Posts
Overall
Productivity of Civil Service Declines in Nepal
Krishna
Hari Pushkar
Abstract
Depoliticization of civil service
has become an urgent need for Nepal since the politicized civil service failed
to fulfill the motto and goal of the democracy and contemporary need of the
people. The newest international and national multi-dimensional governance
related reports and indicators also shown that overall productivity of civil
service is declining besides the huge efforts for betterment and professional
advancement inside the system of civil service.
The experiences have already
proved that politicized civil service severely lacks the basic characters and
functional competences for that it stands for. Therefore, in order to make the
civil service more competent, vigorous, service-oriented and responsible" Depoliticization"
must be urgently internalize to neutralize the civil service from
politicization.
The article explains the issues
that are learned through professional experiences. Basically, the article
illustrates about the basics causes of politicization, why the depoliticization
is become an important issue now and how it can be done into civil service of
Nepal. The article suggests some practical homegrown suggestions that would
helpful to address the contemporary issues of depoliticization.
Introduction
Depoliticization is a widely
applied term that explains about the political neutralization. In general, it
means removal of political aspects, infections, influence or control. It is an
act or process of depoliticizing. Simply, the depoliticization means to deprive
from political character, tendency and its malpractices. Accordingly, the
depoliticization of civil service means bringing and driving the civil service
into right track, right approach and right way, and bumping off the
unproductive political dogmatism respectively.
The depoliticization of civil
service means making free the service from overwhelming political control,
influence, and ideology. It means removing the political infections, hula-hula,
and enabling and restoration of the rational character, competences, qualities
and nature of civil service. The depoliticization restores the professional
discipline, rationale enforcement of civil service law, and support enhancement
of the professional productivity. Here the productivity of the civil service
covers the overall areas of tasks, responsibilities and assignments that are
allocated to the civil service.
Some of the scholars also claim
that productivity of democracy is directly proportional to the productivity of
civil service. So, it is important to have better civil service for better
democracy.
Nepal is passing though a long
chaotic transition because of the political polarization and growing political
communalism that may a big unfortunate for the people and the nation. It is a
common phenomena of a post conflict transitional country that its' civil
service is overwhelmingly politicized since the overall governance system
became fragile specially for the country who are moving towards restructuring
phases. The shifting nature of governance and government unrest also fuel the
politicization of civil service in some extend, if the bureaucracy and its
leaders are not strong enough to protect their professionalism and dignity.
Major Character of Politicized
Civil Service
Politicized civil service is a
major consequence of political transition, where state suffers with heavy
transition and instability. Except some exceptions, politicized civil service
is a symptom of anarchism, it drives the nation towards failure, it fuels
conflicts, impunity, it plosives the development process and boom the
corruption and authority abuses throughout the country. Politicized civil
service kills the public expectations and spoils the nation and people
simultaneously. The criminalization is another principal aspect of the
politicized civil service, where such system performs several civil and
criminal offenses in the name of political backup. The politicized civil
service brutally attack on professionalism.
Major Causes of Politicized
Civil Service
There are so many different
causes have been identified and it depends on the country or institution
specific scenario. However, some major causes include the political transition,
post conflict scenario, state restructuring process, instable governance and
government, over political influence, political polarization, political
affiliation, deficiency in law enforcement, nepotism and favoritism, corruption
and authority abuses, poor professionalism, crisis of discipline, incompetent
civil personnel, unhealthy competition over strong job security, socioeconomic
greed etc.
Depoliticization is an
Important Issue
Depoliticization has become an
important issue if the country wants to reinstate the peace, prosperity and
happiness. No country wishes to suffer with such long-term chronic illnesses
that are produced by the politicized civil service. Therefore, the depoliticization
is considered a kind of administrative engineering and institutional therapy
that can help the civil service to neutralize from the political infections.
The civil service is a modus
operandi of the government and all the government plan, policy, program can be
achieved through the civil service system. No government can achieve its goal
and motto until civil service involve within. Therefore, it is an important
that depoliticization must be enforced to help the state and government to
achieve success in effective and efficient manner. The depoliticized civil
service is the civil services that have huge capabilities to achieve its
mission as expected by the state and its people.
The depoliticization can bring
the civil service from irresponsible to responsible, incompetent to competent,
anarchy to order, poverty to prosperity and many more good symptoms.
Specifically, it widely supports the progressive national development process;
installation and operation of competent public service deliveries. The treated
system may keep the state and its people happy, healthy and hopeful.
Depoliticization prevent the
nation from failure, it helps the nation building, national unity and
restoration or socioeconomic harmony throughout the country. The result of depoliticization
may strengthen the national images and dignity not only inside but also among
international community. Therefore, now depoliticization has become unavoidable
and an urgent issue for Nepal.
Instruments of Depoliticization
There is no single or specific
instrument that can just help to depoliticization process. However, there are
several options and tools that are available but it needs to choose in
accordance with the situation and requirement. Some of them can be described as
follows:
Therapies
Firstly, the depoliticization
process may enforce through psychological therapy, it means a kinds of
brainwash program need to practice during the various pre-service and
in-service training of the civil service. Mostly the brainwash training is
found more effective in entry level in terms of military pre-service training.
