Managing and Delivering Public Service
The revered pioneer of political economics, Adam Smith (1804: 178), defines the difference between the public and private sector as follows;
‘Erecting and maintaining those public institutions and those public works, which though they may be in the highest degree advantageous to a great society, are of such a nature, that the profits could never repay their expenses to any individual or small number of individuals and which it cannot be expected, therefore, that any individual or small number of individuals would ever erect or maintain.’
That is to say that the private sector will not supply services to society unless there is a profit to be made in doing so, therefore it becomes the governments responsibility to step in and ensure that services such as civil defence and the administration of justice are in place to provide stable conditions for the private sector to prosper and thus bring greater quality of living standards to society in general.
With that in mind, successive Governments across the world have faced the dilemma over which services to provide and in what way is it best to fund, manage and deliver these services? It is a hotly contested issue and factors such as political ideology, the economic outlook, changes in social attitude, technological advances, legal constraints and environmental considerations all have to be taken in to account before political leaders can decide on the direction of public policy.
If we take the period from the end of the Second World War until the beginning of the 1980’s as a starting point for an analysis of Public Sector organisation, we can look back and see that the traditional system of organisation known as Public Administration was characterised by a belief that there was a separation between the political and administrative functions of government. In other words, it was seen to be the job of political leaders to formally control government policy and the job of the civil service to put these policies
‘Erecting and maintaining those public institutions and those public works, which though they may be in the highest degree advantageous to a great society, are of such a nature, that the profits could never repay their expenses to any individual or small number of individuals and which it cannot be expected, therefore, that any individual or small number of individuals would ever erect or maintain.’
That is to say that the private sector will not supply services to society unless there is a profit to be made in doing so, therefore it becomes the governments responsibility to step in and ensure that services such as civil defence and the administration of justice are in place to provide stable conditions for the private sector to prosper and thus bring greater quality of living standards to society in general.
With that in mind, successive Governments across the world have faced the dilemma over which services to provide and in what way is it best to fund, manage and deliver these services? It is a hotly contested issue and factors such as political ideology, the economic outlook, changes in social attitude, technological advances, legal constraints and environmental considerations all have to be taken in to account before political leaders can decide on the direction of public policy.
If we take the period from the end of the Second World War until the beginning of the 1980’s as a starting point for an analysis of Public Sector organisation, we can look back and see that the traditional system of organisation known as Public Administration was characterised by a belief that there was a separation between the political and administrative functions of government. In other words, it was seen to be the job of political leaders to formally control government policy and the job of the civil service to put these policies
Bibliography: Smith, A. (1804) ‘An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations’. 2nd ed. Lincoln and Gleason, P178. Taylor, F W. (1911) ‘Principles and Methods of Scientific Management’ New York: Harper Horton S., & Farnham D Peters T. & and Waterman, Jr. R H. (1982) ‘In Search of Excellence’ Harper & Row http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/whoweare/mission_and_values/, [Accessed : 26/11/12] Sachdev S. (2001) ‘Contracting culture: from CCT to PPPs The private provision of public services and its impact on employment relations. A report for UNISON.’ Kingston University, P5. Flynn N. (2007) ‘Pubic sector management. 5th ed.’ Sage Publications. P201. Hume C. & Wright C. (2006) ‘You Don’t Make a Pig Fatter by Weighing It Performance Management: The Experience of the Youth Justice Board. A report for CIPFA ’. The author’s journal compilation. NHS bill: Lords approve NHS reforms (2012) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17435159 [Accessed 26/11/12] Easton. M. (2011)‘Introducing Cameronism’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14115047 [Accessed: 26/11/12] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/8630945/David-Cameron-public-services-to-be-opened-up-to-competition.html# [Accessed: 26/11/12]