This document discusses public administration in developed and developing countries as well as Ethiopia. It covers several topics: 1. Key features of public administration in developed countries including specialization, merit-based recruitment, rational laws and policies, and professional policy making. 2. Challenges facing public administration in developed societies due to modern science, technology, and lack of coherence between institutions. 3. General patterns of public administration in developing countries including imitative models from developed countries, lack of skilled administrators, surplus employees, and disagreement between forms and realities. 4. The history and development of public administration in Ethiopia from early dynasties to the current federal constitution and multi-party democratic system.

1. PA in developed and developing countries
Chapter six
Hagos Gemecchu (Dr.) 2018 1

2. 1. Public administration in developed countries
 Different from developing countries, developed countries
have the following important features.
1. The bureaucracy is marked by a high degree of specialization.
2. Recruitment of personnel is generally based on merits.
3. Laws and political decisions are largely rational.
4. Public policy making is supported by professionals.
5. Administration has become to take all-encompassing
functions that affect major spheres of the lives of citizens.????
PA in developed and developing countries
Hagos Gemecchu (Dr.) 2018 2

3. Challenges of PA in developed countries
 Viewed in their particular socio-economic and cultural
context, PA in developed countries have the following
problems.
– PA in developed societies is extremely affected by the
development of modern science and technology, and
communication networks.
– Relative autonomy of institutions in developed countries
have their own administrative problems, reflected in terms
of lack of coherence among numerous service and
regulatory organizations or agencies.
….PA in developed and developing countries
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.) 3

4. ….PA in developed and developing countries
2. Public administration in developing countries
• The following points are indicative of general
administrative patterns currently found in developing
countries.
1. The basic pattern of the public administration is imitative
(copied) rather than indigenous (original). All developing
counties tried to introduce some versions or styles of the
bureaucratic model of administration from developed
countries.
2. The bureaucracies are deficient in skills necessary for
development programs, trained administrators with
management capacity, developmental skills, and technical
proficiency are extremely in shortfall.
Mebrahtu W. 4

5. ….PA in developed and developing countries
3.There is always a surplus of employees in
the public services, there are more
employees than the actual need.
4.Huge discrepancy or disagreement
between form and reality, which Riggs
has called it "formalism", which means
bureaucrats pretend as if they make
things they ought to be done while the
reality tells different from what they say.
Mebrahtu W.
5
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)

6. Public administration in Ethiopia
Chapter six

7. 1.9. Public administration in Ethiopia
Three Recent Genesis and developments
of Ethiopian Public Administration
1. Monarchical Era: pre-1966
2. Socialist/Military Era: 1967-1991
3. Current Situation: post-1991
Mebrahtu W. 7
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)

8. ….Public administration in Ethiopia
1. Early Development
• Period of Zemene Mesafint: known as dark age during which
public administration as such was not there.
• Period of Emperor Tewodros: there were an attempt and tendency
to introduce reforms such as:-
– Creation of national army
– Restraining church’s privilege of tax exemption
– Land reform
• Period of Yohannes IV: difficult to talk about public
administration for the Emperor was in wars through out his
time because of the:-
– External aggressions
– Border wars
– Internal conflicts
MW.
8
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)

9. ….Public administration in Ethiopia
2. Period of Menelik II
It was during the time Menelik II that an
attempt to create an:-
- orderly defined and organized
- centralized
- modern state, administration/government was introduced.
Mebrahtu W. 9
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)

10. ….Public administration in Ethiopia
• One of the introduction of modern
administration was the appointment of nine
ministers namely:-
- Minister of Justice,
- Minister of Defense,
- Minister of Interior,
- Minister of Trade and Finance
- Minister of Foreign Affair,
- Minister of Agriculture,
- Minister of Pen,
- Minister of Public works
- Minister of Palace Administration
Mebrahtu W.
10
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)

11. • Following the appointments of Ministers,
Menelik issued guidelines that:-
 warns ministers against any form of corruption
 promises salary to the ministers
 urges to employ people who are diligent
 introduces land legal system and system of inheritance
 changes the existing system of appeal.
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
….Public administration in Ethiopia
11

12. 3. Period of E. Zewditu
• Council of ministers during the Menelike era continued to
operate during the early days of Zewditu but Weakened
slowly due to power struggle between different factions.
• Lately, the government was run by the three individuals;
Zewditu, Ras Teferi and Fitawrari Habtegiorgis
• Advisory council was formed a year after the ministers
were removed.
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
….Public administration in Ethiopia
12

13. 4. Period of H.Selassie
H.Selassie continued ‟building” the PA by:-
– establishing some more schools
– modernizing legal , health and administrative systems
– issuing legislations and reforming the taxation system
– reorganizing customs department
– building office allocating budgets and hiring Civil servants.
– giving legal power to Ministries through the constitution
However, the process was interrupted by Italian invasion.
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
….Public administration in Ethiopia
13

14.  The Public Administration at the end of the military
regime was characterized as:-
– poor organizational structure,
– lack of skilled manpower
– lack of appropriate working systems
– corrupted staff, officials and systems
– centralized, inefficient
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
….Public administration in Ethiopia
14

15. ….Public administration in Ethiopia
6. The Transitional Charter
 PA during the transition was characterized by:-
– a commitment to a peaceful resolution of conflicts
– recognition of the right of nations, nationalities and peoples
– full respect and protection of human rights
– right to engage in unrestricted political activity
– a commitment to holding national and local elections
Mebrahtu W. 15
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)

16. 7. PA in line with 1995 FDRE Constitution
The following were the major changes of post 1995.
– Reconstituting the Ethiopian state on a federal basis and PA at both
federal and regional governments levels.
– Institutionalizing the sovereignty of the people as the ultimate
source of power
– Establishing a democratic system of government based on
periodically held free and fair elections
– Establishing an independent judiciary branch of government based
on professional judges
– Policy of Gender equality and principle of separation of state and religion
– Introducing transparent, responsive, accountable, ethical, and free of
corruption.
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
….Public administration in Ethiopia
16

17. The Future of Government
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.) 17

18. • Government must be flatter
–Citizen engagement
• Reduce distance between governors and the
governed at each level
–Administrative efficiency
• Reduce hierarchies between top management
and the frontline operators using management
tools
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
1.10. The Future of Government
18

19. • Government must be flatter
–Citizen engagement
• Reduce distance between governors and the
governed at each level
–Administrative efficiency
• Reduce hierarchies between top management
and the frontline operators using management
tools
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
1.10. The Future of Government
19

20. • Government must be agile(alert)
– flexibility in regulatory and legal structures
– Organize and re-organize itself as may be required
– Have highly skilled manpower.
• Government must be efficient and rational
– Have an optimal civil service size
– Using shared services, labor and other resources
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
…..The Future of Government
20

21. • Government must be tech-enabled
– Policy, legal and regulatory frameworks and
processes must be redesigned to align with the
dynamics of the networked world.
– Information infrastructures must support new
modes of collaboration, information and
intensive governance.
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.)
……..The Future of Government
21

22. End of chapter one
Hagos Gemechu (Dr.) 22