Specially, psychological treatment and therapy is essential to transform
political scenario into depoliticization.
Secondly, legal and
administrative therapy, it means necessary legal and administrative actions
need to make more practical, effective and efficient against those who breach
the code of conduct, ethical norms and values, professional disciplines and the
norms and parameter that are developed to follow for the civil servants.
Specially, performance evaluation and monitoring system need to tie up with pay
and promotion. Particularly, the supervisors should be strengthened and
equipped with necessary disciplinary powers and authority that will help to
command the junior.
The existing arrangements are
neither found practical nor enforceable. Thirdly, social therapy, the both
positive and negative social actions against the politicized personnel need to
utilize in more scientific manner since it is considered as more productive in
contemporary world. It also includes social dialogues, coaching, counseling,
and other. Fourthly, contingency therapy, this therapy includes various adhoc
activities as per the nature and character of the target group.
It may need specific qualities,
creativity and investigative mind of the management who can quickly manage and
design the scenario. Occasionally, it may requires some motivational
arrangements for positive handling and cautionary actions including arrest,
imprisonment etc. Lastly, religious therapies (e.g. Garud Puran for Hindu) and
some traditional mind management methodologies should be introduced to
depoliticize the civil service and enhance ethical and moral capabilities of
civil personnel.
Engineering
Firstly, high-tech engineering is
essential to regulate the behavioral aspects of the all civil personnel to take
care and update the intelligential issues (personnel profiling) against them
where it required. It will collect necessary proofs and evidences of their
political episodes which may present against them in front of judicial or
quasi-judicial authorities.
Secondly, administrative
engineering, it is required urgently for depoliticization, as the existing
system, organizational structure, governance and performance deliver system are
also responsible in some extend to enhance politicization, therefore, it is an
important to execute the suitable restructuring process by doing rationale and
scientific organization and method (O & M) to meet the goal, target and
objective of the contemporary scenario. Thirdly, customized tools and
techniques (e. g. disqualification for promotion, detached from pension and
allowances, bar from fringe benefits etc with justification) need to adopt to
disconnect and unfasten the unnatural ties between the political and
administrative domains and actors.
Also, it talks about the scientific
relationship and also clear-cut enforceable limitation between the political
and civil service actors. Lastly, personnel engineering should be operated and
managed on professionalism and through customized mechanism in accordance with
the need of the state, institution and people rather than the other parameters.
Restrictions
Firstly, there should be either
one or no trade union in civil service, and it should be not treated equally as
other trade union like other sector and rest deregistered. Trade unions must be
closed down if it directly or indirectly declares or perform behavior as a
sister organization of political parties. Similarly, the political parties must
be declare ineligible if they found any civil service trade union as their
sister organization.
Any direct or indirect political
affiliation or behavior or biasness must be consider to the any members of the
civil service as ineligibility for further career development that will help to
stay all member of the civil service more neutral and committed. Secondly,
pick-up and adhoc plough system in career development should be abolished and
must be transformed into scientific self calculated predictable approached
throughout the career management process of the civil service.
Thirdly, nepotism and favoritism
should be abolished if anyone found guilty anywhere in an active or prejudice
affiliation in favour of anyone. Fourthly, impunity, corruption and authority
abuse should be kept as an issue of zero tolerance regardless the people and
their positions. Specially, economic transaction between politicians and civil
servants must be detached. Hello effect must be recorded, and controlled by
publicizing through the media. Fifthly, activities and tendency of political
people and their followers are found highly unethical, most of them considered
as high impunity producers, so they must be bring under the jurisdictions of
law enforcement agencies and associated to their future political career. And
lastly, grievances handing and complain management must be handled by the
respective superior authority and reward and punishment should be immediately
allocated against the respective official, if such grievances and complain do
not addressed properly in timely manner.
Social Reformation
Castisms, social structure and
communalism are also among the main causes of the politicization, so our social
system needs to transform by bringing socioeconomic prosperity throughout the
country. Social connections, obligations need to be revised; redefined and
reorganized that will assist in depoliticization process of the civil service.
Conclusion
The Depoliticization process in
civil service is not everything to make perfect; but it is an important
instrument that helps the nation to keep its' system and people healthy, happy
and prosperous. To enforce the depoliticization process into Nepalese civil
service is not an easy job so all respective stakeholders need to mentally
prepared in advance and should agreed to contribute positively from there
level. Mainly politician, civil servants and existing trade union leaders have
to play vital role.
The depoliticization will
maximize the individual and institutional competencies and productivity of
civil service and it will immediately start to work as an antibiotic for
minimizing the unethical conflicts, unfair and unhealthy practices that
provokes people and group towards to play unfair professional and power game in
the name of various political ideologies, regionalism, unionism, communalism
and more. Also, the Depoliticization may prove more effective in treatment
process of existing BUREAUPATHOLOGY of Nepal.
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