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