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COMPARATIVE ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM

MPA503 LECTURE 20

BRITISH ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM

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DEPARTMENTS GENERAL DEPARTMENTS I. THE TREASURY II. THE HOME OFFICEIII. THE SCOTTISH OFFICE ECONOMIC DEPARTMENTSi. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND

FOODii. BOARD OF TRADEiii. THE BOARD OF CUSTOMS AND EXCISEiv. MINISTRY OF FUEL AND POWERv. MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL

GOVERNMENT

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DEPARTMENTSSOCIAL WELFAREi. MINSITRY OF EDUCATIONii. MINISTRY OF HEALTHiii. MINISTRY OF PENSION AND NATIONAL

INSURANCE IMPERIAL AND FOREIGN DEPARTMENTSI. THE FOREIGN OFFICEii. COLONIAL OFFICE DEFENCE DEPARTMENTiii. THE ADMIRALTYiv. THE WAR OFFICEv. AIR , AVIATION AND DEFENCE MINISTRY.

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• BRITAIN HAD THE PATRONAGE SYSTEM OF CIVIL SERVICE

• A PERSON COULD NOT ENTER IN THE CIVIL SERVICE IF HE DID NOT HAVE THE PATRONAGE.

• THIS LED TO CORRUPTION AND INEFFICIENCY IN ADMINISTRATION

• NORTHCOTE-TREVELYAN REPORT OF 1864 LAID DOWN CERTAIN PRINCIPLES PERTAINING TO CIVIL SERVICE WHICH BECAME THE BASIS OF REFORMS

• SOME MORE CHANGES WERE MADE BY PLAY FAIR COMMISSION IN 1875.

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REPORTS OF COMMISSIONS

• MORE THAN TEN COMMISSIONS WERE APPOINTED TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN THE CIVIL SERVICE FROM 1854 TO 1966.PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT AMONGST THEM WERE THE NORTHCOTE—TREVELYAN(1854),PLAYFAIR COMMISSION(1875),FULTON COMMITTEE REPORT(1966)

• THE MOST IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS REGARD CAME FROM NORTHCOTE—TREVELYAN REPORT AND THE 1966 FULTON

• MERIT SYSTEM BECAME A REALITY IN BRITAIN IN 1870

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RECOMMENDATIONS OF NORTCODE-TREVELYAN

REPORT 1854

• PATRONAGE SYSTEM OF RECRUITMENT BE ABOLISHED.

• COMPETITIVE EXAMINATION FOR RECRUITMENT BE INTRODUCED

• ESTABLISHMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION WAS FOUND TO BE INDISPENSIBLE

• PRONOTION FROM WITHIN SHOULD BE ON MERIT AND NOT SENIORITY

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RECOMMENDATIONS OF NORTCODE-TREVELYAN REPORT

• SUPERIOR CIVIL SERVANTS SHOULD BE SELECTED ON BASIS OF GENERAL INTELLECTUAL ATTAINMENT NOT SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE

• INTELLECTUAL SIDE OF ADMINISTRATION SHOULD BE SEPARATED FROM THE MECHANICAL SIDE.

• A SUPERIOR AND AN INFERIOR SERVICE BE CREATED

• RECRUITMENT AGE FOR INFERIOR POSTS SHOULD BE 17 TO 21 AND 19 TO 25 FOR SUPERIOR POSTS

• UNIFICATION OF CIVIL SERVICE WITH UNIFIED RECRUITMENT AND INTER-DEPARTMENTAL PROMOTIONS WAS SUGGESTED

• THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1855 FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF CANDIDATES AND OPEN COMPETETIVE EXAMS STARTED IN 1870

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PRE FULTON ERA

• BRITISH CIVIL SERVICE WAS DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING FOUR MAJOR CLASSES IN PRE FULTON ERA.– ADMINISTRATIVE LASS– EXECUTIVE CLASS– CLERICAL CLASS– SPECIALIST CLASS

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FULTON REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS

• A NEW CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT BE CREATED TO MANAGE THE CIVIL SERVICE HEADED BY PRIME MINISTER

• A CORRECT GRADING OF EACH POST SHOULD BE DETERMINED BY JOB EVALUATION

• CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE SHOULD BE SET UP TO PROVIDE POST ENTRY TRAINING

• GREATER MOBILITY BETWEEN CIVIL SERVICE AND UNIVERSITIES & PRIVATE SECTOR WAS RECOMMENDED.

• PREFERENCE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO RELEVANT DEGREES WHEN RECRUITING

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OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS• ALL CLASSES BE ABOLISHED AND BE

REPLACED BY A SINGLE UNIFIED GRADING STRUCTURE

• A CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE BE SET UP• CAREER MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE THE

FOCUS• PLANNING UNIT SHOULD SET UP IN EACH

DEPARTMENT. • MINISTERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO

EMPLOY EXPERTS TO ADVISE THEM• MANAGEMENT SERVICE UNIT SHOULD BE

ESTABLISHED IN ALL MAJOR DEPARTMENTS.

