1. Public administration in the
context of good governance:
locus, focus & boundaries of
reforms with special
reference to nepal
Ram prasad ghimire
U SUnder Secretary
Ministry of general administration
Kathmandu,nepal
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 1

2. OOutline of presentation
• Background
• Global scenario
• National context
• Ecology of governance
• Trends of reforms & current situation
• Reforms through conditonalities:
governance reforms program
• Recent initiatives & achievementsRecent initiatives & achievements
• Issues & challenges
• The way forward
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 2
• Findings/lessons learnt

3. background
• BASIC TENETS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
HIERARCHY GENERAL RULES IMPERSONAL CHARACTER• HIERARCHY, GENERAL RULES, IMPERSONAL CHARACTER,
FIXED JURISDICTION & PROFESSIONALISM
• CHALLENGE: FLEXIBLE & MARKET BASED FORM
OF PUBLIC MANAGEMENT
• CONTEST• CONTEST
• FASHIONABLE OR MORE MARKETABLE TERMINOLOGY
RATHER THAN A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE
• HIERARCHY PREVALENT EVEN IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR
• OBSTRUCTIVE USE OF RULE IS DISCREDITED & NOT THEOBSTRUCTIVE USE OF RULE IS DISCREDITED & NOT THE
RULE PER SE
• PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION WAS NEVER MEANT TO REFER
TO PAPER WORK
• Good governance: topical issue in contemporary
development discoursedevelopment discourse
• Administrative reality & ecological
considerations
• Ethics as an integral part of public
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 3
administration
• Ethics is like electricity

4. Global scenario
• Paradigm shift
Administration• Administration
• New public administration
• Reinventing government
• New public management & New public service
• Post modern public administration
• governance• governance
• Good governance
• Democratic governance
• Corporate governance
• Global governance
• E-governanceE governance
• Boundaries of reforms
• Change in role, scope, values and orientation & shift in focus
• Areas: Government organization, public sector organization,
ngo/cbo/civil society/media, private sector
Government organization: policy structure procedure and• Government organization: policy, structure, procedure and
culture
• Public sector organization: financing mechanism,
appointment/dismissal, authority, autonomy & accountability
• Ngo/cbo/civil society/media: recognition, participation and
facilitation
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 4
• Private sector: role delineation, policy space, business
environment, facilitation & regulation

5. National context
• evolution
Pre 1950: Patronage• Pre 1950: Patronage
• 1950-1960: Formation stage
• 1960-1990: Loyal Administration
• 1990 to date: divided bureaucracy
• Administration system• Administration system
• British/indian legacy & American influence
• Erosion of traditional values and system
• Management of public service
• Civil serviceCivil service
• Constitutional and legal provisions
• Issues and challenges
• Other public services
• Security forces
• Local bodies
• Public enterprises
• Teacher service
• Public service commission
• Formation, mandate and public trust
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 5

6. EEcology of governance
• Post-conflict situation: protracted
transition
• Contingent politics
• Consensus tongue: the heart of majorityCo se sus o gue: e e o jo
• state of indiscipline and impunity
• Divided and weakening bureaucracy
• Embeddedness of executive authority in• Embeddedness of executive authority in
society: weak
• Polycentric core executive: breeding
ground for corruptionground for corruption
• Civil society elites: seasonal and partisan
• Misused diversity
• Foreign interventions with multiple vested
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 6
• Foreign interventions with multiple vested
interests

7. Trends of reforms & current
situation
• From commission to conditionalities for reforms
• Administrative restructuring commission 1952Administrative restructuring commission 1952
• Administrative restructuring planning commission 1956
• Administrative reforms commission 1968
• Administrative reforms commission 1975
• Administrative reforms commission 1992
• Governance Reforms program 2001- 2007
• Governance Support Program I & II Ongoing
• Governance reforms program: reforms on condition
• Objectives:
• Develop internal capacity within the government
• Improve the efficiency of the civil service
• Improve governance and reduce corruption
• Enhance competence and motivation of civil service employees
• establish processes for improving performance in key ministries
• Components• Components
• 32 policy reforms
• 3 tranche conditions & 32 (6+19+7)policy reforms
• Assessment
• Implementation status
• Relevance
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 7
Relevance
• Efficiency and effectiveness
• Sustainability

