Leadership, Governance and Public Policy Implementation Competencies in the Broader Public Sector

Abstract

The public sector is massive and complex. It is massive in the sense that members of the publicvperceive it  forces they imperfectly understand and against which they are relatively powerless (Dunsire in Kaufmann 1991:326), yet its activities affect them directly. It is complex in the sense that although activities in the public sector (i.e. public administration) are supposed to be publicly accountable, the public neither has the knowledge about objectives nor the latest information on what is going on in the public sector. These are two preconditions for direct control (Dunsire In Kaufmann 1991:328). This massiveness and complexity of the public sector requires that those engaged in leadership (public leadership) and governance (public governance) have broader understanding of these concepts over and above the narrow understanding ascribed to them in most literature. The assumption is that public leadership and public governance could serve as pre-requisites for proper public policy implementation which is identified as the weakest link in the public policy process, with requisite implementation competencies in the broader public sector. Developmental states are characterised by a multitude of factors that need to be addressed such as poverty, structural adjustments, sustainable good governance in the face of globalisation and democracy, corruption and strategic policy challenges. The development of good public policies in developmental states is no panacea to problems facing such states. Even the importation of good administrative/management practices have not had the required impact on developmental states. This necessitates a revisit and analysis of other factors that may contribute positively towards achievement of developmental goals.

This paper argues for public policy implementation competencies backed up by appropriate public leadership and public governance as mechanisms to address developmental goals both locally, continentally and globally. The underpinning problem statement is that why even the importation of good administrative/management practices have failed to impact positively on developmental states in their quest for development of their respective states.

Keywords: Public leadership; public Governance; competencies.