control over the financial matters. The Committee on Assurances reports on as to what extent the assurances given by the ministers on the floor of the House are implemented in a specified time limit required for the purpose. Such enquiry makes ministers more responsible and careful and administration to take quick action on the given promises.

Audit :

The office of Comptroller and Auditor General audits all the government accounts to ensure that the money granted by the Parliament have been used for the stated purpose and the amount has not exceeded without sanction of the supplementary grant by the parliament and the expenditure confirms to the rules. The reports regarding the same are submitted by the CAG to the Parliament.

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THE LEGISLATIVE CONTROL OVER ADMINISTRATION

In India the legislature, the representative body of the people exercises control over the administration. The administration cannot act contrary to the guidelines laid down by the legislature. It lays down the broader policy of administration. The legislature not only defines the functions of the government but also provides the finance for its various programmes. The control over financial matters is exercised through the various committees established by the legislature. The administration cannot spend a single rupee without the sanction of legislature. The administration is expected to keep the accurate account of all financial transactions and submit the reports of such transactions to the legislature.

The legislature also deals with the matter related with public personnel. The manner of recruitment of the public personnel, their number, their duties and powers, their service conditions, rules of procedure, code of conduct etc. are determined by the legislature. The failure to adhere to those rules accounts for the disciplinary action against the administration. Further the public personnel are held responsible for their official acts. They are supposed to keep the proper records of their official acts and submit the reports to the legislature at least once a year, when called upon by the legislature giving a full account of their acts. The legislature may also conduct the special investigation or inquiry of the manner in which administrative affairs have been conducted. The legislature has the general power of direction, supervision and control over administration.

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Accountability of Public Administration;

Transparency and accountability are often talked about in the context of administration in general and civil services reforms in particular. Accountability of public administration implies that for every action and inaction in government and its consequences there is a civil servant responsible and accountable to the government, the society and the people. Political accountability implies an established legal framework based on the rule of law and independence of judiciary to protect human rights, secure social justice and guard against exploitation and abuse of power. On the other hand Bureaucratic accountability ensures a system to monitor and control the performance of government offices and officials in relation to quality of service, inefficiency and abuse of discretionary powers. The phenomenal increase in the functions of the government leads to the expansion in the powers and functions of public administration. Power in a democratic society needs to be controlled and greater the power, the greater is the need for the control as the grant of power carries with it the possibility of misuse of power. The major dilemma before the governments of the day is to vest the sufficient power to serve the purpose in the view, but at the same time to maintain adequate control. The need for effective control of administration thus is obvious.

Check your Progress:

• Explain the code of Ethics for public administrators.

• What is meant by accountability of public administration?

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ETHICS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:

The American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) has laid down the code of Ethics for Public Administrators.

1. The public servants should put the public interest above the self interest and subordinate institutional loyalties to the public good. They are committed to exercise discretionary authority to promote the public interest. Accordingly they should oppose all forms of discrimination and harassment, and promote affirmative action. They should recognize and support the public's right to know the public's business and involve citizens in policy decision-making. The public servants should encourage the people to participate actively in the affairs of the government.

2. It is the duty of the public servants to respect the Constitution and the Law that define responsibilities of public agencies, employees, and all citizens and promote constitutional principles of equality, fairness, representatives, responsiveness and due process in protecting citizens' rights. They should understand and apply legislation and regulations relevant to their professional role and eliminate unlawful discrimination. It is also expected that they should work to improve and change laws and policies that are counterproductive or obsolete. It is their responsibility to prevent all forms of mismanagement of public funds by establishing and maintaining strong fiscal and management controls, and by supporting audits and investigative activities.

3. The public servants are committed to perform their duties honestly and should not compromise them for advancement, honor, or personal gain. They should conduct official acts without favoritism and ensure that others receive credit for their work and contributions.

4. The public officials should make every effort to strengthen organizational capabilities to apply ethics, efficiency and effectiveness in serving the public. For the purpose the organizations should adopt distribute, and periodically review a code of ethics as a living document. They should work to enhance organizational capacity for open communication, creativity, and dedication. The organization should establish procedures that promote ethical behavior and hold individuals and organizations accountable for their conduct. The organizational accountability can be ‘ensured through appropriate controls and procedures. The organization also should promote merit principles that protect against arbitrary and capricious actions.

5. The public officials should strive for Professional Excellence. They should work hard to strengthen individual capabilities and encourage the professional development of others to upgrade competence. They should accept the responsibility to keep up to date on emerging issues and potential problems.

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ETHICS AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN GOVERNMENT

INTRODUCTION

Public administration as an activity which encompasses each and every aspect of human life. The explosion and spread of information and communication technology, the wide acceptance of democratic form of government and changing social norms enable the people to demand higher standards of ethics, transparency and accountability in the public sector. Ethical public service is considered as a prerequisite of well functioning democracy. Ethical, transparent and accountable public sector is also a precondition of good governance that ensures sustainable development and responsive public policy. It also helps to improve the performance of public sector by preventing systemic corruption.

The effectiveness of public administration depends on the understanding and cooperation between the citizens and public servants. The primary concern of the citizens in a good civil society is that their government must be fair and good. For a Government to be good it is essential that their systems and sub-systems of Governance are efficient, economical, ethical and equitable. In addition the governing process must also be just, reasonable, fair and citizen friendly. For these and other qualities and good governance, the administrative system must also be accountable and responsive, besides promoting transparency and people's participation.

There is a great deal of alienation between the people and the public service which undermines the legitimacy, effectiveness and credibility of public administration. To bridge this gap it is necessary to create confidence in the minds of the people towards the competence, fairness, honesty, impartiality and sincerity of the public services.

The manipulation and lack of ethics in administration not only reduces the effectiveness but also has several negative effects for the society as a whole. It leads to poor administration and mismanagement of human and material resources. Several rules, regulations and laws exist to ensure impartiality, honesty and devotion among the public servants. But still there remain a vast area of administrative activity which cannot be controlled by formal laws, procedures and methods. 'In such cases administrators are accountable only to their own conscience, their own sense of duty towards the social welfare. Along with that there is also a need to have an "ethics infrastructure" that not only provides guidance for good conduct but also administratively and legally punishes misconduct. The "ethics infrastructure" includes measures to enhance and preserve organizational integrity, access to information that promotes transparency and accountability and prevents misuse of power by public personnel. Decision-making by administrators must be based on fairness, transparency and accountability and a sense of the public interest, as well as the careful exercise of the legal authorities delegated by Parliament.

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