AMMAN -- The predominant traditional mindset and lack of accountability, reward and punishment could be blamed for the deteriorating performance of government agencies, according to experts in the field of public administration.
Speaking in interviews to The Jordan Times over the phone on Saturday, the experts cited wasta, or favouritism, in recruitment as well as the decline in moral and ethical values among employees of the civil service sector as reasons for the weakening performance of public administration, an issue His Majesty King Abdullah criticised last week.
Last Wednesday, the King underlined that Jordanian public administration, which used to be singled out for its excellence, has lately witnessed an unacceptable deterioration in its performance, characterised by over-bloated bureaucracy, stressing the importance of "institutionalising the culture of excellence" in government agencies to improve the performance of public administration.
Chairing a meeting of the King Abdullah II Centre for Excellence board of trustees, King Abdullah said that the setbacks need to be amended immediately to better serve the country's interests and future.
"Our primary goal is to serve citizens, and this requires continuous improvement of the efficiency and quality of services offered to them, and all should know that public employees are there for that purpose," the King said.
Reasons and remedy
Mohammad Huneiti, a professor at the department of public administration at the University of Jordan, said there are several reasons that rendered Jordan's civil services sector incapable of performing at a level acceptable to the public.
For example, Huneiti said that the majority of public servants are not satisfied with their salaries in light of rising living costs, suggesting that performance should be the criteria for promotion and higher pay.
Another problem, he said, is that government agencies have become "politicised", explaining that recruitment at the public sector is not based on competency assessment but on wasta.
Huneiti accused lawmakers of corrupting the public sector over the past two decades, as they use their influence to secure jobs for their relatives, friends or voters in government institutions.
Social justice and equality are the remedy for flaws hindering the development of public administration, he said.
Ali Adayleh, a public administration professor at the Mutah University, stressed that authorities should carry out "serious" scientific studies on the reasons causing the deteriorating performance of the public sector.
Reasons include flaws in legislation, lack of financial incentives and motivation, dissatisfaction with income and benefits, lack of accountability and inefficient monitoring of the quality of performance at each government department, Adayleh said.
"We should also ask if those hired for top and medium level jobs are the competent ones," he added, pointing out that regulations governing recruitment through the Civil Service Bureau should be amended to hire people according to job skills and qualification and not according to the graduation year or region.
"The government should announce vacancies available and select people in a transparent and fair approach after they undergo job competitions," he suggested.
He added that the performance of public administration has deteriorated to a degree that people seek wasta when they go to a public department in order to avoid delays in processing their transactions.
Adayleh said public sector employees cannot be fired if they perform poorly, which made government the most secure employer.
"Those who enter the civil service sector are safe and secure against layoff," he said.
The scholar urged authorities to enforce the e-government approach and take feedback from visitors of public agencies through special boxes for complaints and suggestions.
Agreeing that job dissatisfaction and the lack of accountability are major obstacles hindering the improvement of services and productivity at government agencies, Mutah University Professor Ziad Muasher said the decline of ethics and morals among employees is also to blame.
This issue should be addressed immediately by policy makers by drafting a code of conduct for government employees that stresses that they are there to serve the public and encourages professional excellence, he said.
As a former public sector employee for almost 25 years, Muasher charged that 90 per cent of performance evaluation given to employees is inaccurate as it is based on personal connections and wasta.
Moving administrative leaders from one government agency to another with different job descriptions is another reason for the weakening performance, he said.
"For example, appointing retired high-ranking army officers in top positions in the civil service sector is a mistake," Muasher argued.
He called for enforcing social justice as people should feel equal in terms of privileges and responsibilities, urging officials to start a serious reform process to develop the public sector instead of offering theoretical solutions.
Reforming the sector needs a sound plan drafted by qualified and experienced experts, he suggested, adding that salaries of public sector employees and their pension system should be reviewed to make them feel more appreciated.
Commenting on the remarks of the King, Minister of Public Sector Development Khleef Al Khawaldeh told The Jordan Times that reforming government institutions is a priority and the responsibility of all stakeholders.
Highlighting the importance of the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence, the minister said the award should be a motivation and a challenge for good and bad achievers to improve their performance in the future.
© Jordan Times 2013
