PUBLIC SERVICE VALUESPUBLIC SERVICE VALUES

The “Swivel Service”?The “Swivel Service”?January 24January 24thth 2006 2006

Political-Bureaucratic Conflict – Political-Bureaucratic Conflict – Potential SourcesPotential Sources

personalpersonal ideologicalideological

– bureaucracy developed under one partisan gov’t facing new governmentbureaucracy developed under one partisan gov’t facing new government territorialterritorial

– e.g. defending bureaucratic turf against political intrusione.g. defending bureaucratic turf against political intrusion– defending bureaucratic expansionism (esp. budgets) against retrenchmentdefending bureaucratic expansionism (esp. budgets) against retrenchment

bureaucrats as “budget-maximizers”bureaucrats as “budget-maximizers” innovation (political) vs. stasis (bureaucratic)innovation (political) vs. stasis (bureaucratic)

– fundamental conservatism of bureaucracy as an organizational formfundamental conservatism of bureaucracy as an organizational form systemicsystemic

– the result of each of the different actors adequately performing their the result of each of the different actors adequately performing their different rolesdifferent roles

Subjective vs. Objective Subjective vs. Objective ResponsibilityResponsibility

Subjective Responsibility Subjective Responsibility re: Friedrich re: Friedrich Central Concept: Moral Central Concept: Moral Responsibility Responsibility Focus: ethicsFocus: ethics

Objective Responsibility Objective Responsibility re: Finer re: Finer Central Concept: Central Concept: Political Responsibility Political Responsibility Focus: controlsFocus: controls

Accountability/Responsibility of Accountability/Responsibility of the Senior Public Servicethe Senior Public Servicesubjective vs. objective responsibilitysubjective vs. objective responsibility

– explicit political controls are not enough if explicit political controls are not enough if there is no sense of subjective responsibility there is no sense of subjective responsibility (Friedrich)(Friedrich)

importance of public service importance of public service valuesvalues

Procedural vs. Substantive Procedural vs. Substantive Public Service ValuesPublic Service Values

PROCEDURALPROCEDURAL– neutralityneutrality– accountabilityaccountability– responsiveness responsiveness

(political)(political)– integrity (ethics)integrity (ethics)– fairness and equity fairness and equity

(procedural)(procedural)

SUBSTANTIVESUBSTANTIVE– public interestpublic interest– efficiency/effectivenessefficiency/effectiveness– responsiveness (public)responsiveness (public)– fairness and equity fairness and equity

(substantive)(substantive)

The Public The Public Service...Service... ““The public service is a special calling. It is not The public service is a special calling. It is not

for everyone. Those who devote themselves to it for everyone. Those who devote themselves to it find meaning and satisfaction that are not to be find meaning and satisfaction that are not to be found elsewhere. But the rewards are not found elsewhere. But the rewards are not material. They are moral and psychological, material. They are moral and psychological, perhaps even spiritual. They are the intangible perhaps even spiritual. They are the intangible rewards that proceed from the sense of devoting rewards that proceed from the sense of devoting one’s life to the service of the country, to the one’s life to the service of the country, to the affairs of state, to public purposes, great or small, affairs of state, to public purposes, great or small, and to the public good.”and to the public good.” The Tait ReportThe Tait Report

The Public The Public Service...Service... ““The notion of public interest is a touchstone of The notion of public interest is a touchstone of

motivation for public servants. It is for the public motivation for public servants. It is for the public service what justice and liberty are for the legal service what justice and liberty are for the legal profession, or what healing and mercy are for the profession, or what healing and mercy are for the medical profession.” medical profession.”

The Tait ReportThe Tait Report ““The public service is there to remind elected The public service is there to remind elected

leaders to do those things we leaders to do those things we shouldshould do but for do but for which there is no immediate political gain.” which there is no immediate political gain.” Former Ontario PremierFormer Ontario Premier

Bob RaeBob Rae

The Public The Public Service...Service...

““Speaking truth to power”Speaking truth to power”– the corollorary of “honesty in advice”the corollorary of “honesty in advice”

What would be the characteristics of a senior What would be the characteristics of a senior bureaucracy likely (and able) to perform this bureaucracy likely (and able) to perform this type of function?type of function?– What type of person is likely to develop these types What type of person is likely to develop these types

of values?of values?

The The CareerCareer Public Service Public Service

benefitsbenefits– speaking truth to powerspeaking truth to power

long-term view of the public goodlong-term view of the public good– expertise/capabilityexpertise/capability

performance based on meritperformance based on meritdrawbacksdrawbacks

– may not be politically responsivemay not be politically responsive– may become ossifiedmay become ossified

rigid adherence to accepted policiesrigid adherence to accepted policies

The Paradox of Public The Paradox of Public ServiceService ValuesValuesdemand high ethical standards of public demand high ethical standards of public

servantsservants requires people devoted to public servicerequires people devoted to public service

strong substantive valuesstrong substantive values may bring them into conflict with elected officialsmay bring them into conflict with elected officials

demand people who are highly capabledemand people who are highly capable capable of challenging elected leadershipcapable of challenging elected leadership

raises issues of democratic controlraises issues of democratic control

The Paradox of Public The Paradox of Public ServiceService ValuesValuesa highly competent/ethical public service a highly competent/ethical public service

(required for democracy) (required for democracy) – may generate considerable conflict between public may generate considerable conflict between public

service and elected officialsservice and elected officials– may raise issues of democratic controlmay raise issues of democratic control

Bureaucratic-Political ConflictBureaucratic-Political Conflict

what if there is no evidence of conflict between what if there is no evidence of conflict between bureaucratic and elected officials?bureaucratic and elected officials?– are bureaucrats doing their job?are bureaucrats doing their job?

i.e. “speaking truth to power”i.e. “speaking truth to power” ““reminding political officials of things they reminding political officials of things they shouldshould do but do but

for which there is no immediate political gain”for which there is no immediate political gain”– have elected officials been have elected officials been capturedcaptured by the by the

bureaucracy?bureaucracy?