United States Public Administration: to articulate and apply a public service perspective

Question #4. Competency: to articulate and apply a public service perspective

For a California County (Riverside county). A Water Management Plan has been created for your County in collaboration with other stakeholders. Now it must be implemented. Some County Supervisors recommend outsourcing the policy implementation. You are tasked with briefing the Board on the pros and cons of such outsourcing. Begin your brief by outlining the issues of any outsourcing of the public’s business, making sure to identify any ethical or public service values that are important to understand about this issue. Make a recommendation supported by evidence and reasoning. [You are tasked with briefing the board on the PRO and Cons of such outsourcing.]

Thinking about the Public service value

Recommendation prefer not to use outsourcing

How will you go about this?

Stakeholder Analysis

Pros and Cons of Outsourcing

Outlining Issues

· Ethical and public service values

Recommendation/Conclusion

Intro

Stakeholder Analysis:

Outsourcing

Outsourcing- a unit of government selecting a vendor to provide a service that the unit historically would provide by itself.

- The procurement of product or services from sources that are external to the organization

- Contracts out water management plan implementation to vendor or suppliers

- If the County doesn’t outsource the county remains responsible for provision of all services & management decisions.

- Goal of outsourcing is: reduce costs, to access expertise on a long- term basis in order to be able to vary its quantity and mix over time.

-Can be operational, strategic, or combined

Pros:

· Reduce costs

· Vendor specializes in the service

· Flexible

· Efficient & Effective

· Innovative

Cons:

· Hidden costs

· Not focused on public service

· Misalignment of public service values

· Outsourcing may not achieve the expected benefit

· Lack of accountability

· Losing control of outsource activity

· Slower turnaround time

· Dependence on the supplier (partial or total reliance on a 3rd party)

Outlining the issues of any outsourcing of the public’s business, making sure to identify any ETHICAL OR PUBLIC SERVICE values that are important to understand the issues.

Public Service Values

Public Service Value - Public service is focused on the greater good and the public’s interest.

Fluff: Public Service- something organized by the government or an official body in order to benefit all the ppl in a particular society or community. Public servants shall perform their duties and arrange their private affairs so that public confidence and trust in the integrity, objectivity and impartiality of government are conserved and enhanced. Public Servants are motivated to serve the public. Public Servants are not motivated by profit and only have the public’s interest at hand

Discuss issues on outsourcing- I will be using the American Society of Public Administration (8) to support the issues. Although there are some benefits to outsourcing, I have identified issues to outsourcing. Due to time constraints, I will discuss 3 issues on outsourcing.

(S.A.M.) Within these 3 Issues we provide the ASPA values.

Issue 1: Service Minded

ASPA:Strengthen social equity

Treat all persons w/ justice, equity & respect (individual differences)

Advance professional excellence

Issue 2: Accountability

ASPA:Uphold constitutional law

Fully inform & advise - transparent

Promote democratic participation

Demonstrate personal integrity

Issue 3: Mission Driven

ASPA: Advance public interest

Promote ethical organizations

Ethical: Fluff

- Ethical values: Acting at all times in such a way as to uphold the public trust.

- Transparency

- Accountability

- Timely and informative communication with the community (keeps all parties involved so that they can work toward a common goal, and ensures that the community can engage their leaders on important issues).

- Open forums in order to give the public the opportunity to be able to voice their opinion and give their feedback.

- Uphold the law and policies in place in order to give the public a safe environment

- Threats to confidential information can put the public’s information at risk

Make a recommendation supported by evidence and reasoning. (Do we recommend outsourcing for our policy implementation?)

Recommendation to NOT OUTSOURCE

Outsourcing in many ways is good….. However, in this particular service we are not recommending to outsource because in this nature of service we are dealing with the basic human need for water that requires strict adherence to public service values in the pursuit of public health, equity of implementation, environmental friendly practices, and quality of life for residents.

Due to pertaining to water policy we will never compromise Public Health and Public Safety.

(P.E.E.Q)

· Public health

· Social sustainability

· All humans have access to adequate and affordable water services to meet their health and livelihood requirements.

· Equity of implementation

· Economic

· Water management is affordable

· Cost effective

· Economic costs and financial risk are understood

· Environmental friendly practices

· Environmental sustainability

· Where water use and management does not compromise biodiversity, the functioning of habitats, or hydrological processes that are essential to society.

· Quality of life for residents

** HP: Examples Trash Service

Can also use Flint here