PARTNERSHIP IN PUBLIC SERVICE A THEORETICAL EXPLORATION

PARTNERSHIP IN PUBLIC SERVICE: A THEORETICAL

EXPLORATION

Introduction

This paper is intended as a contribution to efforts to improve public services by the

government. One of the most important tasks of government is to provide public services to

the community, therefore government organizations are often referred to as "public service"

(Wasistiono, 2009). Although the tasks and functions of public services are the authority and

responsibility of the government, with the principle of community participation as one of the

pillars of good governance or good governance, the community actually needs to be

involved further in service provision activities, starting from the planning, implementation

and supervision stages. Thus, the dominant paradigm that has tended to view public services

as the obligation and responsibility of the government, while the community is on the

passive side, which only waits and demands to get services, seems to need to be reviewed.

The synergy between the government, the business world and the community allows the

quality of services to improve, because the community itself oversees its implementation.

In developing countries such as in United States, people's welfare depends on their ability to

access and use public services, but the demand for these services generally far exceeds the

government's ability to fulfill them. On the other hand, centralizing all public affairs in the

hands of the state is in reality just rhetoric, as the complexity of public services is impossible

for the government to do alone.

Public demands for quality public services, with clear procedures, carried out promptly

and at a reasonable cost, have continued to come to the fore from time to time. This demand

has grown along with the growing awareness that citizens in The citizens of a democratic

nation-state have a right to be served. It is the duty of government officials to provide

services in accordance with the demands of these citizens. However, what's the matter? The

changes that have occurred during the reform era have not completely changed the order of

people's lives in the field of public services. The hope is still very far away that citizens can

gain ample access to good and quality services. (Larasati, 2008: 255).

According to Miftah Thoha (in Sedarma-Yanti, 2009: 243), public service can be

understood as an effort by a person/group of people, or certain institutions to provide

convenience and assistance to the community in order to achieve certain goals. However, in

order to optimize public services carried out by the government bureaucracy is not an easy

task considering that these efforts involve various aspects that have become a culture in the

government bureaucratic circle. Therefore, the role of the private sector and the community

is expected to complement the government in creating optimal quality public services.

The involvement of the business world (private) and the community in optimizing

public services is of course very supportive in achieving the big goal of Good Governance,

in the concept of Good Governance, the role of the community and the private sector is very

important because of the change in the development paradigm by reviewing the role of

government in development, which originally acted as a regulator and market servant, to

how to create a conducive climate and invest in infrastructure that supports the business

world. Of course, this can be realized if the community and the private sector themselves

have adequate capabilities.

Public Service Paradigm Shift

A new paradigm of public administration, This has led to a pattern of relations between the

state and society, which emphasizes the interests of the community. As a result, the state is

required to provide services to the community better and more democratically. A similar

understanding is given by Denhardt that the new public services paradigm is more directed

at "democracy, pride and citizens". Furthermore, it is said that "Public servants do not

delever customer service, they delever democracy" Therefore, the values of democracy,

citizenship and service for the public interest as a fundamental norm in the implementation

of public administration (Larasati, 2008: 260).

Public service is synonymous with the representation of the existence of the government

bureaucracy, because it is directly related to one of the functions of government, namely

providing services. Therefore, the quality of public services is a reflection of the quality of

the government bureaucracy. In the past, the public service paradigm gave a very large role

to the government as the sole provider. The role of parties outside the government never had

a place or was marginalized. The community and the private sector had little role in the

delivery of public services. Therefore, with regard to reforms in the public sector, one of the

important principles that change the paradigm of public services is the principle of steering

rather than rowing. In relation to this principle, the government is expected to play a

steering role rather than a rowing role. The rowing function can be performed more

efficiently by other professionals. This principle explains that the government cannot

continue to work alone, and must begin to change the service paradigm so that the objectives

of service delivery can be better achieved. The ongoing journey of democratization in

United States provides valuable lessons for the government (bureaucracy) and citizens

(citizens). The face and figure of the bureaucracy is now changing from a rigid, upward-

oriented bureaucracy to a bureaucratic one towards a more democratic, responsive,

transparent and participatory bureaucracy.