8. current situation……..
• Constitution assumes a fairly competent civil service• Constitution assumes a fairly competent civil service
• Constitutional mandates to public Service commission to
select the competent human resources
• Access to information act and regulations: transparent
governance
GOOD GOVERNANCE ACT AND REGULATIONS• GOOD GOVERNANCE ACT AND REGULATIONS
• ROLE DELINEATION OF POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE
AUTHORITY
• TRANSPARENCY IN DECISION MAKING
• PUBLIC HEARING, GRIEVANCE HANDLING AND PUBLIC INTEREST
LITIGATIONLITIGATION
• PROVISION OF MOBILE SERVICE AND SERVICE CHARTER WITH
COMPENSATION PROVISION
• PROVISION OF PERFORMANCE CONTRACT, CRITERIA FOR REWARD
AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
• TIME BOUND RESPONSE AND WORK CLEARANCEE E E LE E
• PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND OWNERSHIP IN PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
• COMPREHENSIVE MONITORING AND EVALUATION SYSTEM
• CRITERIA AND CODE OF CONDUCT FOR POLITICAL ADVISORS
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 8

9. Current situation…….
• Civil service act and regulations• Civil service act and regulations
• Make the civil service competent, vigorous, service
oriented and responsible
• Vacancy fulfillment
• Promotion and transfer• Promotion and transfer
• Performance evaluation system
• Opportunity for capacity and career development
• Complaint redressal and grievance handling
mechanism
• Monetary and non-monetary incentives
• Service security
• Code of conduct and disciplinary action
• Leadership assessment system
performance incentive fund• performance incentive fund
• Succession plan
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 9

10. Recent initiatives
• Vision for civil service• Vision for civil service
• Responsible, professional and competitive civil service
• Directives & guidelines
• Government decision making simplification
• Service centre and service campaign• Service centre and service campaign
• Grievance handling
• Anti-corruption strategy/action plan etc.
• Recent initiatives for Civil service reforms
• Talent hunt: persuasive partnership programsTalent hunt: persuasive partnership programs
• Selection: curricula revision, review of medium of exam,
quest for inclusive civil service ( empowerment of target
groups)
• Placement: strictly on merit basis
• Development: training policy Establishment of personnel• Development: training policy, Establishment of personnel
training academy, scholarship guidelines, review in
promotion system, transfer policy, leadership assessment
system, job description guidelines with specific
performance criteria
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 10

11. Recent initiatives …….
• Maintenance & Retention: in-built salary and benefits• Maintenance & Retention: in-built salary and benefits
increment mechanism, review in performance evaluation
system, provision of performance contract and performance
incentive fund, piloting to build apartments for civil
employees’, piloting to establish schools for the children of
civil service employees, partial scholarship for civil service
employees’ son/daughter for higher study special financialemployees’ son/daughter for higher study, special financial
assistance to the spouse of civil employees’ with critical
disease, civil service awards, declaration of the best
employee of the year, nodal officer to hear public grievances,
gender focal points, study carried out to implement medical
insurance scheme
• Post retirement scheme
• Study carried out for the optimum utilization of
experience, ability and expertise of retired civil service
employees
• Pension book distribution before retirement
• Decentralization of pension distribution
• Financial assistance to the retired employees for training,
research and orientation
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 11

12. evaluation of reforms
• Achievements• Achievements
• Clear role delineation: Political & administrative
Authorities
• More inclusive public service
• Implementation of citizen charterImplementation of citizen charter
• selection of competent human resources through
rigorous test and fair mechanism
• significant improvements in capacity development
• increased level of motivation and improvement in
performance culture with performance incentive
fund
• cost and liability reduction through outsourcing
• citizen empowered through improved access to
informationinformation
• increased level of job security & welfare activities
• improved service delivery through devolution and
performance contract system
• Corruption control: Getting Momentum
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 12
Corruption control: Getting Momentum
• Effective governance is recognized as a necessary
condition for the overall development of the country

