Governance Application in Public Administration

Governance Application in Public Administration

Introduction

Public administration is the process of the government applying its rules, regulations, and laws on the people that it serves. Public administration is done by statesmen or civil servants who help the government in implementing their policies at the community level. Acts 6:1-15 recounts how during the time of the disciples, there was a complaint from the widows, and as such, there was a necessity on the part of the disciples to appoint apostles from among the men who would assist in managing what could be now termed as public affairs.

For public administration to serve its objectives and achieve its goals, then all public administrators need to include governance in their day to day activities.  Governance is a vital aspect or quality that should be possessed by all leaders or governing body or team either politically or in an organization. Governance is the process of ensuring that all the systems put in place by the government or leadership of an organization are used for the good of the people. This paper aims at giving a clear overview of the importance of applying governance in leadership and its benefits.

The Relevance Applying Governance in Public Administration

Governance includes decision making processes that favor everyone in the society that results in the establishment of laws that enhance the prosperity of a community, an organization, or a nation. The benefit of having a leadership team that applies governance in its day to day activities leads to a lot of benefits for the people, the organization, and the nation (Newswander, 2012). According to Proverbs 27:23, A leader should be aware of the condition of his flocks as well as he should pay attention to his herd. Good leaders must possess statesmanship qualities and apply governance in their everyday activities.

According to a scholarly article done by Amsler on Collaborative Governance: Integrating Management, Politics, and Law. She states that the new type of governance in today’s world differs from the classical kind of governance, The difference between the modern and traditional model of governance is that the contemporary type uses a more collaborative form which involves every stakeholder in the society. The collaborative governance encourages the use of dialogue, negotiations, consensus, and deliberation in their decision-making process and running of their day to day activities (Shafritz &  Hyde, 2017). This type of governance involves all branches that make up the system, which results in a favorable decision for everyone and one that benefits the community as a whole.

The benefits of applying governance in public administration are to ensure that there are equality, transparency, and order in society. With governance in place, people are sure of leadership that will put their needs and concerns in mind, leaders who serve the public interest and not their own. This results in a more productive relationship between the people and the leaders, which leads to more prosperity in the community (Amsler, 2016). Exodus 18:22 states, Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of the fifties, and tens.

In the United States, the issue of one branch of the government making rules and regulations on their own was modified by Congress. The modification meant that the executive branch of the government could not make statutes and apply them to the people directly. The collaborative governance requires that the law made by that branch should be discussed and approved by Congress before it can be actualized on the citizens. During the term of President Obama, he passed an executive memorandum that promoted transparency, open government, and the subsequent open government initiative. Both the memorandum and the initiative urged for collaborative governance (Amsler and Foxworthy   2014). This type of action leads to an effective and efficient government that resulted in making a better America for everyone since the government worked as a unit.

Conclusion

Although some challenges might hamper governance due to the difference in people’s ideas, knowledge, and different frameworks, it is the best system of leadership that can be applied. With collaborative governance, it ensures equality over the board and ensures that everyone’s opinions and ideas count in decision making. With collaboration among all branches of the government and stakeholders, it results in a more flexible system that contributes to peace and order in society and reduces political disputes among the leaders.

References

Amsler, L. B. (2016). Collaborative Governance: Integrating Management, Politics, and Law. Public Administration Review, 76(5), 700–711. doi: 10.1111/puar.12605

Amsler, Lisa Blomgren, and   Susanna   Foxworthy.  (2014). Collaborative Governance and Collaborating Online: The Open Government Initiative in the United States. In Public Administration and the Modern State, edited by   Eberhard   Bohne,   John D.   Graham, and Jos C. N. Raadschelders,  189 – 202.  New York:  Palgrave Macmillan.

Newswander, C. B. (2012). Moral Leadership and Administrative Statesmanship: Safeguards of Democracy in the Constitutional Republic. Public Administration Review, 72(6), 866–874. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02588.x

Rosenbloom,  David H., and   Katherine C.   Naff. (2010).  The Status of Law in Contemporary Public Administration Literature, Education, and Practice. In  The Future of Public Administration Around the World: The Minnowbrook Perspective, edited by   Rosemary   O ‘ Leary,   David M.   Van Slyke, and   Soonhee   Kim,  211 – 20.  Washington, DC:  Georgetown University Press

Shafritz, J. M., &  Hyde, A. C. (2017). Classics of public administration.