ASSIGNMENT Public Sector Management

Submitted By:

Maaz Zafar (As #72)

Submitted To:

Sir Athar Mansoor

Question: Suggest the reforms you will suggest in public sector in Pakistan. Also suggest how you can avoid the pitfalls in implementation experienced by Malaysia. Outline of the reforms introduced in Malaysia: 1. Malaysia Incorporated Policy 2. Downsizing the civil services

3. Service process reengineering: Mobile counters, rid bureaucratic practices, speed up approval process. 4. Personnel & financial management reforms: reorganization of salary structures and appraisal/evaluation system. Different packages for different performing individuals. 5. Clients Charter & public Accountability 6. Quality & productivity improvement drives: ISO certifications of government departments/bodies, benchmarking 7. IT culture & e-government

Reforms required in public sector of Pakistan To keep up to the pace of coeval world, Pakistan needs to reform its public sector. A paradigm shift in the attitude and behavior of public servants is the need of the hour. Various countries, who were once under the cloak of slavery, have successfully implemented these public sector reforms. Pakistan has much to learn from and emulate the experiences of these countries which have successfully tackled the global uncertainties. Based on the Japanese notion of (coordinated interdependence countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea represented a new way of approaching a task of national development whereby a new relationship between the public and private sector was conceived. The approach basically aimed at replacing the old concepts of public administration with the kernels of new public management. However, these models of public sector reforms should be adjusted by learning from their pitfalls and keeping in view the dynamics of our society. In Pakistan, the role and boundary of public service has to be refined and many promarket values like efficiency, cost effectiveness have to be adopted in the business of the government. This cautious reform will engender economic and political stability in the country. A careful perusal of the contemporary, available literature suggests the undertaking of following major reforms: Transformation in the mind state:

Even after the passage of 65 years, the bureaucracy in Pakistan still clings with the colonial mind set of power. The present system of globalization, however, requires that instead of being the rulers, the public servants should exert in the manner which their name implies. To promote such values the curriculum of civil services must contain ethics as a subject. Moreover, compulsory social service on yearly basis must become a part of evaluation of an officer. A pro-public and non partisan approach toward the affairs of public is the need of the hour. Over the years, ironically, the civil servants have brought a bad name for the service by acting in accordance with the whims of politicians. An active approach in clinging to lucrative posts has led to politicization of public sector. The bureaucrats have forgotten Quaids advice to them: The reason why I am meeting you is that I wanted to say a few words to you who are occupying very important positions in the administration of this province. The first thing that I want to tell you is that you should never be influenced by any political pressure, by any political party or any individual politician. If you want to raise the prestige and greatness of Pakistan you must not fall victim to any pressure but do your duty as servants of the people and the state, fearlessly and honestlyMay be some of you may fall victim for not satisfying the whims of ministers. I hope it does not happen, but you may even be put to trouble not because you are doing anything wrong but because you are doing right In order to depoliticize the public sector, the civil servants who used or still use the political influence in getting favors must be penalized under the civil servants conduct rules. A fixed tenure, ban on deputation and extension after service must be enforced. Structural changes: Despite passage of much time, the prime orientation of the public sector in pakistan has a restricted developmental role. There is a need for a civil service that can deliver more effectively and efficiently and a new system of recruitment and performance appraisal is to be implemented. The recruitment into the executive posts should remain under the ambit of federal public service commission but a system is needed where too much generalization is given away. Specialist from the private sector must also be attracted at various entry levels. The recruitment into the lower posts must be given to provincial service commissions, which

should conduct written test with the help of reputable agencies. No political pressure should be accepted in case of these reforms. Moreover, a gradual system of economic and educational reforms must be initiated on warfront to equate the under-privileged and downtrodden provinces at par with Punjab. This is necessary in order to replace the quota system, as envisaged in the constitution, with that of a purely merit based system. Taking a cue from Malaysia a matrix salary schedule should replace a linear salary scale. The MSS allows a greater degree of flexibility in the area of salary progression. Based on the employees performance the salary may move in any of the four directions; static, horizontal, vertical and diagonal. Dynamic and energetic performers will move diagonally and will enjoy double annual increments compared to that of average performers. On the other hand, the poor performers are not to be rewarded and they must not be given any salary increments for that particular year. A decentralized panel empowered to examine the performance appraisal be made and it should be given a mandate to decide on salary progressions of various officers. Trimming the public sector by amalgamating various departments can increase efficiency. Clear productivity hours must be maintained for each official in different government departments. Separate surveillance teams must be constituted to vouchsafe efficiency in reporting of these to higher echelons of power. Departments performing similar task like social welfare board and Benazir income support programme must be amalgamated .A clear vision and difference of purpose must be ensured before creation of a new department. Public accountability: Public accountability is seen as a foundation of responsible government. Therefore, no public sector reform can succeed without giving focus to it. A new dimension to public accountability can be added with the emulation of Malaysias enforcement of client charter. This client charter should be a written commitment made by government agencies pertaining to the delivery of outputs in consonance to the expectations of customs. This charter is to be implemented across the length and breadth of public sector and in case where an agency fails to comply with the quality standards stated in the charter, the public can lodge complaint for non-compliance. In this manner the public sector is made accountable to the customers.

Quality and productivity improvement drives: The contemporary global world demands an active participation of general populace in the affairs of government. Therefore, concerted efforts should be made to improve the delivery of public services. Like Malaysia, Pakistan must also adopt the notion of total quality management in the public sector. This notion aims at creating a culture where quality and productivity improvements will be seen as a way of life. Introduction of E-governance: The advancement in the field of information technology has harbingered the concept of introduction of e-governance. Computerization of land record and one window operations in all the offices of government must be carried out. Inter departmental co-ordination can also be enhanced by the use of e-governance. Public-Private partnership: The current dynamics of globalization suggest that the public and private sector act in a closed liaison. Only their strong collaboration will suggest a meaningful socio-economic development. Public sector organization must act in aid to fueling the growth of private sector. Instead of throwing state money to cronies, a clear criterion of government aid distribution may be given to private firms which are seeking such aid. An independent board , consisting of technical experts, must report to the government of the usefulness of such aid. Moreover a quarterly assessment report from the gains that the private companies accrued from such aid must be submitted to this independent panel of experts. Service process Re-engineering: A paradigm shift in redesigning of government process is essential in order to achieve dramatic improvements in service delivery. In the coeval environment, these cumbersome and intricate processes result in reduction of investment. The affluent local investors and the foreign investors dither from investing in a country where the public sector is a sloth. Various forms can be amalgamated in the form of a single form and can be uploaded on the internet. In the same manner an automatic renewal of the expired challans can be carried out. Attempts must also be made to reduce the interaction between officials and general public by virtue of automation of processes. This approach has well been adopted in the case of one window cell

where an automated system gives an application number to the applicant and time period for the desires action is stipulated. This reduces the nuisance value of an official.

Conclusion: A priori of the above discussion it can be inferred that Pakistan must initiate a process of reforms that takes into account the sense of public service coupled with that of increasing efficiency. A blind adherence to emulating any model of reform without taking into cognizance the social realties will be of no use. These comprehensive strategies, if followed, will lead to improvement in the service delivery and efficiency of public sector .