13. evaluation of reforms…..
• assessment
• Human resource management has undergone major
transformation as a result of various reforms and
innovation
• Reforms programs gained fresh impetus in the 1990s and
continued ever since
• Influence of NPM model is clearly visible and market
values like quality and productivity, efficiency, discipline,
innovation, integrity and accountability, service
excellence and customer orientation are being
increasingly emphasized
• However reforms are yet to be successful in solving many
of the perennial problems of the public sector. Despite
numerous efforts and progresses, the objective of
achieving excellence in public service remains an
unaccomplished agenda. Managers hardly have control
e e e tover management.
• Most of the reforms measures seems to have been copied
without moulding into the socio-cultural reality
• Bureaucratic politics is prevalent in shaping reforms
agenda
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 13
• Reforms agenda largely confined to civil service yet
highly politicized

14. Evaluation of reforms …….
• Assessment• Assessment……
• Human resource management reforms, including
the overall public sector reforms seems to have a
focus on mechanistic approach rather than the
organic one which lacked human faceorganic one which lacked human face
• The energetic and capable employees are looking
for flexible work schedules, comfortable working
conditions and greater autonomy, opportunities
for training and development and performance
related financial incentives However hrm by andrelated financial incentives. However, hrm by and
large, is traditional in outlook and in operation
• Motivation and morale has not been improved
significantly and level of frustration are
mountingmounting
• Often the gap between policy and practice is too
wide and reforms are mostly patchy rather than
integrated and comprehensive
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 14

15. Major issues and challenges
• Building environment and Gaining support
for public administration/governance
reforms
• Strengthening public sector capacity to
meet people’s expectations
• Managing political transition efficiently and
effectively
• Ensuring people’s ownership in public
service
• Enhancing credibility and image with
efficient and quality service
• Managing workplace & workforce diversity
• Nurturing ‘engaged employees’
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 15

16. issues and challenges……
• Balancing trade union rights with manager’s right to
managemanage
• Inculcating performance culture for results
• Enforcing direct accountability to end the state of
indiscipline and impunity
• Expanding outreach of oversight mechanism
• Moving closer to the citizen to understand and act as per
their real need and expectations
• Matching civil service structure and legal frameworksMatching civil service structure and legal frameworks
with the structure and type of governance system
• Controlling corruption without hampering managers’
innovative initiations & operational autonomy
• Improving the doing business environment and• Improving the doing business environment and
strengthening the contract enforcement mechanism
• Creating conducive environment for economic
governance by putting macro economic policies in order
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 16
• Making the people feel the need of change and reforms

17. TThe way forward
• Create civic pressure for reforms through
people’s empowerment and transparent
governance
• Ensure that reforms agenda are realistic,
empirically grounded and practical
• Empower civil service with the implementation of
a comprehensive human resource development
plan
• Promote competition for service delivery withPromote competition for service delivery with
greater involvement of community, private
sector and non-governmental organizations
• Simplify and digitize transactions with extensive
use of information and communicationuse of information and communication
technology
• Develop an integrated approach to human
resource management
• Devolve appropriate human resource matters to
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 17
• Devolve appropriate human resource matters to
line ministries

18. The way forward….
• Make civil service employees and political authority
responsible and accountable with clear role delineation,responsible and accountable with clear role delineation,
improved code of ethics and greater autonomy
• Bring out change in organizational culture with well
planned and carefully managed efforts
• More courtesy and better quality services
• More transparency faster and more reliable responsesMore transparency, faster and more reliable responses
• Delineate clear roles among the senior management, mid
level managers and the front line managers for better
accountability
• Professionalize human resource management through
granting adequate freedom to manage financial and humangranting adequate freedom to manage financial and human
resources to the departments/projects
• Develop business plans of all ministries, departments &
central level offices and devise human resource strategies
during the process of business plan formulation
• Carry out evaluation of reforms from independent panel of• Carry out evaluation of reforms from independent panel of
experts
• Design reforms agenda so as to serve national goals of peace,
stability and economic growth
• Encourage the development partners to act more coherantly
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 18
• Tackle systems not organizations
• Focus on enhancing public sector capacity

