Role of Bureaucracy in Policy formulation

Bureaucracy: Meaning, Features and Role of Bureaucracy!

Bureaucracy or the government officials constitutes the permanent and professional a part of the chief organ of state . it's usually described because the non-political or politically neutral, permanent, and professionally trained government officials . Role of Bureaucracy in Policy formulation.

It runs the administration of the state consistent with the policies and laws of the govt political executive. Upon the q ualities and efficiency of bureaucracy depends the standard and efficiency of the state administration. It, however, works under the leadership and control of the Political Executive.

Bureaucracy: Meaning and Definition:

The terms bureaucracy, government officials , public servants, public service, civil servants, government service, government servants, officials of state , officials, permanent executive and non-political executive are wont to describe all such persons who perform the day to day administration of the state. The terms Bureaucracy’ and ‘Civil Service’ are popularly used as synonyms.

Narrow and Broad uses of the term Bureaucracy:

In a narrow sense the term Bureaucracy is employed to denote those important and better level public servants who occupy top level positions within the state administration. within the broad sense, it refers to all or any the permanent employees of the govt right from the peons and clerks to the highest level officials. Presently, we use the term in its broader dimension. Role of Bureaucracy in Policy formulation

Definitions:

(1) “Bureaucracy means the civil servants, the executive functionaries who are professionally trained for the general public service and who enjoy permanency of tenure, promotion within service-partly by seniority and partly by merit.” -Garner

(2) “In its broad larger sense the term government officials is employed to explain any personnel system where the workers are classified during a system of administration composed of a hierarchy, sections, divisions, bureaus, departments and therefore the like.” -Willoughby

(3) “Civil Service/Bureaucracy may be a professional body of officials permanent, paid and skilled.” -Finer

Bureaucracy: Main Features:

1. Permanent Character:

The civil servants hold permanent jobs in government departments. They mostly join their services during their youths and still work as government servants till the age of retirement which is typically 58 to 60 years.

2. Hierarchical Organisation:

Bureaucracy is hierarchically organised in several levels. Each official is placed at a specific level of hierarchy and he enjoys the privileges and powers which are available to his co-level officials. he's under his immediate higher level officials and is above his immediately lower level officials. The principle of rule of the upper over the lower governs the inter-relations between various levels of bureaucracy.

3. Non-partisan Character:

The members of the Bureaucracy aren't directly involved in politics. they can't join political parties and participate in political movements. they're not suffering from the political changes which keep it up coming within the political executive. Whichever party may come to power and make the govt , the civil servants remain politically neutral and perform their assigned departmental roles impartially and faithfully.

4. Professional, Trained and Expert Class:

The Bureaucracy constitutes the educated and professionally trained class of persons which helps the political executive in completing its functions. The members of government officials are recruited through competitive examinations for appearing during which they need to possess some minimum educational qualifications. Before their appointments, they get special trainings. During the course of their service they attend orientation and refresher courses. they need the knowledge, training and expertise necessary for completing their administrative work.

5. Fixed Salaries:

Each member of the Bureaucracy receives a hard and fast salary. Right at the time of appointment he's allotted a scale of pay, which depends upon the character and level of his job-responsibility. All the civil servants belonging to a specific class of administrative hierarchy are placed in one scale of pay. Each job also entitles them to some allowances.

6. Bound by Rules and Regulations:

The Bureaucracy always works in accordance with ‘rules and regulations’. ‘Strict obedience to rules’, ‘Through Proper Channel’, ‘Decision-making after satisfying the rules’, are the principles which always guide, direct and regulate the working of bureaucracy. Each official works only within the sphere prescribed for him by the principles of his department.

7. Class Consciousness:

The Civil Servants are highly class conscious. They jealously work to guard and promote the interests of their class of civil servants. they're called the white-collar class due to their faith in their ‘superior status’ as officialdom .

8. Public Service Spirit because the Ideal:

Modern Bureaucracy identifies itself with public service spirit. It always tries to project itself because the civil servants dedicated to the promotion of public welfare through the satisfaction of public needs. they're expected to behave as ‘officers’ liable for public welfare, with service as their motto.