The term partnership is often interchangeable with many other terms such as

collaboration, alliance, co-production or consortium. These terms are actually a

manifestation of cooperation between individuals or groups that are mutually helpful,

mutually beneficial and jointly alleviate the achievement of the goals they have agreed upon.

This definitional problem is then followed by the fundamental statement that partnership is a

process, a product, an outgrowth or an end result (Borrini-Feyerabend, 1996).

Specifically in the field of public services, the notion of partnership refers to voluntary

and reciprocal support between two or more different public sector bodies. In other words,

between public and private administrations, including nonprofit organizations. The various

sectors provide support to each other in the context of public services that are part of the

government's mission.

The notion of partnership as working together is stated by Hodget & Johson (2001: 323)

that partnerships are directed at achieving goals as desired by individuals, groups,

institutions or organizations to produce meaningful and sustainable outputs. In partnerships,

there are relationships between organizations and with these relationships, cooperation will

be created. The partnership system is based on trust. with its characteristics, among others:

(I) equality and a more streamlined organization: (2) flexible actualization hierarchies

(where power is guided by values such as caring and caretaking); (3) nature-based

spirituality; (4) low levels of chaos built into the system; and (5) gender equality and equity.

Today, this command-and-control model is not only no longer appropriate, it is

becoming increasingly unworkable. Bureaucratic rigidity is deadly to organizations seeking

to navigate effectively in a fast-changing environment where innovation and flexibility are

key factors. In a partnership system, creativity is valued and rewarded. Partnership creativity

does not exclude dramatic creative changes, it also encourages creative relationships and

creative approaches to everyday problems. Everyday creativity in organizations can drive

continuous improvement and quality enhancement, such as new managerial practices, new

rewards, new educational processes, new organizational charts and so on. In addition,

organizations require a type of creativity that needs to be nurtured and encouraged by the

partnership model: the vast and underutilized refuge of social creativity and social

entrepreneurship.

Partnerships seek to involve the community, both in group and individual forms. Vigoda

(2002:527) refers to them as "social players" who have varying degrees of interests,

expertise, resources and decision-making capabilities. Vigoda highlights the ideal condition

of a partnership process in which citizens and the government act as a pair of "partners" in

the decision-making process. Particularly in the service delivery process, citizens should be

treated as partners work, and not as subjects or customers.

Partnership in the perspective of today's inter-organizational relationships was proposed

by Limerick and Cunnington (1993:6). According to them, there are eight in response to the

ever-changing world. The eight dimensions are:

■

Managing global markets;

■

Building a new kind of alliance between the public and private sectors;

■

Balancing competition with collaboration;

■

Drawing investors into the corporate environment;

■

Accepting corporate responsibility;

■

designing new forms of organizations;

■

Integrating sub cultures;

■

Turning every employee into the new millennium.

One of the eight dimensions is designing a new form of organization. The design of the

new form of organization is directed towards changes in several characteristics. First, the

organization moves from independent to inter-dependent forms. Second, the organization

moves from a hierarchical organization to a network organization. Third, it moves from a

participation model to a partnership culture (Taket and White, 2000:13). The new form of

organization in the future is also related to the term partnership in public services. In the

public sector, partnership refers to a situation of mutual support between organizations in the

context of public services. (Taket and White, 2000:14). It is characterized by the following

characteristics:

■

There are at least two institutions different, public sector with private or nonprofit

sector.

■

A written agreement to define the framework of the partnership.

■

There is a purpose (in general public service delivery).

■

There is a division of responsibilities consisting of sharing risks, resources, costs, and

benefits, both tangible and intangible.

From this definition, the elements of partnership can be mentioned as follows:

voluntariness, cooperation, efforts towards sustainable development, efficient allocation of

complementary resources, and involvement of the corporate sector, civil society groups and

government. If all these elements are present, then the potential for the implementation of an

excellent development program is sufficient.

