Unit ten Text a functions of civil servants

(1) Public administrators are engaged in the activities common for all the other kinds of managers, which are grouped into four basic functions: planning, organizing, directing and controlling.

(2) Planning is an important technique for achieving coordinated efforts of civil servants to reach better standards of living for the citizens. Planning includes anticipating future trends in society development and determining the best strategies and tactics to achieve public important goals and objectives. There are three forms of planning a public manager traditionally deals with: strategic planning, tactical planning and contingency planning. Strategic planning in public administration involves setting major goals for a public agency or department and working out policies for obtaining resources to achieve these goals. Strategic planning is based on the information about the economic and sociopolitical conditions of the country, region or district, its industrial development and public needs. Planning can occur at all levels of management, but strategic planning is one of the main responsibilities of top managers. Tactical planning is the process of developing detailed, short-term decisions about what is to be done, who is to do it, and how it is to be done. Contingency planning is the process of preparing alternative ways of action that may be used if the primary plans do not achieve the objectives of the organization.

(3) Organizing is another important managerial function of a public official, which is based on assigning tasks, establishing resources, people and procedures. Organizational activities involve delegating authority, which is determining how much decision scope should be given to each managerial job. Within the civil service delegating authority is actually a graded chain of command, which is the official channel for all public management directives and communications.

(4) The control function is the heart of the management system as it provides the feedback that enables managers to adjust to any changes in the plan. Controlling is checking whether or not an organization is progressing toward its goals and objectives. Controlling consists of the following steps:

1. Setting clear performance standards.

2. Recording actual performance (results).

3. Comparing results against plans and standards.

4. Taking corrective action when needed.

(5) After the plans are made, the organization designed, and the standards established, managers must direct employees in activities to meet the goals and objectives of the public agency. Directing is guiding and motivating others to work effectively. In practice, every manager in an organization is at some time engaged in directing employees since the responsibility of each superior is to interpret the orders received from higher levels for his or her subordinates. Direction deals with: a) instructing subordinates in proper methods and procedures; (b) overseeing subordinate’s work to ensure that it is done properly. As a manager moves up the hierarchy the relative importance of directing diminishes because the other functions become more important.

(6) The functions of public managers vary with the level of management. Top executives devote much time to planning and broad control of where the organization is leading. Decision-making is also one of the most vital tasks performed by top public administrators as it directly influences the fulfillment of public important programmes. Top managers are evaluated and rewarded on the basis of importance, number, and results of their decisions.

СЛОВАРЬ АКТИВНОЙ ЛЕКСИКИ:

setting objectives постановка задач

strategic planning стратегическое планирование

tactical planning тактическое планирование

contingency planning ситуационное планирование

assign (v) возлагать, поручать (решение задачи)

a graded chain of command распоряжения, приказы, поступающие от

высшего должностного лица к низшему

feedback (n) обратная связь

adjust (v) приспособиться к чему-то

performance (n) выполнение, исполнение, результаты, работа,

деятельность

actual performance фактические результаты деятельности

oversee (v) контролировать, руководить, наблюдать

direct (v) инструктировать, руководить, давать указания

diminish (v) ограничивать, сокращать, уменьшать

officer(n) чиновник, руководитель, ответственное,

должностное лиц