v.

Closely associated with numerous private

What is Public Administration? groups and individuals in providing services
to the community.”
L.D WHITE (1955): “Public Administration consists of
all those operations having for their purpose, the What is Administration?
fulfilment or enforcement of public policy as declared
by competent authority” HERBERT A. SIMON: “In its broadest sense,
administration can be defined as the activities of
J.M PFIFFNER (1946): “Public administration consists of groups cooperating to accomplish common goals.”
getting the work of government done by co-ordination FELIX A. NIGRO: “Administration is the organization
the efforts of people so that they can work together to and use of men and materials to accomplish a
accomplish their set tasks”. purpose.”

WOODROW WILSON (1889): “Public Nature and Scope of Public Administration

Administration is detailed and systematic As an integral aspect of such generic concept, public
application of law”. Every particular application administration could be related to that type of
of law is an act of administration. administration, which operates within a specific
ecological setting. It is a means to carry out the policy
HERBERT SIMON (1957): “By public administration is decisions made by political executive.
meant in common usage, the activities of the Public administration is the non- political public
executive branch of the national, state and local bureaucracy operating in a political system; deals with
government” the ends of the State, the sovereign will, the public
interests and laws; is the business side of government
DWIGHT WALDO (1967): “Public administration is the
and as such concerned with policy execution, but it is
art and sentence of management as applied to the
also concerned with policy- making; covers all three
affairs of state”.
branches of government, although it tends to be
M. E. DIMOCK: “Public Administration is the fulfillment
concentrated in the executive branch; provides
or enforcement of public policy as declared by the regulatory and service functions to the people in order
competent authorities. It deals with the problems and to attain good life; differs significantly from private
powers of the organization and techniques of administration, especially in its emphasis on the public;
management involved in carrying out the laws and and is interdisciplinary in nature as it draws upon other
policies formulated by the policy-making agencies of social sciences like political science, economics and
government. Public administration is the law in action. sociology.
It is the executive side of a government.”
F.A. Nigro (1970): “Public Administration Public vs. Private Administration
i. Is a cooperative group effort in a public Public Administration focuses less on the government
setting; institution but more on whom it serves-the people. The
government for the public is aimed to deliver efficient
ii. Covers all the three branches – executive, and effective social provisions for the welfare of their
legislative and judicial, and their inter- constituents.
relationship; Private Administration denotes client/customer
centered activities carried usually by a business group
iii. Has an important role in the formulation of
providing specific goods or services upon exchange of
public policy and is thus part of the political
monetary currency.
process;

