PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

V. CURRENT ISSUES/TRENDS
IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Presented by:
ANDY C. PABLICO JR.
ROBERT A. MONTAÑO
Current Issues/Trends in Public
Administration
 Governments across the world – have reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic in
various ways. Public administration professionals are navigating through the
heavy economic and social pressures they’ve faced since the start of the
pandemic, and they’ve learned about the need for flexibility and adaptability
within multi-level governance systems.
 Although the pandemic has caused many issues and challenges in public
administration, there are also other trends worth monitoring. In this article,
we explore eight current trends and issues in public administration, including
those directly connected to the pandemic and those that aren’t
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Current Issues/Trends in Public

Administration
 1. INCREASED DIGITAL GOVERNANCE-The complications
of the COVID-19 pandemic have ushered in the next
generation of government digitization. For many public
agencies, digital transformation went from "good to have"
to "must-have." Governments have sped their digital
journey along three important dimensions to
accommodate the spike in service demand while working
virtually:
- Building a more digitally-skilled staff.
- Growing their digital infrastructure.
- Investing in citizen connection.
Current Issues/Trends in Public
Administration
 2. IMPROVED DATA MANAGEMENT
 - Within and beyond government, data is becoming increasingly important. Public agencies are
developing new ways to maximize the value of the data they have, including sharing it
correctly and ethically. The trend toward fluid, dynamic data is transforming how government
and its partners in academia, charities and the commercial sector utilize and exchange data
around the world.
 This can include repurposing data to acquire fresh insights into the past and
present, as well as making informed projections about the future. Organizations can create
programs that are based on an intelligence architecture. Past performance, along with real-
time data, can help public administration officials make better decisions for the future.

 3. ANTICIPATORY PUBLIC SERVICES

- Committing to entirely digital services.
- Constructing infrastructure to enable such seamless services.
- Establishing proactive services based on life events.
 3. ANTICIPATORY PUBLIC SERVICES
 -Citizens are increasingly receiving tailored, seamless and proactive services
in their daily lives, and they expect the same from government entities. For
example, state and local agencies are exploring the increased use of 
digital tools – such as automated text message reminders – when
administering the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants
and Children.
 In order to transform their services and realize this idea of 
seamless service delivery, governments are pursuing several strategies, such
as:

- Committing to entirely digital services.

- Constructing infrastructure to enable such seamless services.
- Establishing proactive services based on life events.
 4. Comprehensive Cyber security Measures
 With government agencies investing more in digitization – including more
efforts in using data and anticipatory services – cybercriminals now have more
potential targets in the public sector. Improving the nation’s overall
cybersecurity is a national priority, as a single cyber-attack on one
government target can pose a danger to a whole industry or sector.
Government officials are working to break down internal silos, identify
vulnerabilities, and employ skilled cyber security professionals at all levels.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

 5. DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

 Another concern related to increased digitization and data usage is ensuring that
government agencies also prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion. Responsible
organizations are now concentrating more on the underlying causes of 
systemic inequalities and examining how their policies are produced,
implemented and reviewed. Some of the approaches being used are:

- Accessible design of government services.
- Co-creation and citizen engagement.
- Data sovereignty and equity.
- Equitable access to public goods.
 6. FLEXIBLE AND REMOTE WORKPLACES
 Organizations are rethinking how to carry out their missions. The pandemic brought the
future of government employment into the present, from remote labor to telemedicine
and online classrooms. This direction coincides with the rise of 
flexible and remote workplaces, including methods for managing a distributed
workforce and providing high-quality citizen services remotely.

 7. AGILE ADMINISTRATION
 Again, the COVID-19 pandemic underlined the importance of rapid, flexible and mission-
driven governance, and public administration offices across the globe have demonstrated
that they are up to the task. Government entities must be able to make quick judgments
and move ahead with confidence, especially during emergencies. Policymaking,
legislation, procurement and the workforce are all examples of where this is needed.
Current Issues/Trends in Public
Administration
 Rebuilding Government Trust
 In the U.S., trust in the government has hovered near historic lows for years.
One of the keys to rebuilding this trust is understanding that “the
government” is not one entity; it’s composed of many different agencies that
fulfill different roles and offer different services.
 Deloitte Insights, a global research agency, proposed the following six “
archetypes” of government agencies, each with their own set of
considerations and strategies for restoring trust:
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Current Issues/Trends in Public

Administration
 8. REBUILDING GOVERNMENT TRUST
- Educator
- Enforcer
- Innovator
- Regulator
- Retailer
- Retailer-Like
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

5 GLOBAL TRENDS IN PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION
1. Evolving Political Climate
2. Public Health Policy Changes
3. Rapidly Advancing Technology
4. Grassroots Advocacy
5. Sustainability
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Sustainable Development and

Environment
 What is environment and sustainable development?
-Environmental sustainability is responsibly interacting with
the planet to maintain natural resources and not
jeopardize the ability for future generations to meet their
needs.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Sustainable Development and

Environment
 What is Sustainable Development?
- Sustainable Development is “developments that meets
the need of the present, without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own needs”. But
sustainable development is about more than just the
environment.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Sustainable Development and

Environment
 Importance of Sustainable Development

Sustainable development always encourages us to conserve and

enhance our resources, by gradually changing the manners in which
we develop and use technologies. All Countries should meet their
basic needs of employment, food, energy, water, and sanitation.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Sustainable Development and

