Need to change the way government does its work
Here is an excerpt worthwhile reading before proceeding with our discussion on administrative reforms. “At every training session I always instill into the mind of the apprentices that if they are confident of the appropriateness of what they intend doing, to go ahead and do it even at the expense of breaking financial regulations. As I have taken one step forward I shall give you a simple example. In Kolonna there is a hospital which is not provided with electricity and lit at night using a petromax. When the mantle of the lamp had to be replaced, the District Medical Officer (DMO) submitted a Goods Requisition Note to the Government Stores.
He kept the whole hospital in darkness for two whole weeks till the replacement was obtained from the Government stores. I ordered him to show cause why he waited for two weeks, without buying a mantle from the shop just in front of the hospital. Such waiting was not just by any means. No Auditor General would ever question him as to why he purchased it from outside. In fact, if I were to make a proposal, what the Auditor General and his officers should do is to question as to why action was not taken to purchase this type of an urgent requirement even from outside to make life convenient for the people, a responsibility cast on the administration, instead of waiting contentedly by paying obeisance to regulations and procedures.
There is an important issue here. But I think it is mentioned on many occasions, here and in some other forums, that queries by the Auditor General suppress initiative and logical thinking. But I am not inclined to find fault with the Auditor General since there are other reasons that kill initiative.” These comments were made in a speech by C. Balasingham, Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Health at a Seminar on the ‘Role of Auditing in a Developing Country’ held on 31st December 1966 (News Bulletin, September, 1974, Page 41, Sri Lanka Auditor General’s Department).
Lack of initiative
I had the privilege of working with Lakshman Jayakody when he assumed duties as the Minister of Cultural and Religious Affairs in 1994. When I reviewed the workings of the Ministry and all departments under its purview at the Minister’s request, I noted that all shortcomings brought to light by Mr. Balasingham had existed even 28 years later in 1994. They exist even today. One particular incident I observed was the delay of more than two years in executing a renovation activity in an archeological site costing only Rs. 136,000.
The estimate for the job included one and half bags of cement and the local implementing officer had to buy it from a governmental institution. No governmental institution was prepared to give half a bag and he wrote to the Head Office seeking permission to buy two bags. It took one month for him to obtain permission but still he had to buy from a governmental institution. He found a government institution selling cement only 45 km away from the site and carried it from there. The cement was, however, only one of the causes for the long delay but of course, the most trivial.
Taking bold decisions
Officers have got trapped in regulations to the extent that their general intelligence has become defunct. They fear to base any action on judgment. The enveloping tyranny has massacred the creativity inherent within them. The emphasis on procedures, rules and regulations should be changed to give due recognition to and facilitate the formation of ‘Reasonable Judgment’. A situation should be carved that would recognise and sharpen the ability for judgment in the upcoming youth recruited through very competitive examinations.
The reasonability of the judgment and integrity of purpose can only be proved by testing the achievement of expected results. Yet as myriad factors impinge on the results and as all these cannot come under the purview of a state officer, even if the judgment is reasonable and the intention is honest there can be occasions where results have not been obtained. Thus there are many circumstantial factors that mar the picture and hence achievement should not be the sole criteria in evaluating the reasonability of the judgment.
One other reason as to why they do not bother to step outside, take the initiative, engage themselves in forming a reasonable judgment and get along with the job is because nonperformance does in no way harm them. They are safe and can still survive. Therefore, the criteria for the evaluation of performance and conduct should be changed from obeisance to regulations to achievement of results. The criterion for success, good performance and excellence should be ‘how fast and soundly the results were achieved’ and not on how best the procedures were followed.
Tell them what to do
A crucial factor in the sphere of improving the standards of government service is the training of employees. Training has to be institution centred. Training should be based on a programme budget with performance in the forefront. Since pre-prepared material is already in hand, training in procedures, financial and administrative regulations are much easier. This is a kind of general training with which trainers are quite comfortable. But what is needed is an inspirational guiding process that conveys the mission and vision of the organization and each one’s role in the organization. It should be a specific training. Much exertion is required for such an endeavour. Though this is strenuous, results will outweigh the costs if handled well.
In a staff training session attention should be drawn towards optimum utilization of the resources of the institution. Moreover, an attitudinal change is required. Those government officers are servants of the public who owe their purses and seats in office to the public, that ‘if not for the members of the public who come and stand in front of them expecting to be served, there is no need of them’ should be ingrained in their minds.
