26 th to 28 th october 2015 in makeni city. by alpha mattia administrative officer - slari topic:...
TRANSCRIPT
SLARI SENIOR STAFF RETREAT
26th TO 28th OCTOBER 2015
IN
MAKENI CITY
PRESENTATION
BY ALPHA MATTIA
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER - SLARI
TOPIC:
BEST ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES THAT CAN MAKE SLARI A BETTER WORKING
PLACE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Administrative Best Practices
Different people and organisations have put forward different Administrative Best Practices. For instance
The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) adopted the following as best Administrative practices:o Exercise of discretionary authority to promote public interesto Recognition and support to the public’s right to know the public
businesso Exercise of compassion, benevolence, fairness and optimism o Prevention of all forms of mismanagement of public funds by
establishing strong internal controls system. o Protection of Administrative principles of equality, fairness,
representativeness, responsiveness and due process in protecting employees’ rights. o Maintenance of truthfulness and honesty and not to compromise them for advancement, honour, or personal gain
o Guarding zealously against conflict of interest or its appearance: e.g. nepotism, improper outside employment, misuse of public resources or the acceptance of gifts.
o Establishment of procedures that promote ethical behaviour and hold individuals and organisations accountable for their conduct .
Legality and Rationality: An administrator will follow the law and rules that are framed to govern and guide various categories of policies and decisions.
An administrator would not hesitate to accept responsibility for his decision and actions.
Responsibility and Accountability:
An administrator would be committed to his duties and perform his work with involvement, intelligence and dexterity
Work Commitment:
As Swami Vivekananda observed: “Every duty is holy and devotion to duty is the highest form of worship.”
An administrator would ensure the highest standards of quality in administrative decisions and action and would not compromise with standards because of convenience or complacency.
Excellence:
James S. Bowman and others in their work “Public Administration Review “ put forward the following as guidelines for Best Practices in Public Administration
An administrator would respond effectively to the demands and challenges from the external as well as internal environment.
Responsiveness and Resilience:
An administrator would rationally bring about a fusion of individual, organizational and social goals.
Fusion:
Utilitarianism:While making and implementing policies and decisions, an administrator will ensure that these lead to the greatest good (happiness, benefits) of the greatest number. Compassion: An administrator, without violating the prescribed laws and rules, would demonstrate compassion for the poor, the disabled and the weak while using his discretion in making decisions.
National Interest: Though universalistic in orientation and liberal in outlook, a civil servant, while performing his duties, would keep in view the impact of his action on his nation’s strength and prestige.
Those responsible for formulation and execution of policies and decisions of governance would ensure that respect is shown to the principles of equality, equity, fairness, impartiality and objectivity
Justice:
An administrator will make decisions and implement them in a transparent manner so that those affected by the decisions will be able to understand the reasons behind such decisions.
Transparency:
An administrator would undertake an administrative action on the basis of honesty and not use his power, position and discretion to serve his personal interest and the illegitimate interests of other individuals or groups.
Integrity:
Linguistic rights
Generally all Administrative Procedures, Policies, Principles and actions should be geared towards ensuring effective and efficient service delivery while maintaining good relationship with stake holdersThe following could be regarded as some of the codes of practice (Best Practices) that can ensure the achievement of the above: Equality and non-discrimination
Proportionality principle Prevention of abuse of power Impartiality, independence and objectivity Clarity, counselling and legitimate expectations Courtesy and friendly treatment Obligation to expressly respond
Right to be listened to Reasonable time frame
Personal data protection Access to information, publication and transparency Right to redress Participation rights
Best Practices to guarantee Equality and Non-discrimination
Protection of victims of gender- based violence
Equality and non-discrimination
Objective and reasonable Justification for every action
Social Integration of persons with disability
Equal opportunity to participate in the selection process Compliance with legal issues
Affirmative action for objective discrimination in terms of gender Equal educational opportunity for both men and women
Proportionality Principle (Discretionary Powers)
Surveillance measures must be based on sufficient rational grounds
Best Practices to achieve the above are:
In the exercise of discretionary powers, the benefits or harms to the institution must be considered
In response to violence, the intensity of force must be appropriate
Prevention of Abuse of Powers
Best Practices in the exercise of powers:
Recruitment should be technical and not arbitrary
Authorities should be exercised within the framework of the constitution and other legal codes to avoid arbitrariness
Directly granted subsidies must be explained
Impartiality Independence and Objectivity
Best Practices in the exercise of Impartiality Independence and Objectivity are:
The terms of all agreements must be clearly written
Where there are established procedures for decision making, these procedures must be followed .
During the recruitment process objective criteria must be used Key performance indicators must be clearly defined to ensure objective measurement.
Clarity Counseling and Legitimate Expectations
Best Practices in the exercise of clarity counseling and legitimate Expectations are:
Employees must be informed about the legal and technical requirements of projects actions or requests they propose to conduct
Courtesy and Friendly TreatmentBest Practices in the exercise of courtesy and Friendly Treatment are:
Employees should be treated based on their particular circumstances
Inform employees about their rights, obligations and privileges in a simple and clear language
Respect for self and for others Accept legitimate fault and apologize Employees must be visibly and clearly identified Employees must have the level of training for the job to be
performed
Obligation to Expressly RespondBest Practices in the exercise of obligation to expressly respond are:
Act diligently in response to allegations
Linguistic Rights
Best Practices in the exercise of Linguistic Rights are:
Employees are required to have sufficient training in the official language
Right to be Listened to
Best Practices in the exercise of Right to be Listened to are: Employees and employers must respect each others right to be
listened to.
There should be written response to written suggestions, requests, proposals, complaints and request for information within the framework of administrative procedure
No one should be discriminated against on the bases of tribe
Reasonable Time FrameBest Practices in the exercise of Reasonable Time Frame are:
Regular review of Administrative processes to streamline Administrative procedures must be observed to minimize cost.
Personal Data Protection
Personal information about an employee must not be made available to a third party without the consent of the Employee.
Best Practices in the exercise of Personal Data Protection are:
Personal data that are no longer relevant must be archived
Right to Participate
Best Practices in the exercise of Right to Participate are: The administration should promote participation of persons in
decision making processes in subject areas that can affect them.
Established procedural time frame must be respected Any irrational disproportionate and unjustified delays must be
avoided where possible
Conclusion
If SLARI can successfully adopt some of the aforementioned codes of best Administrative practices that can best suit our situation, surely it will become a better place of work in the 21st century.
And hence may gain the opportunity to be nominated for the prestigious
UNITED NATION PUBLIC SERVICE AWARDS
The United Nations Public Service Awards are the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. They reward public institutions in countries around the world for their creative achievements and contributions to more effective and responsive public administration.
Organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social AffairsNomination for the 2015 Award is now open and the criteria for nomination is categorized as follows:
Improving the delivery of service
Fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanism
Promoting Whole-of-Government Approaches in the information age and Promoting gender responsive delivery of Public Service
End
Thank you for listening