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REORGANISATION1. IN 1971 ‘ADMINISTRATIVE GROUP’ WAS FORMED

AND DIFFERENT GRADES WITHIN THE GROUP WERE CREATED

2. POSTS OFSENIOR AND HIGHER EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER AND ASSISTANT WERE CREATED.

3. OPEN STRUCTURE WAS CREATED IN 1972 CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING SEVEN GRADES.

PERMANENT SECRETARY , DEPUTY SECRETARY, UNDER SECRETARY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ,ASSISTANT SECRETARY, SENIOR PRINCIPAL, PRINCIPAL

4. VERTICAL BARRIERS WITHIN THE SERVICES STILL EXIST

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REORGANISATION

• IN 1987 MANAGEMENT AND PERSONNEL OFFICE WAS ABOLISHED AND REPLACED BY THE OFFICE OF MINISTER FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE

• BRITISH CIVIL SERVICE IS MANAGED BY THE TREASURY AND THE OFFICE OF MINISTER FOR CIVIL SERVICE WHICH WORKS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF BRITAIN

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CENTRAL PERSONNEL AGENCY

• TILL1968 BRITISH TRESURY ACTED AS THE CENTRAL PERSONNEL AGENCY FOLLOWING WHICH BTHE CIVIL SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS CREATED THIS DEPARTMENT ALSO ABSORBED THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION AS AN INDEPENDENT UNIT WITHIN IT

• IN 1981 THIS DEPARTMENT WAS ABOLISHED TO EFFECT ECONOMY AND ITS FUNCTIONS WERE DISTRIBUTED BETWEEN TREASURY AND MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL OFFICE

• IN 1987 THE LATTER OFFICE WWAS ABOLISHED AND REPLACED BY MINISTER OF CIVIL SERVICE

• THE BRITISH CIVIL SERVICE IS NOW MANAGED BY THE TREASURY AND MINISTER OF CIVIL SERVICE WORKING DIRECTLY UNDER THE PRIME MINISTER

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RECRUITMENT

• IN THE UK, RECRUITMENT TO THE CIVIL SERVICE IS BASED ON A COMPETITIVE EXAM CONDUCTED BY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

• TILL 1945 METHOD 1 WAS THE ONLY AVENUE OF ENTRY INTO THE HIGHER CIVIL SERVICE THAT IS ADMINISTRATIVE CLASS.

• METHOD 1 CONSISTED OF A QUALIFYING WRITTEN EXAMINATION FOLLOWED BY AN INTERVIEW

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RECRUITMENT

• IN 1945 AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH CALLED METHOD II WAS INTRODUCED WHICH INCLUDE SERIES OF INTERVIEWS BY THE CIVIL SERVICE SELECTION BOARD FOLLOWED BY THE WRITTEN TESTS.

• IN1971 SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATIVE TRAINEES WAS INTRODUCED ON THE LINES OF METHOD II

• THE SELECTED CANDIDATES HAD A TWO YEAR PROBATIONARY PERIOD FOLLOWED BY SIXTEEN WEEK TRAINING COURSE AT THE CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE.

• PRESENTLY METHOD II IS IN VOGUE

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TRAINING

IN KEEPING WITH THE RECOMMENDATION OF ASSHETON COMMITTEE REPORT A TRAINING AND EDUCATION DIVISION WAS ESTABLISHED IN BRITISH TREASURY TO COODINATE AND ADMINISTER TRAINING COURSES FOR THE HIGHER CIVIL SERVANTS.

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TRAINING

MAJOR TRAINING CENTERS IN UK INCLUDE

I. ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF COLLEGE , SETUP IN 1948 AT HENLEY ON THAMES TO PROVIDE EXTERNAL TRAINING IN MANAGEMENT.

II. CENTRE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE STUDIES, SETUP IN 1963 IN LONDON

III. ROYAL COLLEGE OF DEFENSE STUDIES IV. CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE, MAIN TRAINING

CENTER IN UK, ESTABLISHED IN 1969

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CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGECIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE PERFORMS

FOLLOWING MAIN FUNCTIONSi. POST ENTRY TRAINING FOR RECRUITSii. OFFERS SPECIALIZED COURSE SPECIALIST

IN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENTiii. CONDUCT RESEARCH ON PROBLEMS

RELATED TO ADMINISTRATION iv. PROVIDES GENERAL GUIDANCE AND

ADVICE DEPARTMENTS WHICH CARRY OUT TRAINING FOR THE EXECUTIVE AND CLERICAL STAFF.

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PROMOTION

• IN THE UK, PROMOTIONS IN CIVIL SERVICE ARE A DEPARTMENTAL AFFAIR,

• THE DEPARTMENTAL BOARD ADVISES THE MINISTER AND PERMANENT SECRETARY ON MATTERS OF PROMOTION

• EMPLOYEES ARE EVALUATED FOR PROMOTION DEPENDING ON THEIR YEARLY PERFORMANCE UTILISING ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORTS RECORDED BY THEIR SUPERVISORS

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CHARACTRISTICS OF THE PROMOTION PROCESS

• THE CANDIDATES ARE INFORMED WELL IN TIME OF THE VACANT POSITIONS WHICH ARE TO BE FILLED BY PROMOTION.

• THE SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR PROMOTION IS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD.

• AGGRIEVED PARTY HAS RIGHT TO APPEAL AGAINST THE DECISION CONCERNING THE PROMOTION

• THE CONSENT OF PRIME MINISTER IS NECESSARY TO MAKE PROMOTIONS TO THE POSITIONS OF PERMANENT SECRETARY, DEPUTY SECRETARY, FINANCE AND ESTABLISHMENT OFFICER.

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PAY AND SERVICE CONDITIONS

• SINCE 1971 PAY FOR CIVIL SERVANT IN UK IS FIXED ON THE BASIS OF ‘PRIESTLY FORMULA’. PAY IS FIXED AND CONTROLLED BY BRITISH TREASURY AND PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

• APART FROM THE PAY, CIVIL SERVANT ARE ALSO GIVEN VARIOUS KINDS OF ALLOWANCES.

• CIVIL SERVANT ARE GIVEN RIGHT TO ASSOCIATION.

• CIVIL SERVANT ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY DENIED THE RIGHT TO STRIKE UNDER THE LAW.

• THERE IS TOTAL BAN ON POLITICAL RIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES OF THE HIGHER CIVIL SERVANT.

• THE RETIREMENT AGE IS 60 TO 65.