Meaning, Scope and Importance of Public Administration.

Meaning:

Public Administration refers to that part of administration, which pertains to the administrative activities of the government. Public administration is the detailed and systematic application of law. Every particular application of law is an act of administration.  Public administration consists of all those operations having for their purpose the fulfilment or enforcement of public policy.

Scope of Public Administration 

Public Administration embraces all the activities of the government. Hence as an activity the scope of public administration is no less than the scope of state activity. In the modern welfare state people expect many things – a wide variety of services and protection from the government. In this context public administration provides a number of welfare and social security services to the people, manages government owned industries and regulates private industries etc. Public administration covers every area and activity within the ambit public policy. 

Gullick defined scope of  public administration by word POSDCoRB which denote: Planning, Organisation, Staffing, Directing, Co-ordinating, Reporting and Budgeting. Planning means the working out in broad outline the things to be done, the methods to be adopted to accomplish the purpose. Organisation means the establishment of the formal structure of authority through which the work is sub-divided, arranged, defined and coordinated. Staffing means the recruitment and training of the personnel and their conditions of work. Directing means making decisions and issuing orders and instructions. Coordinating means inter-relating the work of various divisions, sections and other parts of the organisation. Reporting means informing the superiors within the agency to whom the executive is responsible about what is going on. Budgeting means fiscal planning, control and accounting. 

We all know that public administration deals not only with the processes but also with the substantive matters of administration, such as Defence, Law and Order, Education, Public Health, Agriculture, Public Works, Social Security, Justice, Welfare, etc. These services require not only POSDCoRB techniques but also have important specialised techniques of their own .

Importance

·        The governments today have to work towards the public interest. Therefore, it is foremost important objective of public administration is to efficiently deliver public services. Administration is looked at, in the social science perspective, as a cooperative and social activity. Hence the concern of academic inquiry would be to understand the impact of government policies and operations on society.

·        Public administration has a special status in the developing countries. Many of these countries, after independence from the colonial rule have stressed upon speedy socio economic development. Obviously, these countries have to relay on government for speedy development. The latter requires a public administration to be organized and effectively operated for increasing productivity quickly. Likewise, social welfare activities have to be effectively executed. 

·        Public administration, as witnessed holds a place of significance in the lives of people. It touches them at every step. For most of their needs, the citizens depend upon public administration. In view of the important role of public administration in the lives of people, the citizens of a country cannot ignore.

·        Public administration is an essential part of society and a dominant factor. Modern governments go a long way in formulating and adopting sound policies laws and regulations and their proper implementation required a good public administration

·        Public administration is a major force for bringing stability in society. It has been observed that though government often changes, but violent change is seldom experienced by administration. 

·        Public administration’s role as a change agent is particularly crucial in developing nations. It is expected of the state at present to work for accelerating socio-economic change and not to be a passive agency to maintain the status quo.  The present day government is expected to provide various services to its population. The increase in the number of functions undertaken by the government require highly specialized, professional and technical, services. Modern public administration usually represents a galaxy of all of a nation’s occupations. 

·        Emergence of welfare and democratic state has led to an increase in the activities of public administration compared to that of the laissez-faire state. The state has to now serve all sections of people in the society. This amount to enhanced responsibilities of public administration. Public administration is also to regulate and control private economic enterprises to meet the objectives of the state. 

It goes without saying that public administration is not only the operative but also the most obvious part of the government. It is government in action and occupies a significant place not merely as an instrument of governance but also as an important mechanism for preserving and promoting the welfare of community. It has substantive impact upon the life of the people. It is a vital process charged with implementation of pre-determined, welfare oriented, and developmental objectives.