Most state officers are unaware of the services and structure of their own organisation. It is not the general procedures that should earn their attention, but the environment around. But it is this very area that officers are not paying attention to. Promotions should be given and the efficiency bar examinations should be conducted not by giving a question paper on disciplinary procedures or on financial regulations but by giving a question paper, on matters pertaining to the organisation. Or, by getting them to write, a dissertation, pertaining to the activities of the organisation.
Redrawing the State Organisational Chart
To increase the efficiency of state service first its very formation at the top has to undergo changes and it is now high time to redraw the State Organisational Chart which would serve as the supreme organisational chart for the whole country to meet the contemporary development needs and priorities of the country and for effective and efficient functioning of public administration.
A new list of ministries (may be with a maximum of 25) together with various departments and institutions that should come under each such ministry should be compiled either by a parliamentary select committee or by a committee consisting of representatives of all political parties and a few eminent personnel . The basic question as to the very existence of a certain ministry, department and institution should be raised in respect of each such ministry, department and institution. The logical outcome of this comprehensive screening process would be to draw up an efficient and effective State Organisational Chart.
New management culture
Next, the managerial structure should be remodeled so as to establish a uniform command. It should be made possible for the chief executive officer (secretary in the case of a ministry) to exercise his authority over all personnel in his organisation irrspective of the different services (such as administrative services, technological service, accountancy service, etc) to which they belong. It is not possible to lead an organisation without the leader having one unitary and strong commanding line. No responsibility can be fixed unless the leader is adequately empowered.
At present, we have what is called a combined service where people can move from one state organization to another. Many under the present system change workplaces for different reasons which make the investment in human resources unproductive. Take for example the foreign tours of high officers. One participates in an overseas conference on irrigation and thereafter joins the Ministry of Education and goes for a seminar on primary education and later joins the Ministry of Trade and takes part in a trade conference overseas. It is very necessary to have foreign experience to broaden one’s vision to serve better.
But to render service through the experience gained one should remain in the institute from where one acquires the experience In contrast to combined service, a system of closed service gives rise to accumulation of experience and enhancing of expertise. If a person wants to join another state organisation he should do so as a new recruit and start a new career there. The Department of Inland Revenue and Auditor General’s Department are closed services which perform specialised tasks. In a way, all departments and organisations perform specialised services.
It is a futile exercise for one person to hold more than one managerial post because in such instances they don’t get sufficient time to manage and operate the resources entrusted to them.
They must devote time to visualise and understand the huge machinery under their command. It is only then that they can formulate ways and means of fast-tracking the way forward. Also it is a hindrance for the second line officers to come up in their career. The right to continue in service should be won by performing satisfactorily and this principle should be inculcated in the minds of the public servants. They should be convinced that they do not get the right automatically to continue in service from year to year until retirement. We should find ways and means of implementing such a new culture without employees being thrown out arbitrarily from employment.
Checks and balances
A miscellany of regulations plus a host of financial and administrative rules are there to ensure uniformity and discipline on one hand and prevention of fraud, corruption and malpractices on the other, in carrying out the functions of the mighty state machinery. We, however, have noticed that there is lethargy, corruption and malpractices committed inside this ‘high security zone’ guarded by a mountain of regulations.
We, therefore, should change to “result orientation” rather than be on the side of the “procedure’ orientation.
Every state officer should not only be given the freedom for making ‘reasonable judgment’ but must be encouraged to do so. This is the crucial change required to accelerate the state machinery and establish a result oriented government. If a state officer is not going to make regulations a stumbling block for his achieving the results he might have to override certain regulations to go ahead depending on the sense of righteousness of what he is doing. When Mr. Balasingham, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health remarked, “I told them that if they (the officers) feel that they are doing the right thing, they could infringe financial regulations” it is this situation that he had in mind.
We should be mindful of situations which could arise with a changeover to give first priority to achievement of results and secondary importance to procedures which could make it possible for a certain unscrupulous and unprincipled few to wallow in a whirl of misdoings and misappropriate funds under the guise of reasonable judgement. Certain expected results may accrue, but in the process much warped activity will also take place. If such situations come to light the offenders should be taken to Accounts Courts (to be set up under the reforms). The judges in these courts should be provided with the opportunity to furnish themselves with a sound knowledge of commerce, finance and accounts to deal with such miscreants. Such courts are needed not only in the state sector but also in the private sector so that those guilty may be taken to task.
(The writer is a Chartered Accountant and former Additional Secretary – Ministry of Cultural and Religious Affairs;
1994-2000)