iv. Is different in significant ways from

private administration; and
Theories of Public Administration It is concerned with public policies and programs, their
formulation and implementation and the socio-
1. Classical Public Administration Theory cultural, economic, and political factors bearing on
them. It deals with the systematic study of institutions
This theory closely aligns with Woodrow Wilson’s
and processes and the interplay of factors involved in
public administration ideals. The Classical Public
authoritative decision- making on goals, in
Administration Theory prioritizes efficiency in
implementing them, and in achieving desired results.
organizational work, professionalization, a
pragmatic approach to bureaucracy, and merit- Structural Features
based promotions. The classical system includes a
strict definition of responsibilities and objectives There are several generally accepted organizational
and control over all involved functions. features common to all public bureaucracies.
Since the 1980s, the classical system has been
1) Hierarchical structure of authority;
rejected by governments in favor of a market-
based model of public organization. 2) Creation of sub-units based on
differentiation of functions or
2. New Public Management Theory
specialization;
In the 1980s, the New Public Management Theory
3) Recruitment and promotion based on
(NPM) was created to make the civil service more
merit and competence; and
efficient. To do so, it utilized private-sector
management models. Giving local agencies more 4) A system of rules and procedures to guide
freedom in how they delivered services to citizens, action in the organization
the theory experimented with using decentralized The traditional values have not been quite displaced
service delivery models. by the new norms, and they continue to influence to
Advocates of NPM look to replace the disciplinary, a great extent the behavior of government
academic, or moral emphasis of traditional public officials/employees and 'the general public
administration with a more “businesslike” perspective. Bureaucratic characteristic
3. Postmodern Public Administration Theory • While opinion may vary on what kind of
The Postmodern Public Administration Theory alludes behavior could be labeled as bureaucratic,
to the inner workings of every government entity, as one view is to emphasize "normal, desirable,
it’s linked to the capitalist model of the late 20th and functional traits associated with the
21st centuries. attainment of the objectives of bureaucratic
organizations." One author (Carl Friedrich)
Philippine Public Administration stressed traits such as objectivity, precision
and consistency, and discretion.
Public administration may be viewed to refer not only
to those activities involved in carrying out or in • Vicor Thompson, Fred Riggs, and Robert
implementing the policies and programs of the Merton highlighted dysfunctional behavioral
government but also the processes and contents of traits which develop from the rationalistic
these policies and programs. From an even broader orientation of the bureaucracy and the
perspective, public administration may refer to structural features designed to maintain it.
cooperative human action whether within the public For example, strict adherence to rules. And
bureaucracy, the private sector, or in non- regulations induces conservatism and
governmental organizations aimed at delivering extreme caution, even timidity, on the part of
services to the people. administrators.
In Philippine public administration, one has to speed up its administrative capability. Now, "public“ Is being
the process of getting permits and licenses or approvals interpreted to refer to "people"-public administration
of project proposals, appointment papers and customs is administration or delivery of services to the people.
release documents by personal follow-up or by
Evoking Further questions
contacting friends, relatives, military officers,
politicians, religious leaders and/or other influential First and foremost, for whom have the fields of public
persons. Or one has to give a bribe to secure prompt, administration been developed?
action on the papers.
Views on Graft and Corruption Has Philippine public administration been simply
reacting and following the lead of the international
- The first view which is generally followed in Western publicad ministration community?
countries is the public office centered definition. This
means that an action, a decision or a behavior is judged Or do we need to develop and design local and
using the norms or standards of the public office as a Philippine-based fields, or could these be
basis. As stated by Heidenheimer, the core ofthis incorporated into existing fields?
definition is "the concept of public office and the
norms binding on its incumbent." A good example would be another emerging field,
indigenous forms of governance?
- The second point of view which is dominant in
developing countries including the Philippines is the Bureaucracy (Max Weber)
public interest centered definition of graft and Exercise of power by the officials of the government in
corruption. This means that the public official's action, accordance with the instruction of those who wield
decision or be-havior is judged on the basis of whether sovereign power of the state (Baker cited by Brillantes
the power of authority is used to promote the public et.al., 1988).
interest or the personal gain of the public official.
According to Heidenheimer, this line of thinking uses Specific form of social organization, administrative in
the compatibility of an act with public interest as a nature which deals with the activities of a large
decisive element by which it could be judged as corrupt number of people like the family, social club or church
(Brillantes, et.al., 1988)
- It has been observed that public administration is
inevitably ethno- centric or culture-bound. The socio- An organization that is designed to accomplish a
cultural, economic and political setting in which multitude of functions which is impossible to achieve
public management operates has long been without the help of a large organization and its system
recognized as a major determinant of the patterns of (Bihasa, 2015).
administration that evolve. Similarly, the influence of
Sum, total of all administrative agencies of the land
the environment of public administration is an
(Brillantes cited by Bihasa, 2015).
increasingly strong determinant for changes in the
system. Consequently, in each country, the patterns Assets of Bureaucracy
of public administration that develop is in some
degree distinctive. 1. Information-essential to accomplish
objectives of the entire government
- More recently, there has been a re- examination. Of instrumentality.
the concept of "public“ in public administration. For a
long time, that has been interpreted to mean 2. Expertise- they are called technocrats, they
"governmental" and therefore teaching and research are individuals who because of their
efforts have been focused primarily on problems of technical expertise know how to run the
the public bureaucracy and on the issue of increasing government.
 3. Access-refers to the capacity of one to • Salaries of employees are rank
directly gather and possess sensitive and based
confidential information.
Characteristics of Bureaucracy Characteristics of Philippine Bureaucracy