19. TThe way forward….
• Prepare and implement a human resource management
guidelines for development projects with nationalguidelines for development projects with national
priority
• Restructure and revamp training institutions
including Nepal Administrative staff college and
ensue that training program covers behavior &
cognitive learning in addition to the job related
knowledge & skills
• Promote innovation in human resource management
• Crafting creative business plan and strategies
O z t e t t• Organizational restructuring
• Creating social networks
• Enhancing competitiveness
• Job enrichment
• Extensive use of technology• Extensive use of technology
• Annual award for innovation
• Inculcate value driven governance culture to regain
and retain public trust
• Devise appropriate strategies & timing for reforms
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 19
Devise appropriate strategies & timing for reforms
and ensure effective leadership, management and
coordination among the stakeholders

20. TThe way forward….
• Expand performance based management system to
/more departments/offices
• Introduce and implement strategic human resource
management plan in civil service in line with the
changed values & structure of political governance
• Internalize economic concept in human resource• Internalize economic concept in human resource
management
• Implement the motto ‘Training for all’
• Inculcate a sense of a team spirit in civil service
• Promote healthy and transparent communication with• Promote healthy and transparent communication with
simple appeal process
• Establishment of human resource ministry
• Complete the initiative & implement the policies
“ capability & commitment of senior management human“ capability & commitment of senior management, human
resource sections and line managers is vital &
development partners’ support counts a lot”
• Develop pools of leaders, young managers and
critical mass for reforms
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 20
• Speed up governance reforms through strategic
communication

21. Findings/Lessons learnt……
• Public administration/governance reforms agenda in nepal so far
are mostly externally driven
• Administrative reforms lack balanced approach since much focus
has been exerted on structural reforms without paying proper
attention on culture and practice
• Capacity deficits continue to be a major problem
• Bureaucracy is politicized and the policy bureaucratizedBureaucracy is politicized and the policy bureaucratized
• Poorly implemented reforms agenda have created a sort of
‘reluctance’ on common people
• Bureaucratic politics is the main impediment of civil service reforms
• Reforms cannot be successful without creating conducive
environment and enhancing public sector capacity for its efficientenvironment and enhancing public sector capacity for its efficient
and effective implementation
• Corruption control is still a daunting task
• Prevalence of ‘democratic deficit’ has created crisis of confidence
between the government and citizen
• Broad based economic growth remains unaccomplished agenda since
economic governance lack due priority
• Protracted transition has caused crisis of governance and
governability in the country
• With over centralization, poor institutional capacity and weak
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 21
,
accountability enforcement mechanism, efficiency and effectiveness
of public service delivery is far below the expectations

22. Findings/Lessons learnt
• Basic Tenets of Public Administration are still relevant
• Like Administration, ‘management’ or ‘governance’ also haveLike Administration, management or governance also have
contextual meanings
• Public administration as such does not have negative
connotation
• Scope of public administration was already wide at the time of
its genesis: ‘from womb to tomb’its genesis: ‘from womb to tomb’
• Public administration still remains the pre-eminent locus & and
a responsible guarantor of the public interest
• It continues to evolve adapting new methods & practices
• Public administration/governance is under unprecedented• Public administration/governance is under unprecedented
pressure for reforms
• Higher level political authority’s genuine commitment is
critical for successful reforms and the ecology and
sequencing of reforms count a lot
• Internally driven Administration/governance reforms are in
dire need of substantive technical support whereas externally
driven reforms need to be more convincing and should fit into
the context
• Patch work and half cooked agenda are rather counter
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 22
productive and, thus change in culture, structure and practice
should move together
• Political instability & transition: collaborative communication

23. Thank YouThank You
May 29- June 1, 2011, Beijing Seminar on Asian Public Administration Reform 23