Types Of Administrative Reforms
Administrative reforms can vary in their sweep and depth. One way of classifying rei refer to their content. Generally the following types of Administrative Reforms can be and depth. One way of classifying reforms is to
- Structural Reform
- Procedural Reform
- Behavioural Reform
Structural Reform:
Most important component of every administrative organi hat effects division of work, delegation and decentralization in an organisation. Structural Reform refers to those reform proposals that centre around electing changes in the structure in order to improve it’s effectiveness and efficiency.
Procedural Reform:
In any organisation procedures tend to get institutionalised passage of time. For example, financial rules. personal policies. filing methods, etc. An organisation tends to stick on to the age-old procedures. ‘Procedural’ reform tends to a changes in the procedures in an attempt to avoid red tapism. For example, the staff inspection unit in India concentrates on effecting procedural reforms.
Behavioural Reforms:
All large organisations tend to develop a bureaucratic structure. Inherent in any bureaucracy is its impersonal character and lack of sufficient importance to the individuals. Dehumanisation of the individual leads to lack of motivation for the people manning the bureaucracy, which directly effects the quality of their service to the public. Behavioural Reform attempts to restore the dignity of the human being create an atmosphere of togetherness and promote group harmony thus directly effecting the motivation levels of the employee.
The different types of reforms as described above can be either considered separately or jointly, Needless to say if one has to reap the full benefits of reforms, then all the reforms have to be considered together.
Process of Administrative Reforms:
Administrative reforms is not a one shot activity. It is a continuous process that seeks to maintain a certain minimum standard of performance irrespective of the various kinds of changes in society.
Administrative Reforms being a process can be broken down into discrete phases.
Gerald Caiden has suggested the following process model for administrative reforms. According to Caiden Administrative Reforms include the following four distinctive phases:
- Awareness of the need for administrative change.
- Formulation of goals and objectives, strategy and tactics
- Implementation of reforms and
- Evaluation of reforms in terms of the reformers objectives.
Awareness of the need for administrative changes:
The first step in the process of Administrative reform is the proper identification and appreciation of the need for administrative change. The awareness of the need is usually identified when the demands of the clients increase and the administration is unable to cater to the same.
Formulation of goals and objectives:
Once awareness of administrative change is appreciated the diagnosis of the problems begins. One has to go deep into its causes and formulate concrete suggestions for remedial action. Goals and objectives of reforms are to be clearly stated and the strategy and tactics of implementing the reforms have to be worked out.
Implementation:
According to Caiden, reforms can be implemented through the political system, changes in the administrative rules and regulations, new legislations and changes in the attitude of the organization members.
Evaluation of Reforms:
Mere formulation and implementation of reforms does not end the process. The progress of implementation should be monitored and evaluated periodically. In the course of the implementation process many problems and professional obstacles are likely to arise. The organisation should sense these signals and make necessary adjustments to the original proposals. This presupposes a plan of implementation a plan of implementation in a phased manner. At each stage the expected result should be predetermined and as the implementation get’s going, the result should be compared with the accepted ones.
The basic obiective of Administrative reforms, as the term explicitly indicates, is to bring about improvement in administration. The concept rests on the assumption that there is always a better alternative to the status quo. Since change and growth are the two inner currents in life and resistance to change is a powerful counteracting force, conceiving better ways for improvement and means for overcoming resistance are the core of reform. Administrative reform thus is a deliberative and planned effort aimed at transforming administrative practices for attaining increased administrative effectiveness with the ultimate objective of improving the quality of human life.
Techniques Of Administrative Improvement
The basic purpose of Public Administration in any country is to provide services to the people and to achieve certain goals and objectives. However, the interests to be served and the goals to be accomplished by Public Administration are not static. They are dynamic and continuously change with the changes in the environment.
In such a changing environment, administration cannot afford to be static. It has to change according to the needs of he environment. For example, the role of Public Administration had to change from performing law and order functions in the 19th century to performing Welfare functions in the 20th century. Changes in the environment call for corresponding improvements in the Public Administration system. ”Administrative improvement’ is thus, the basic pre-requisite for Public Administration.
The basic methods of Administrative improvement are:
- Organisation and Methods (referred to as O & M)
- Work Study
- Work measurement
- Administrative Reforms.
Work Study
Many of the ills of Public Administration today stem from rigidity of attitudes, absence of review techniques, and inadequate appreciation of the factors that motivate man.
In Public Administration today, one can witness a lot of wastages arising out of undue delay in decision making, under-utilisation of skills and inadequate use of resources (time, equipment, men, money, material and space). In order to reach the cherished goal of efficiency coupled with economy, it is necessary that the government should initiate various methods to reduce the wastages that arise in the course the working of the system. “Work study” is one of the tools that enables public administration to review and modify its existing practices and reach the goal of efficiency
Work study is the application of detailed analysis of work to achieve higher productivity. Its objective is to discover, through systematic methods and a scientific approach, simpler, easier, more effective and more economical ways of work activity. According to Cemach, Work study comprises all systematic activities concerned with the investigation, recording, measurement and improvement of work.
Work study assignments comprises of two main elements: Method study and Work Measurement. Method study is undertaking to improve the how of doing work. In individual operations, processes, procedures and systems. Work measurements seeks to develop a relationship between the work and man power and achieve economy in staffing consistent with administrative efficiency.