Andaya, Medina, Navarro, Soriano
Reforming the Bureaucracy: Can Citizen Participate?
By: Ma. Oliva Z. Domingo
During 1986, EDSA People Power Revolution,
citizen serves as watchdogs for snap elections,
the group of men and women decided not to
disband but to go beyond electoral concern.
(CCAGG) the Concerned Citizens of Abra for
Good Governance – nongovernment organizations
(NGO) task
1) Monitors the performance of government
officials and instrumentalities.
2) Organizing communities to help citizenship
building.
3) Linking with other organizations to put
people’s interests in the public agenda.
4) Popularizing issues to help form public opinion.
1987,the Philippine government implemented
CEDP Community Employment and Development
Program – Monitored by CCAGG nongovernment
organizations (NGO) program allotted funds for
small projects to communities in order to
augment their income. It organized project
beneficiaries and transferred the monitoring
technology to them. It also partnered with
media to disseminate information on the
projects.
*the result, it received positive feedback from
the people and yet they don’t have any idea of
such projects for their welfare.
Main Argument: Addressing the issue of citizens
participations in civil service reform and
Trends and Issues in Public Administration
innovation. Should they? Can they effectively
perform this role?
DEMOCRACY AND PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
Sovereignty resides in the citizens and all power
emanates from them.
 (Demos) – citizen or people exercise their
power through direct democracy,
 (Kratia) - Gathering in the forum to
actively express their position on issues
concerning them and ruled on these.
But democracy veered thru”DELEGATIVE
DEMOCRACY” – delegated authority to elected
and appointed officials and employees to run the
affairs of the state. (Held, 1998)
 Traditional Public Administration –
focused on the efficient and effective
allocation and use of human, financial, and
other resources of government (Domingo,
2005, p.21)
Merit-based civil service system – Impartial
guardian of public interest and symbol of
stability.
 Public Management a.k.a. “New
Managerialism” or simply “Managerialism”-
rules and rigid procedures were anathema
to this model, which adopted business
practices to improve efficiency and
service quality.
Andaya, Medina, Navarro, Soriano Trends and Issues in Public Administration

o The art and science applicable to both

the public and private sector. Provision of
goods and services recognized the role of
alternative delivery mechanism and
process.

 “Personnel Administration” vs. “Human Resource Management (HRM)” - signifying the growing
influence of the personnel function.

Public Management Traditional Public Administration

 One-size-fits-all approach of the
traditional civil service
 Anti- bureaucracy philosophy – no answer
to efficiency but more rules and
regulations, which often result in more
inefficiency.
 Distinct in important aspects from its
private sector counterpart.
 HRM in public sector is treated almost
like its private counterpart, including
employment of professional managers.

 New Public Management – Collectivity of country’s affairs at all levels (UNDP,

innovations oriented toward achieving 1997a, pp. 2-3).
efficiency in the public sector by applying  Management of development.
competition, as PRIVATE SECTOR, and
Governance encompasses all institutions,
customers with needs and demands to be
processes, and mechanisms that societies use to
satisfied of CITIZENS.
allocate power, distribute resources, and
It combines insights from economics respond to human development concerns.
theories of institutions and public choice
THREE SECTORS
theories with practical lessons from business
management that conform to these theories.  State – creates the political and legal
environment conductive for development.
 Governance – more responsive to the
 Business – generates jobs and income.
needs and demands of citizens and
 Civil Society – facilitates political and
stakeholders for quality goods and
social integration by mobilizing and
services. Attaining a just, peaceful, and
empowering people to participate in
prosperous society. Articulating and
economic, social, and political activities.
making decisions in the public interest
(Cariño, 2003; Plumptre & Graham, 2000).

 The exercise of political, economic, and

administrative authority to manage a
Andaya, Medina, Navarro, Soriano Trends and Issues in Public Administration

Traditional Public Management/ NPM Governance

Guiding o rules o Business efficiency  Accountability,
principles and performance participation, and
equity
Key attributes o Impartiality o Professionalism  responsiveness
State- o Obedience o Entitlement  empowerment
citizenship
Direction of o Government o Customer or client.  Citizens and
accountability leaders and stakeholders
of senior politicians.
officials
Criteria for o Contrast to o Contrast to  Process is very
success output outcome important

“GOVERNANCE VS. GOVERNMENT” the people, and by the people”, the link
between decision makers and citizens.
Governance – merit in highlighting the essential
 Citizens’ participation promotes
role that government and its institutions must
transparency, accountability, and equity,
assume in bringing the future that citizens-
the guiding principles of responsive
just, humane, prosperous society and well-
governance.
performing society.
Citizens participate in public affairs- the
Government – strengthen the capacity for
notion of citizenship has emphasized legal, civil,
policymaking and service delivery.
and political rights, but eclipsed social rights.
Public Servants – backbone of implementation of
Social Rights contributes to the sentiment of
programs and services, and sources of ideas.
solidarity- the sense of belongingness to a
“Knowledge workers”.
community and shared heritage – as well as to
CITIZENSHIP AND PUBLIC SECTOR effective participation as a member of the
REFROMS community.

Importance of citizens – not only consumers of Concept of citizenship

public goods and services but claims holders and
1. Belongingness or participation.
bearers of rights in a democracy, (bearers
bound by corresponding obligations). Define what 2. Empowerment and vice versa.
the public interest is and has a greater voice in
decisions affecting their interest.

 State and government in a democracy –

ideally conceived as “for the people, of
Andaya, Medina, Navarro, Soriano Trends and Issues in Public Administration

Citizenship Participation Empowerment

• Entitlements • Fulfilling obligations • Capacity to influence
• Obligations • Greater sense of control; • Experience of
• Belongingness esteem participation

Fives Step Process in Enhancing Citizen Participation in Reforming the Bureaucracy

Connecting Communicating Nurturing Partnering Experiencing

Accessible, timely Information on Organizing citizen Joint programs. Decentralizing

service, extending government services groups. structure.
delivery networks. and access.

Treating citizen well. Information on policy Biulding capacity, Culture of openess. Setting the regulatory
changes and mentoring. framework for citizen
participation. participation.

Simplifying Competencies in Providing support Policy changes.

procedure. customer relation. services.

Measuring citizen
satisfaction.