PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM: KEY CHALLENGES OF EXECUTION

IF 0.3 Q4 POLITICAL SCIENCE
Y. Muthien
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引用次数: 3

Abstract

1. Introduction This article explores the key challenges to building a 'capable development state' in South Africa, as articulated in the National Development Plan (NDP). These challenges stem not only from a lack of capacity, but from a lack of coherence in framing the agenda and key success factors of a capable development state. The debate on state literature has evolved considerably from the Weberian analysis of examining state bureaucracies from a rationalist perspective--that is, focusing on the presence/absence of a coherent and hierarchical organisational logic, its efficiency and effectiveness and the existence/non-existence of a meritocratic professional bureaucracy insulated from day-to-day political interference (see van Bockel & Noordegraaf 2006). Later literature began examining the capability of the state with reference to its historical location in the existing political economy --that is, the periodisation of statehood from colonialism to modernity, class formation and political cohesion (Evans 1997; Houston & Muthien 2000). More recently, state literature has examined the capability of the state against the trajectory of democratisation and/or development (Evans 1989). Finally, there has been a closer scrutiny to the mechanics of the state engine with the growth of 'managerialism' centred in the rise of new public administration (Schwella 1991; Muthien 2000). All of these theories in essence present a mosaic of analyses of various angles of state operations. For the purposes of this article, state capability will be assessed through the level of expertise and professionalism, the governance of accountability, the effective design of organisational systems and processes, the level of skills and the quality of leadership; drawing on a hybrid of perspectives of state theory. State capability in South Africa will also be examined through the prism of public sector reform and discourses around the development to date. 2. Public sector reform Public sector reform in South Africa has come a long way since 1994 from a highly centralised 'command and control' function to a more decentralised function at three tiers of government with devolved authority to national departments, provinces and local authorities. The NDP affirms this decentralisation and goes further to make a bold call for devolving more power to the metros at local government level. As evident in the dominant post-apartheid discourse since 1994, the paradigm of public sector reform has evolved from: --democratisation and transformation of the state machinery (1994-2004), to --building a development state (2005-2013) However, public sector analysts have observed that South Africa still lacks a coherent model of public sector reform and public management (Chipkin & Lipietz 2012; Muthien 2013). It is important to emphasise that South Africa is not a 'failed state'. We have a functioning judicial system, legislature, state bureaucracy and executive. Moreover, we have pockets of excellence in terms of institutions, people and departments. Some authors have argued that the Mandela government inherited and reproduced the apartheid bureaucracy without much change (Picard 2005). That is far from the truth. In fact the Public Service Commission (PSC) mandated by President Mandela to restructure the fragmented apartheid public services, undertook a complete abolition of all departments and established new departments with revised organisational structures and mandates. Management had to apply for the newly created positions and the PSC had to approve all senior appointments to uphold the merit principle. Furthermore there was a complete overhaul of occupational classification whereby approximately 284 occupational classes were reclassified into 16 broad bands and Occupational Specific Dispensations (OSDs) for scarce skill and highly qualified professional classes were introduced. …
公共服务改革:执行的关键挑战
1. 本文探讨了在南非建设一个“有能力的发展国家”的关键挑战,正如国家发展计划(NDP)所阐述的那样。这些挑战不仅源于缺乏能力,而且源于在制定一个有能力的发展国家的议程和关键成功因素方面缺乏一致性。关于国家文学的争论已经从韦伯从理性主义角度审视国家官僚机构的分析中得到了很大的发展——也就是说,关注连贯和分层组织逻辑的存在/缺失,其效率和有效性,以及与日常政治干预隔离的精英专业官僚机构的存在/不存在(见van Bockel & Noordegraaf 2006)。后来的文献开始根据国家在现有政治经济中的历史位置来考察国家的能力——即国家从殖民主义到现代性的分期、阶级形成和政治凝聚力(Evans 1997;Houston & Muthien 2000)。最近,国家文献研究了国家在民主化和/或发展轨迹下的能力(Evans 1989)。最后,随着以新公共行政的兴起为中心的“管理主义”的增长,人们对国家引擎的机制进行了更密切的审视(Schwella 1991;Muthien 2000)。从本质上讲,所有这些理论都是对国家运作的各个角度进行分析的马赛克。为了本文的目的,国家能力将通过以下方面进行评估:专业知识和专业水平、问责制治理、组织系统和流程的有效设计、技能水平和领导质量;借鉴了国家理论的多种观点。南非的国家能力也将通过公共部门改革的棱镜和围绕迄今为止发展的论述来加以审查。2. 自1994年以来,南非的公共部门改革已经走过了漫长的道路,从高度集中的“指挥和控制”职能转变为三级政府更加分散的职能,将权力下放给国家部门、省和地方当局。新民主党肯定了这种权力下放,并进一步大胆呼吁将更多权力下放给地方政府层面的地铁。自1994年以来,公共部门改革的范式从国家机器的民主化和转型(1994-2004)演变为建立一个发展国家(2005-2013)。然而,公共部门分析师观察到,南非仍然缺乏一个连贯的公共部门改革和公共管理模式(Chipkin & Lipietz 2012;Muthien 2013)。重要的是要强调南非不是一个“失败的国家”。我们有一个运作良好的司法系统、立法机构、国家官僚机构和行政机构。此外,我们在机构、人员和部门方面都有优秀的地方。一些作者认为,曼德拉政府继承并复制了种族隔离的官僚机构,但没有太多改变(Picard 2005)。这与事实相去甚远。事实上,曼德拉总统授权改组四分五裂的种族隔离公共服务的公共服务委员会完全废除了所有部门,并设立了组织结构和任务经过修订的新部门。管理层必须申请新设立的职位,所有高级职位的任命都必须由委员会批准,以坚持择优原则。此外,对职业分类进行了彻底改革,将大约284个职业类别重新分类为16个宽频,并为缺乏技能和高素质的专业类别引入了职业特定分配。...
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