9. Bound by a Code of Conduct:

The civil servants need to follow a code of conduct. they need to act during a disciplined way. Their rights, duties and privileges stand clearly defined. The procedure of labor is definite and settled. they will be punished for misbehavior, incompetence or negligence or for a violation of their conduct rules. In short, Bureaucracy is characterised by political neutrality, professional competence, permanent/ stable tenure, fixed salaries and strict obedience to rules.

Role of Bureaucracy: Functions:

Bureaucracy or government officials plays a key role in running the general public Administration e by performing the subsequent functions:

1. Implementation of Governmental Policies and Laws:

It is the responsibility of the bureaucracy to hold out and implement the policies of the govt . Good policies and laws can really serve their objectives only these are efficiently implemented by the civil servants.

2. Role in Policy-Formulation:

Policy-making is that the function of the political executive. However, the Bureaucracy plays a lively role during this exercise. Civil Servants supply the info needed by the political executive for formulating the policies. In fact, Civil servants formulate several alternative policies and describe the merits and demerits of every . The Political Executive then selects and adopts one such policy alternative because the governmental policy.

3. Running of Administration:

To run the day to day administration in accordance with the policies, laws, rules, regulations and decisions of the govt is additionally the key responsibility of the Bureaucracy. The political executive simply exercises guiding, controlling and supervising functions.

4. Advisory Function:

One of the important functions of the Bureaucracy is to advise the political executive. The ministers receive all the knowledge and advice regarding the functioning of their respective departments from the civil servants. As amateurs, the ministers have little knowledge about the functions of their departments. They, therefore, depend on the recommendation of bureaucracy. As qualified, experienced and expert civil servants working altogether government departments, they supply expert and professional advice and knowledge to the ministers.

5. Role in Legislative Work:

The civil servants play a crucial but indirect role in law-making. They draft the bills which the ministers undergo the legislature for law-making. The ministers provide all the knowledge asked for by the legislature by taking the assistance of the civil servants.

6. Collection of Taxes and Disbursement of monetary Benefits:

The civil servants play a vitally important role in financial administration. They advise the political executive in respect of all financial planning, tax-structure, tax-administration and therefore the like. They collect taxes and settle disputes involving recovery of taxes. They play an important role in preparing the budget and taxation proposals. They perform the function of granting of legally sanctioned financial benefits, tax reliefs, subsidies and other concessions to the people.

8. Record-Keeping:

The government officials has the only responsibility of keeping systematically all government records. They collect, classify and analyse all data concerning all activities of the govt . They collect and maintain vital socio¬economic statistics which are used for the formulation of Public policies and plans.

9. Role publicly Relations:

The era of recent state and democratic politics has made it essential for the govt to stay close relations with the people of the state. the necessity for maintaining active and full PR may be a vital necessity of each state. The civil servants play a lively role during this sphere.

They are the most agents who establish direct contacts with the people. They function a two way link. On the one hand, they convey all government decisions to the people, and on the opposite hand, they convey to the govt the requirements , interests and views of the people. Thus, Bureaucracy plays a vigorously active and highly important role within the working of the govt .

Control over Bureaucracy:

The rise of recent state and increase in its functions has been a source of massive increase within the powers and role of Bureaucracy. It has, therefore, given rise to a further need for exercising control over bureaucracy. an efficient system has become essential both for preventing the civil servants from abusing their powers also as for ensuring their active and positive role. In fact, every state maintains a system of internal and external control over Bureaucracy.

(A) Internal Control:

It means control applied from within the organisation i.e. by the executive machinery. the executive organisation is hierarchical and is split into wings, divisions, branches and sections. There are present some internal controls in its every section. The tools of control are budgeting, accounting, auditing, reports, inspections, efficiency surveys, personnel control, code of conduct, and discipline and leadership control.

(B) External Control:

External control is that which flows from outside agencies. These agencies are the people, the legislature, the chief and therefore the judiciary.

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