The purpose and benefits of forming a partnership is to achieve better results, by

providing mutual benefits between partnering parties, Hafsah (2000: 54-62) suggests the

benefits that can be obtained in partnerships, some of which are:

■

Partnerships can improve organizational productivity;

■

Partnerships can help organizations achieve goals more efficiently;

■

Partnerships reduce the burden of risk borne by the organization by sharing it;

■

Partnerships have a huge social impact.

There are several requirements for successful partnership working that involve the

interests of all parties involved, namely government agencies and departments and local

communities themselves. Bryden, et al, (1998) propose guidelines for the implementation of

this process, which include training of all parties involved, careful use of language when

interacting with local people, use of examples and links, accountability and open

governance, breaking down goals into achievable tasks, feasting on success, keeping local

people informed, and continuous adaptation to deal with changes and new needs. On the

other hand, Agranoff and Mc Guire (2004, 183) add the need for leadership and guiding

skills, because network management is not just a concern or an action taken together but also

the idea of supporting the consensus of the respective organizations.

Public-Private-Community Partnership is a partnership model based on the Best

Sourcing framework. With the Best Sourcing framework, the government can encourage the

private sector-community to be involved in providing certain public services which will

increase the efficiency and effectiveness of services (value for money) and provide a win-

win solution for both the government, the private sector and the community.

Public, Private And Community Partnerships

If we refer to the theory of public goods, then basically public services are the

responsibility of the government in providing them, while for private goods it is the private

sector that provides them. However, in reality there are mixed goods, namely quasi public

goods and quasi private goods. Public services include the provision of pure public, quasi-

public and quasi-private goods. For this category of mixed goods, both the public and

private sectors can provide them. Therefore, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of

public services, local governments can carry out partnership programs with the private

sector (public private partnership) or can also cooperate with the third sector, namely with

non-profit organizations and NGOs (Mardiasmo, 2004). Furthermore, Nurcholis (2005: 180)

in detail divides the functions of public services into the following areas:

■

Education.

■

Health.

■

Religion.

■

Environment: urban planning, cleanliness, garbage, lighting.

■

Recreation: parks, theaters, museums, tourism.

■

Social.

■

Housing.

■

Cemetery/crematorium.

■

Population registration: births, deaths.

■

Drinking water.

■

Legalities, such as ID cards, passports, certificates, etc.

In practice, the suggested partnership composition for local authorities consists of

(Chapman in Sumartono, 2008):

■

Government institutions

■

Local authorities

■

Private businesses and commercial organizations

■

Community groups

■

Environmental organizations

■

Voluntary groups, and Private individuals.

The form of cooperation between the government and the private sector/community can

be in the form of employment contracts, tenders for the provision of goods or services, or it

can also be Business Process Outsourcing (OECD, 2001). Partnership models that can be

adopted include:



Operation-Maintenance

In Operation-Maintenance, the public sector hires a private organization to perform one or

more public tasks or services for five to seven years. The public sector is still the main

service provider While private organizations perform services that are handed over to

outsiders by the public sector. The private sector must determine which public services are

cost-effective and those services must meet the standards set by the public sector. In general,

the government uses competitive procedures to select the party that carries out the service

contract. The purchase should be based on a shorter implementation time and one that

requires fewer resources (Bennet in Suhartono, 2005: 74).



Build-Operate-Transfer

Build-Operate-Transfer Contract (BOT) is designed to bring private sector investment to

build new infrastructure. Under BOT, the private sector will build, finance, and operate new

infrastructure and new systems that meet government standards. The operating period is

long enough for the private sector to recover construction costs and make a profit. The

operating period is 19-20 years. After the operating period is over, the entire infrastructure is

handed over to the government (Bastian, 2001). The government is the owner of the

infrastructure facility, as well as the consumer and regulator of the service (Bennet in

Suhartono, 2005: 75).



