Tariq Mahmood Awan
Pakistan has a generalist bureaucracy in a specialized world. The skill level of the bureaucracy is obsolete, bygone and colonial. One can quickly know the deck of bureaucracy skills through the capacity of an administrative secretary in the following example. An administrative secretary is an administrative head, principal accounting officer and executor of the official business of the department or ministry. Supposedly, the administrative secretary is the most capable person in the department or ministry, representing the overall capacity of the bureaucracy. Accordingly, secretaries are responsible for implementing the department or ministry’s rules of business. Now, the question arises: how do they work? Their administrative work symbolises the capacity crisis of bureaucracy in Pakistan.
Commonly, all the resources remain at the disposal of secretaries: the perks, priveledges, drivers, vehicles, staff and almost all. How does a generalist secretary function? Let’s examine it!
A brigade of drivers will remain at the disposal of a secretary. Then, his blue-eyed driver will fetch him to the office. His peon will open the door for him. An office assistant will suddenly serve the coffee. The telephone operator will link him to others. His stenographer will write a few lines for him. His assistants will provide him with the administrative start he needs to function. There will be assistants operating his laptop, software and other technical tools. To summarise, he needs at least a battalion of assistants to be operational. Then there are also consultants, IT professionals, legal advisors and others who will ensure the secretary becomes functional. But, somehow, secretaries remain dysfunctional.
Then, on the other side of the story, the CEO of an international company drives the car himself, opens his office, makes his operations ready himself, treats his guests appropriately, and at the end of the day, single-handedly performs all those tasks far better than an administrative secretary in Paksitani administration despite having the support of an army of officers and officials. Therefore, there is something rotten with the bureaucracy in Pakistan. They are suffering from the worst individual and institutional capacity crisis.
The preceding example can easily refer to the capacity crisis of Pakistani bureaucracy. Let’s explain in detail the essential skills the modern bureaucracy must have. The skills are almost the same; however, with technological and AI advancement, the administrative methods, techniques and structures have evolved to specific skills and talents.
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Information and communication technology (ICT) skills are essential for modern governance and administration, as they enable efficient and transparent service delivery, data management, communication, and innovation. However, the Pakistani bureaucracy needs more ICT skills and infrastructure, as well as resistance to change and adaptation. According to a study by republicpolicy.com, the bureaucracy is reluctant to use ICT tools for fear of losing control and authority, as well as facing accountability and scrutiny. Moreover, the bureaucracy lacks adequate training and resources to acquire and update ICT skills, which hampers its performance and effectiveness. The study suggests that the bureaucracy should adopt a proactive and positive attitude towards ICT and invest in developing its human capital and infrastructure to enhance its ICT capacity. Furthermore, the bureaucracy should promote a culture of innovation and learning and collaborate with other stakeholders, such as civil society, academia, and the private sector, to leverage ICT for better governance.
Communication skills are vital for any organization, especially for the public sector, as they facilitate coordination, collaboration, information sharing, feedback, and public relations. However, the Pakistani bureaucracy needs help in developing and maintaining effective communication skills, both internally and externally. According to a report by republicpolicy.com, the bureaucracy lacks trust, teamwork, and mutual respect among its members, leading to poor communication and coordination. Moreover, the bureaucracy has a hierarchical and rigid structure, which discourages open and constructive dialogue and feedback. Additionally, the bureaucracy has a poor public image and reputation, which affects its credibility and legitimacy. The report suggests that the bureaucracy should foster a culture of trust, respect, and cooperation among its members and adopt a participatory and inclusive approach to decision-making and problem-solving. Moreover, the bureaucracy should enhance its communication skills through training and education and use various media platforms to engage with the public and other stakeholders.
We live in a coded society. Therefore, the bureaucracy in Pakistan must have the specialized skills of administrative law. Administrative laws are the rules and regulations that govern the actions and decisions of administrative authorities, such as ministries and departments. They aim to ensure legality, rationality, accountability, transparency, fairness, and efficiency in public administration. However, the Pakistani bureaucracy needs to work on implementing and enforcing administrative laws effectively. According to multiple reports, the bureaucracy is often influenced by political interference, corruption, nepotism, favouritism, and personal interests, which undermine its adherence to administrative laws. Moreover, the bureaucracy lacks adequate knowledge and awareness of administrative laws, as well as proper training and guidance on how to apply them. Furthermore, the bureaucracy faces legal challenges from various sources, such as courts, tribunals, commissions, ombudsmen, etc., which question its authority and legitimacy. The studies suggest that the bureaucracy should uphold the rule of law and respect the constitutional framework of governance. Moreover, the bureaucracy should enhance its legal literacy and competence through education and training. Furthermore, the bureaucracy should cooperate with other institutions of accountability and oversight to ensure compliance with administrative laws.
Public financial management is critical for the bureaucracy in Pakistan. Public financial management (PFM) is the process of planning, executing, monitoring, reporting, auditing, and evaluating public revenues and expenditures. It aims to ensure fiscal discipline, allocative efficiency, operational efficiency, transparency, accountability, equity, sustainability, and responsiveness in public finance. However, the Pakistani bureaucracy needs more skills in managing public finances effectively. According to research by Republic Policy, the bureaucracy suffers from a lack of fiscal autonomy, as it depends on external sources such as donors or loans for its budgetary needs. Moreover, the bureaucracy lacks proper planning and forecasting skills to allocate resources optimally according to priorities and needs. Additionally, the bureaucracy faces issues of corruption, mismanagement, wastage, leakage, and fraud in executing public expenditures. The report suggests that the bureaucracy should strengthen its fiscal capacity and independence by mobilizing domestic resources and reducing its reliance on external funding. Moreover, the bureaucracy should improve its planning and budgeting skills through training and technical assistance. Furthermore, the bureaucracy should enhance its financial accountability and transparency by adopting modern accounting standards, auditing systems, and reporting mechanisms.