WEBER’S BUREAUCRACY (MODES OF BUREAUCRATIC REFORMS

AUTHORITY)
• Privatization of some government
• Traditional Authority-legitimized power agencies
emanated from existing past and present
customs and tradition dominated by • Institutionalization of some legal
religious and social institutions. framework (COA, OMBUDSMAN,
Malacañang 8888 etc)
• Charismatic Authority-legitimized power
due to personal charm and emotional • Legislative enactments (R.A. 6713 or
appeal to the people which generates Ethics of government officials and
enthusiasm, loyalty and blind obedience. employees, 3019 or Graft and corrupt
They are the most unstable. practices act, 11032 or the ease of doing
business law, etc.)
• Legal-rational Authority-legitimized
power vested by a bureaucratic • Strengthening media relation
organization with policies of subjugation.
For Weber this is the pure or real type • Public Participation (Participative
Democracy)
form of authority.

WEBER’S BUREAUCRATIC PRINCIPLES • International intervention

• Chain of command BUREAUCRATIC STRUCTURE

• Department specialization and • Department – refers to an administrative

competence unit over which a secretary or minister
exercises direct management control.
• Impersonality of rules that govern
business transactions • Division – these are operating units of the
department or government which are
• Merit and fitness responsible to administer but with
• Adherence of rules to regulate considerable autonomy in practice. They
personal discretion are responsible for an aspect of the
organization’s work.
• Public Office is a public trust ethos
 • Non-Department Public body (QUANGO officers identified by the career
or Quasi-autonomous non- Executive Board.
governmental organizations)- Semi-
d. Permanent laborers, whether skilled,
independent from the government in an
semi-skilled or un-skilled.
attempt to provide management
flexibility and political independence. In e. Personnel of GOCC whether performing
the Philippines, they are the GOCC and governmental or proprietary functions
other regulatory body. who do not fall under the non-career, and
FUNCTIONS OF MODERN-DAY BUREAUCRACY f. Commissioned officers and enlisted
personnel of the AFP , which shall
1. Administering Services-They include
maintain a separate merit system.
implementation of public policy as well
as rule making power to some extent. Non-Career positions are characterized
by entrance on bases other than merit
2. Stabilizing-Focuses on continuity or and fitness and limited to a period as
stabilizing social environment. specified by law, or which is co-terminus
with that of the appointing authority or
3. Advising-source of policy information
those subjected to his pleasure, or
to guide legislators.
limited to a certain duration of a
4. Policy Regulating or licensing- particular project, including:
regulates services to promote and
a. Elective Officials, their personal and
protect the general welfare.
confidential staff
CATEGORY OF CIVIL SERVICE
b. Department heads and officials with
Career Service - positions that require merit and cabinet rank their personal and
fitness to be determined as far as practicable confidential staff
competitive examination on highly technical
c. Chairmen and members of the
qualification which includes:
Commission and boards with a fixed
a. Open Career positions – positions to term, their personal and confidential staff
which prior qualification in an appropriate
d. Contractual personnel with specific task
examination is required.
which in no case shall exceed one year
b. Closed Career positions-positions which
e. Emergency and Seasonal personnel
are scientific and highly technical in
nature these includes faculty members of POSITIONS EXEMPTED FROM TAKING EXAMINATION
SUC and LUC, scientific and technical 1. Policy determining
positions etc.
2. Highly technical office
c. Career Executive Service-such as
department secretaries, 3. Primary confidential
undersecretaries, bureau director and
assistant, regional director and other
IMPORTANCE OF BUREAUCRACY

- Based upon a well defined hierarchy

- Division of work and functional
specialization
- Functions within a framework of fixed
rules.
- Specifies the duties and
responsibilities of officials.
- Employs proper and scientific
selection of individuals
- Uses an impersonal approach in the
organization

Freedom Information Bill – not transparent

AUTHORITY – Bakit sinusunod ng mga tao ang

nasa government?

Mandanas Ruling – have devolution Traditional

Authority – Pope

Legal-rational authority –
“Appoitment,election…..”

Discretion – may kapangyarihan mag decide

Ministerial – ordinary