Wrap Around Addition

Wrap Around Addition is a partnership between local government and the private sector in

which the private partner funds and builds additional public facilities. The private partner

also operates it for a certain period of time until the private partner's capital is returned plus

a desired profit. This type of partnership can be applied to almost all public infrastructure

and facilities including roads, clean water, waste treatment and so on (Mahmudi, 2007:57).



Lease-Purchase (Leasing)

Lease-Purchase is a type of partnership in which the local government contracts with a

private partner to design, procure and construct facilities for public services. The private

partner then leases the facility to the LGU until ownership of the facility becomes the

property of the government. This is done when the LGU wants to provide service facilities

but is not willing to provide funding. Lease-Buy can be used for capital construction such as

buildings, vehicles, clean water and computer facilities (Mahmudi, 2007:58).



Services Based (Community-Based Provision)

Community-based provision originated when financial constraints prevented the government

from providing sufficient services to the community. Community-based provision

encourages community members to fulfill their own needs. Members of community-based

provision include individuals, families or microenterprises. Often some activities cannot be

recognized or integrated into formal systems. In some cities where the government

recognizes NGOs, NGOs will provide assistance to these non-formal groups in an organized

manner. NGOs provide input to the media management process of negotiations between

CBOs and wider political institutions, networking, and information dissemination (Bennet in

Suhartono, 2005:78).

If this partnership model is applied, there are at least seven possible patterns of

partnership interaction; first, one hundred percent of the arrangements, control and

evaluation are carried out by the government autonomously and independently. Second,

there is interaction between the public sector and the private sector. This interaction occurs

to different degrees, either 99% public and 1% private or 1% public and 99% private. There

are elements that are contracted out (e.g. vehicle maintenance, cleaning) or task-shared

(preventive measures and hydrant construction).

Third, it is possible for the private sector to play a 100% role, with no involvement of

the community and government, meaning that the provision of services is fully managed by

the private sector, with no government involvement in either regulating or providing

facilities.

Fourth, there is interaction between the government and the community. Service facility

staff, for example, are a combination of government professionals and community

volunteers.

Fifth, public services are 100% a community affair. No public or private organization is

involved in planning, procuring and handling such matters.

Sixth, a combination of private, for-profit organizations and non-profit NGOs. Service

delivery institutions may be private, but combined with professionals and citizens. The latter

is a combination of the three pillars of governance: government (public), private and

community. The combination is similar to the public-private interaction but with the

addition of community volunteers (Paskarina, 2007:8).

Every form of partnership has potential advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, good

planning, risk management, and an in-depth assessment of partnership schemes are essential

so that the government is not at a disadvantage and ultimately it is the community that

suffers.

Partnership As A Manifestation Of Good Governance In Public Services

It must be recognized that the implementation of the system Partnership in United States is

still new and not well understood by local policy makers. However, from a number of cases

in regions that have successfully implemented it, it appears that the partnership system can

be a breakthrough for the creation of higher quality service mechanisms and public

bureaucracy reform in United States. Partnerships in public services are clearly in line with

the idea of good governance because the basic principle of governance is the involvement of

three parties in the service process, namely local government, elements of the private sector,

and elements of the community as service users.

Theoretically stated by Tascereu and Campos (Thoha, 2003: 63), good governance is a

condition that ensures the process of alignment, equality, cohesion and balance of roles and

participation, mutual control carried out by components namely government (government),

people (citizen) or civil society and business (business) in the private sector. The three

components have the same and equal relationship.

If the degree of equality is not comparable or not proven, there will be a bias from good

governance. Therefore, in the context of good governance, the government is placed as a

facilitator or catalyst, while the task of promoting and overseeing the development

implementation process lies with all state components, including private groups (the

business world) and civil society which includes political infrastructure groups (Non-

Governmental Organizations-NGOs, pressure groups, political parties, universities and other

community organizations). On this basis, to realize good governance is actually how to build

partnerships and good communication between these three actors.

