Public Administration

American President Woodrow Wilson’s essay on the study of Administration in the year 1887 formulated the concept of Public administration and since then, the theory has emerged as an important process in both public and private organizations. From the spheres of labour units and charitable organizations to business firms and educational institutions, public administration plays an important role in assessing and devising strategies for effective implementation of laws and policies.

 

Role of a Public Administrator

Before we explore the scope of Public Administration, let’s understand the duties and responsibilities of an administrator. 

• Development of citizen-friendly policies. 
• Ensuring stability and order in the society. 
• Ensuring the implementation of various laws. 
• Improving the socio-economic conditions of a state. 
• Manage large scale commercial activities.
• Formulating a budget that lays emphasis on all the sectors. 
• Laying down health codes and guidelines for industries. 
• Last but not least, being a voice to the weaker sections of the society

Scope of Public Administration as a Discipline 

The scope of public administration as a discipline, that is subject of studies, comprises of the following: 

• Planning– Working out in broad outline the things to be done, the methods to be adopted to accomplish the purpose  

• Organization– Establishment of the formal structure of authority through which the work is sub-divided 
• Staffing– Means the recruitment and training of the personnel and their conditions of work 
• Directing– Means making decisions and issuing orders and instructions  
• Coordinating – Means interrelating the work of various divisions, sections, and other parts of the organization
• Reporting– Means informing the superiors within the agency to whom the executive is responsible about what is going on.  
• Budgeting– Means fiscal planning, control, and accounting