Environment
 The main features of sustainable development are as follows:
-It improves the quality of human life.
-It minimizes the depletion of natural resources.
-It teaches us to respect and care for all the life forms.
-Checking the pollution levels.
-Making arrangements so that the future generation are able to meet
their own demands.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Sustainable Development and

Environment
 The Pillars of Sustainability
-Human
-Social
-Economic
-Environmental.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Sustainable Development and

Environment
 Examples of Sustainable Development
-Wind Energy
-Solar Energy
-Crop Rotation
-Water efficient fixtures
-Green Spaces
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and the

Environment
 Public Administration and the Environment
-Under environmental management, public administrators are
responsible for natural resources management. The federal public
sector works with the private sector, nonprofits and state and local
governments to administer proper judgments and sustainable measures
for natural resources management through its employees.
-Environmental Administration is a concept of managing human affair in
such a way that biological health, diversity and ecological balance will
be preserved. It is also defined as process of carrying out activities
which are concerned with protection and enhancement of the quality of
the environment.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and the

Environment

 Why is it important to manage the environment?

-An effective environmental management process reduces carbon
emissions, prevents pollution, and helps in processing all the waste
and wise usage of energy and resources. We are utilizing and wasting
natural resources too much. If we continue to do so, one day everything
will be destroyed.
-Environment plays an important role in healthy living and the
existence of life on planet earth. Earth is a home for different living
species and we all are dependent on the environment for food, air,
water, and other needs. Therefore, it is important for every individual to
save and protect our environment.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and the

Environment
 How is ecology related to public administration?
-The ecological approach in public administration focuses attention on
the dynamic relationship between a public administration system and
its total environment, physical, culture, historical economic and
political.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and the

Environment
 Environmental problems and some of the key issues are:
-Pollution
-Global warming
-Overpopulation
-Waste disposal
-Ocean acidification
-Loss of biodiversity
-Deforestation
-Ozone layer depletion
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and the

Environment
 How do we manage the environment?
-Identifying environmental issues
-Finding solutions for environmental issues
-Establishing limits to avoid overuse
-Help to renew natural resources
-Minimize the use of natural resources
-Developing monitoring systems and research institutions
-Regeneration of degraded environment.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Administration for Sustainable

Development
 Sustainable development in administration
-The term “sustainable development administration” describes an
aspect of public policy that is concerned with the application of the
sustainable development paradigm to public administration
structures, processes, and institutions.
 Sustainable development in government
-Sustainable development is the promise of a political response to a
number of issues, and governance is the coordination of that response.
Governance is therefore the way in which sustainable development is
built.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Administration for Sustainable

Development
 Why is sustainability important in government?
-Government must be more about creating and protecting wealth.
Sustainable governance looks at wealth beyond the singular province of
profit. Learning Sustainability teaches us that wealth comes from the
environment and people as well as the profit sector.
 What is good governance in sustainable development?
-Good governance promotes accountability, transparency, efficiency and
rule of law at all levels and allows efficient management of human,
natural, economic and financial resources for equitable and sustainable
development, guaranteeing civil society participation in decision-making
processes.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Administration for Sustainable

Development
 The role of government in sustainable development
-Governments play a key role in achieving the development goals and
targets through, for instance, setting and implementing water quality
policy frameworks and standards, and regulating the discharge of
pollutants into the environment, and wastewater management,
recycling and reuse.
 How can the sustainable development goals benefit from good
governance?
-Good governance will help by fostering an environment for collective
action, ensuring that the actors involved are held accountable and
dealing with emerging complex trade-offs between the goals.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Administration for Sustainable

Development
 What can the government do to promote sustainable development?
-To promote sustainable development, governments will need to form
coherent cross-sectoral policies – with respect to the environment,
agriculture, energy, economy, trade, foreign affairs and development
cooperation – that will improve integrated water resources management
and governance.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and Sustainable

Development
 What is sustainability in public administration?
-Sustainability involves three systems: environmental, economic, and
political/social systems. The challenge of governance, and thus of public
administration, is to sustain each of these systems on its own while
maintaining an appropriate balance among them.
 How does sustainable development help the economy?
-The benefits of Sustainable Economic Development impact more than
just those in poverty. For example, reducing energy use and expanding
public transit options leads to less air pollution, which can improve
asthma and heart conditions. Efficient homes and businesses will be
more comfortable and safer.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and Sustainable

Development
 How does sustainability affect society?
-Sustainability improves the quality of our lives, protects our
ecosystem and preserves natural resources for future generations. In
the corporate world, sustainability is associated with an organization's
holistic approach, taking into account everything, from manufacturing to
logistics to customer service.
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and Sustainable

Development
 Characteristics of a Sustainable Community
-Saved lives
-Reduced damage to property
-Reduced economic losses
-Minimized social disruption
-Ability of local government to resume operations quickly
-Shorter recovery period for the community
PA 204: THEORY AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Public Administration and Sustainable

Development
 Role of community in sustainable development
-Direct participation from the community fosters inclusive
development of all its members. Economic progress leads to social
change, better access to education and healthcare, and infrastructural
growth.
 Examples of sustainable communities
-Tribes across the nation are developing or expanding community-wide
sustainability programs. Examples include recycling and composting
programs, renewable energy projects, and utilizing community green
teams to assess and prioritize sustainability needs.
Thank you!