The term governance has actually been known in administrative and political science

literature for almost 120 years, since Woodrow Wilson introduced the field approximately

125 years ago. But during that time governance was only used in the context of managing

corporate organizations and higher education institutions. The discourse on governance has

only emerged in recent years, especially after various international financing institutions

required good governance in their various assistance programs. By United States state

administration theorists and practitioners, the term good governance is translated as

trustworthy governance, good governance, good and responsible government management,

some also interpret it narrowly as clean government (Sofyan Efendi, 2005: 2).

The most important difference between the concept of The difference between

government and governance lies in how political, economic and administrative authority is

exercised in the management of a nation's affairs. The concept of government connotes that

the role of government is more dominant in organizing various state authorities. Meanwhile,

governance means how a nation distributes power and manages resources and various

problems faced by society. In other words, the concept of governance contains democratic,

fair, transparent, rule of law, participatory and partnership elements (Sofyan Efendi, 2005:

2).

Then implicitly the word good in good governance itself contains two meanings; first,

values that uphold the will of the people and values that enhance the ability of the people to

achieve the goals of independence and social justice. Second, the functional aspect of

effective and efficient government in the performance of its duties to achieve these goals

(Tjahjanulin Domai, 2005: 6).

The principles underlying the concept of good governance vary greatly from institution

to institution, from expert to expert. However, there are at least a number of principles that

are considered to be the foundation of good governance, namely accountability,

transparency, and public participation. In addition, effective good governance requires

coordination and integrity, professionalism and a high work ethic and morale from the three

pillars of government, civil society and the private sector.

Governance assumes that there are many actors involved, none of which is so dominant

that it determines the actions of others. The first message of the term governance refutes the

formal understanding of the workings of state institutions. Governance recognizes that in

society there are many decision-making centers that operate at different levels. According to

UNDP, governance has three domains, namely (Sedarmayanti, 2009: 270):



State or governance (state);



The private sector or the business world and

(private sector;)



Society.

The three domains of governance are in the life of the nation, state and society. The

government sector plays more of a policy-making, controlling and supervisory role. The

private sector is more involved and is the driver of activities in the economic field.

Meanwhile, the community sector is both the object and subject of the government and

private sectors. Because it is in society that interactions occur in the political, economic and

socio-cultural fields (Wasistiono, 2009: 31).

Building, realizing / implementing good governance, is not only a matter of improving

the conditions and commitments of the bureaucracy and public administration, but also

improving the conditions and commitments of the business world and communities that

have various social groups with different conditions and interests. These three elements,

namely the government, the business world and the community must jointly / establish a

partnership relationship to realize the implementation of good governance.

Provision of quality basic social services by competent institutions, responsible and

accountable, is often seen as the embodiment of good governance. In governance, service

quality reflects the intersection of demand and supply and is a determining factor in

improving standards and quality of life.

The concept of partnership is important to discuss, because of the realization that

development issues can no longer be seen as the interests and responsibilities of one group

alone. Development has become a new awareness as a 'joint venture' and not a 'single

fighter' of the government alone.

It is no longer possible for the government to run all affairs due to limited funds and

human resources, so cooperation and partnerships with other parties must be carried out so

that the quality of public services can still be fulfilled in accordance with community

demands. The limited resources owned by the government in the implementation of

development and public services while the demands of the community on the quality of

public services are increasing. As a concept, government-business-community partnerships

are envisioned to improve the quality of public services.

Conclusions

Public, private and community partnerships need to be developed so that the provision

of public services becomes closer and more accessible to the community. Various models of

partnership networks need to be developed not only to anticipate the demands of public

services, but also to anticipate government or market dominance in the provision of public

goods and services.

Government domination will create dependency and minimize innovation and the

community's bargaining position on the quality of services provided. Conversely, market

dominance in the provision of public goods will lead to an exploitative monopoly and

minimize public access to quality public services. Therefore, the partnership network model

is an alternative to overcome these weaknesses so that quality public services become more

accessible to the community.

In cities around the world, governments have found that the involvement of the three

domains of public administration (public-private-community) can improve the quality of

public services, through lowering costs and expanding coverage. Such public services can

improve the quality of life of citizens.