Public Administration: Bureaucratic Structure, Reform and Ethics
Structure and principles
Understand the Weberian model: hierarchy, written rules, impersonality, merit-based recruitment and career service. Know the secretariat system, the field administration (divisions, districts, upazilas), and the distinction between staff and line agencies. Master the concepts of span of control, unity of command, delegation, decentralisation and devolution.
Reform and new public management
Learn the main reform themes: New Public Management (results, performance measurement, citizen orientation), e-governance, digital service delivery, and the shift from input-based to outcome-based accountability. Understand the role of the Public Service Commission in recruitment and the Establishment Ministry in cadre management.
Ethics and accountability
Know the concepts of administrative discretion, corruption, conflict of interest, whistleblowing, and the code of conduct for public servants. Understand the difference between internal and external accountability, and between political and administrative accountability.
Traps
Do not confuse decentralisation with deconcentration; the former transfers authority, the latter relocates offices. Do not treat e-governance as merely computerisation; it involves process reengineering. Distinguish 'responsibility' from 'accountability'.
Worked rule of thumb
For any administration question, apply the 'P-A-R' framework: Purpose (what public value?), Authority (who is empowered?), and Result (how is performance measured?). This covers structure, process and outcome in one answer.
Exam technique
Use concrete institutional examples sparingly and accurately. When discussing reform, state the problem, the reform instrument, and the expected outcome.