Introduction

This course introduces the concept of Public Administration to learners. It is expected to flow into understanding the craft of Policy because Public Administration is key in the discharge of government duties and activities, as it relates to policy formulation, implementation, advancement of policy management, management of public programmes, as well as the analysis of the policies and programmes themselves.

While political leadership changes after a tenured period, Public Administration is expected to be stable for the continuity, effectiveness and efficiency of government programmes. Public Administration therefore constitutes government machinery in implementing policies that are formulated to solve public problems.

This course is aimed at exposing learners to the concept of Public Administration from the traditional point of view, epitomised by bureaucracy and the result-based, market-driven perspectives that scholars refer to as the New Public Management.

The module focuses on helping learners come to grasp the nature and performance of Public Administration; understanding the structure of government as linked to the Public and Civil Service; and highlighting the key functions and qualities needed to thrive at all levels of the executive arm of government. There is also an expository on the Nigerian Civil Service, the structure, characteristics, challenges, reforms and possible areas of improvement.

Like other disciplines, Public Administration is defined in various ways by different people for several reasons. According to S.B.M. Marume (2016), a broad view of Public Administration heralds two divergent views: an integral view – the sum of managerial, technical, manual, and clerical activities –, and a managerial view – encompassing only the managerial activities.

Public Administration follows from the generic concept of Administration, which can be defined as the organization and use of resources to accomplish outlined purposes. Woodrow Wilson (1887), notes that Public Administration is the most visible side of government. While the narrow disposition to Public Administration places it as applying only to the Executive arm of government, the wider stance taken by scholars places Public Administration as including all activities of the three arms of government – Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary.

The Legislature makes laws, the Executive applies the laws, and the Judiciary adjudicates. The Executive arm functions as the linkage between the other arms; the administration also falls within its purview.

Laws made by the Legislature pass on to the Executive, which utilises Public Administration to execute and implement (Adekunle Awotunde, lecture notes). For in-depth knowledge in these areas, the available library resources are referenced in the course presentation.

Public Administration and Public Management are often used interchangeably, the difference between both concepts lies in the root definition of Administration and Management. Public Management can be viewed as a sub-discipline of Public Administration, with a focus on conducting managerial activities in public organisations.

The New Public Management (NPM) refers to efforts channelled towards new effective ways and approaches to Public Administration and Management; due to limitations of the old ways in adjusting to modern business principles. NPM, according to Fakhrul Islam (2015), consists of inter-related components that include; the provision of effective services for citizens; increasing public managers’ freedom of execution; reward based on KPIs; availability of human and technological resources needed for efficient performance; and appreciating open-minded and healthy competition between the public and private sectors.

The NPM is viewed as an effective collaboration and partnership between the public and private sectors in the areas of knowledge sharing; resource sharing; value sharing; and a public sector leverage on the successes of the private sector for the good of the nation or general public.

Overall, the course covers the relevant knowledge needed to function in the Executive arm of government, as implementers of government policies and programs.

The major reference book in putting this course together is the Nigerian Civil Service Handbook, which is available in the reference library.

There are other reading materials available for a better understanding of the concepts discussed in the course.

M1:S1 - What is Public Administration?

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