The generalist bureaucracy in Pakistan performs developmental work. Developmental work refers to the activities undertaken by the public sector to improve the social, economic, and environmental conditions of the people. It aims to achieve goals such as poverty reduction, human development, infrastructure development, environmental protection, etc. However, the Pakistani bureaucracy faces several challenges in carrying out developmental work effectively. According to Dr Nadeem ul Haq, the bureaucracy lacks a clear vision, strategy, and policy framework for development, as it is often influenced by political agendas, short-term interests, and ad hoc approaches. Moreover, the bureaucracy lacks the technical and managerial skills to implement developmental projects efficiently and effectively, as it faces issues of delays, cost overruns, quality compromises, etc. Additionally, the bureaucracy lacks the monitoring and evaluation skills to assess the outcomes and impacts of developmental work, as it relies on outdated and unreliable data and indicators. The study suggests that the bureaucracy should develop a coherent and comprehensive vision, strategy, and policy framework for development based on evidence-based research and analysis. Moreover, the bureaucracy should enhance its technical and managerial skills to execute developmental projects professionally and competently by using modern tools and techniques. Furthermore, the bureaucracy should improve its monitoring and evaluation skills to measure the results and impacts of developmental work by using reliable and relevant data and indicators.
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In the classical perspective, the political executive is responsible for making policies, and it is the bureaucracy, the permanent executive, which is responsible for its implementation. However, in Pakistan, it is the bureaucracy which is also developing the policy framework. Then, policy framework refers to the set of principles, guidelines, objectives, and instruments that guide the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policies. It aims to ensure coherence, consistency, effectiveness, efficiency, legitimacy, and responsiveness in public policy-making. However, the Pakistani bureaucracy faces several issues in developing and maintaining a sound policy framework. The bureaucracy suffers from a lack of policy-making capacity, as it lacks adequate knowledge, skills, expertise, and resources to formulate evidence-based and innovative policies. Moreover, the bureaucracy suffers from a lack of policy coordination, as it faces conflicts and overlaps among various ministries, departments, agencies, etc., which hamper the implementation and integration of policies. Additionally, the bureaucracy suffers from a lack of policy evaluation, as it fails to monitor and review the performance and outcomes of policies. Critics believe that the bureaucracy should strengthen its policy-making capacity by investing in human capital development, research and development, and information technology. Moreover, the bureaucracy should improve its policy coordination by establishing effective mechanisms for inter-ministerial and inter-agency collaboration and communication. Furthermore, the bureaucracy should enhance its policy evaluation by adopting rigorous methods and standards for policy analysis and feedback.
Moreover, the departments and ministries are fundamentally structured to implement rules of business. Rules of business are the rules and procedures that regulate the functioning of administrative authorities, such as ministries and departments. They aim to ensure orderliness, clarity, efficiency, accountability, transparency, and fairness in public administration. However, the Pakistani bureaucracy faces several difficulties in implementing rules of business effectively. Bureaucracy is often ignorant or negligent of the rules of business, as it lacks proper training and awareness on how to follow them. Moreover, the bureaucracy is often inconsistent or arbitrary in applying rules of business, as it is influenced by personal or political interests or pressures. Additionally, the bureaucracy is often challenged or violated by rules of business, as it faces legal or administrative actions from various sources such as courts, tribunals, commissions, ombudsmen, etc., which question its authority and legitimacy. The study suggests that the bureaucracy should uphold the respect for rules of business by enhancing its training and education on how to comply with them. Moreover, the bureaucracy should ensure uniformity and impartiality in applying rules of business by avoiding any undue influence or interference from any source. Furthermore, the bureaucracy should cooperate with other institutions of accountability and oversight to ensure compliance with the rules of business.
Lastly, enforcing laws, rules, and regulations is the primary obligation of the bureaucracy. Enforcing laws, rules, and regulations refers to the process of ensuring that the administrative authorities act in accordance with the legal framework of governance. It aims to ensure legality, rationality, accountability, transparency, fairness, and efficiency in public administration. However, the Pakistani bureaucracy faces several challenges in enforcing laws, rules, and regulations effectively. According to the administrative professionals in Pakistan, bureaucracy suffers from a lack of enforcement capacity, as it lacks adequate manpower, equipment, resources, and authority to enforce laws, rules, and regulations. Moreover, the bureaucracy suffers from a lack of enforcement motivation, as it is often demoralized or discouraged by low salaries, poor incentives, harsh working conditions, etc. Additionally, the bureaucracy suffers from a lack of enforcement credibility, as it is often accused or suspected of corruption, inefficiency, partiality, etc. The report suggests that the bureaucracy should enhance its enforcement capacity by increasing its staffing, equipment, resources, and authority to enforce laws, rules, and regulations. Moreover, the bureaucracy should improve its enforcement motivation by raising its salaries, incentives, working conditions, etc.
Consequently, the argument brings to the surface the capacity crisis of bureaucracy in Pakistan. Critics propose that there is also a question on the intent of bureaucracy. They criticize that most of the civil servants join civil services due to the perks and privileges of the bureaucracy. It might be a substantive argument; however, the fundamental reason is that they are not material to perform in a challenging and skillful administrative environment. There must be specialized administrators now who could develop specialized legislation, administrative structures and performance modules.
The departments or ministries must perform like profitable companies. The organizational structures, human resources, and culture require technology, innovation, and autonomy. Unfortunately, the generalist bureaucracy cannot function in Pakistan’s modern, challenging times. Therefore, Pakistan must prioritize the civil service and administrative reforms, at the earliest.
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