4 a) With specific examples, analyze the importance of social culture and the political environment in the policy making process. (10 marks)
Social culture and the political environment in the policy making process.
Sociology understands culture as the languages, customs, beliefs, rules, arts, knowledge, and collective identities and memories developed by members of all social groups that make their social environments meaningful. Sociologists study cultural meaning by exploring individual and group communication; meaningfulness is expressed in social narratives, ideologies, practices, tastes, values, and norms as well as in collective representations and social classifications.
According to Brodhead, (2019) Culture refers to the ways of life of the members of society, or of groups within a society. It includes how they dress, their marriage customs, language and family life, their patterns of work, religious ceremonies and leisure pursuits
Sociocultural is a term related to social and cultural factors, which means common traditions, habits, patterns and beliefs present in a population group. The term is mostly used in sociologic and marketing contexts and refers to the most remarkable drivers behind the way people makes decisions in a society.
It enhances the respect of a society’s history and cultural perspectives.
Culture is a strong part of people’s lives. It influences their views, their values, their humor, their hopes, their loyalties, and their worries and fears. It is therefore important to consider the culture of the people when designing a public policy so that policy is in line with their beliefs their culture and customs.
Through culture and political environment it is possible to determinant the needs of the people and therefore the country will be able to formulate the policies that best service the interest of the people for example the culture of the people in china is very different from that in Uganda, therefore the same public policies which work in work in Uganda will not be able to work in china.
The political system determines the allocation of resources basing on the future needs therefore before a public policy is made the political system is taken into consideration their helps in understanding the challenges the country is facing and designing appropriate political system that suites its ability to survive.
Policy ideas developed by considering culture is normally in line with the interest of the people and therefore it represents the vice of the people. A better understanding of national culture and differences between national cultures could thus inform international policy transfer practices and joint policy learning exercises. This therefore ensure that the policy made is in line with the interest of the people.
It enhances the success of a given policy since it will not be rejected by the masses if it is in line with their cultural perspectives and understanding. This is imperative in ensuring acceptability therefore the fact that the policy makers have a good understanding of the cultural perspectives of the good community it therefore enables them to make an informed decision in making public policy, A better understanding of national culture and differences between national cultures could thus inform international policy transfer practices and joint policy learning exercises
Having an effective public administration which is in line to the social culture of the community is able to lead to better service delivery of the citizens. Efficiency in services delivery, these include education and health and many other services that the government has the responsibility of delivering to the people in a given country, according to Bola, ( 2011) Service delivery is a contemporary issue for most governments and researchers alike. Most scholars are in agreement that public service delivery is critical to ensuring the national welfare and stimulation of economic development. This is because often governments undertake a number of activities to provide citizens with services and at the same time guarantee that these services are provided in accordance with the service delivery requirements within the rule of law.
Consideration of the social culture of the members of the given community also helps to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living , according to Shan (2005) In an interrelated global society, governments must take on new roles in creating and sustaining viable economies, reducing poverty, and raising standards of living, by specifically intergrating their policies with the cultural aspects of the people. Over the past decade, an increasing body of knowledge has emerged to describe a set of fundamental roles or functions that innovative governments perform effectively in a globalizing society. These roles and functions can all contribute to achieving the equitable, sustainable, and participative economic and social development reflected in the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals and in other international declarations of human aspirations.
Consideration of social culture leads to the development of
- b) Of the many different forms of decentralization, which form do you think is more appropriate for your country? Support your answers with relevant examples. (10 Marks)
Decentralization is also one of the most vigorous policy choices in creating a more democratic and responsible government. In spite of its impacts and benefits so far, there is almost no contention among countries in promoting decentralization. It is not surprising, therefore, that there is a large and growing theoretical literature on decentralization (Cheema and Rondinelli 1983 and 2007).
Decentralization, or decentralizing governance, refers to the restructuring or reorganization of authority so that there is a system of co-responsibility between institutions of governance at the central, regional and local levels according to the principle of subsidiarity, thus increasing the overall quality and effectiveness of the system of governance, while increasing the authority and capacities of sub-national levels.
Decentralization could also be expected to contribute to key elements of good governance, such as increasing people’s opportunities for participation in economic, social and political decisions; assisting in developing people’s capacities; and enhancing government responsiveness, transparency and accountability.
Decentralization stimulates the search for program and policy innovation, first of all because it is, per se, an innovative practice of governance. Second, because through its implementation, local governments are required to assume new and broader responsibilities in order to provide public services for all. The assumption of new responsibilities through decentralization often requires improved planning, budgeting and management techniques and practices; the adoption of new tools; and the development of improved human resources to operate the decentralized programmes.”
The following are some of the types of decentralization
Delegation
Delegation involves the assigning of certain responsibilities along with the necessary authority by a superior to his subordinate. Delegation is not a process of abdication. The person who delegates does not divorce himself/herself from the responsibility and authority with which s/he is entrusted. He remains accountable for the overall performance and also for the performance of his/her subordinates (Gaurav Akrani, 2010).
Delegation does not mean surrender of authority by the higher level manager; it only means transfer of certain responsibilities to subordinates and giving the subordinates the necessary authority, which is necessary to discharge the responsibility properly.
Categories of delegation
1) Specific: This is the type of delegations related to particular jobs or areas of responsibility.
2) General: this extends over a board area such as assisting in the general management of personnel production.
3) Verbal: Delegation could be given by word of mouth
4) Written: This is where duties and authorities are laid down in written words i.e. in black and white.
The following are the principles of delegation to be effective;
Principle of Functional Definition: The related or similar activities should be grouped together according to enterprise function. When the definition of a position is clear then delegation of authority becomes simple. In the words of Koontz and O’Donnell “the more a position or a department has clear definitions or results expected, activities to be undertaken, organization authority delegated and authority and informational relationships with other positions understood, the more adequately the individuals responsible can contribute toward accomplishing enterprise objectives.”
It is very difficult to define a job and the authority required to accomplish it. If the superior is not clear about the results expected then it becomes all the more difficult. It should be clear who should do what so that right amount of authority is delegated. Dual subordination results in conflicts, division of loyalty and lack of personal responsibility for results.
Principle of Unity of Command: The basic management principle is that of unity of command. This principle states that a subordinate should report only to single superior. This will give a sense of personal responsibility. Although it is possible for a subordinate to receive orders from more superiors and report to them but it creates more problems and difficulties. An obligation is essentially personal and authority delegation by more than one person to an individual is likely to result in conflicts in both authority and responsibility. This principle is also useful in the classification of authority-responsibility relationships.
Principle of Delegation by Results Expected:The delegation of authority should be based on the basis of results expected. The authority should be sufficient to achieve the desired results. If the authority is insufficient then results will not be achieved. So there should be a balance between the results expected and the authority required.
Principle of Absoluteness of Responsibility: The responsibility of a subordinate, once he has accepted the work, is absolute to his superior. The responsibility of the superior does not decrease once he has delegated authority. A person can delegate authority and not responsibility. He will remain accountable for the work even if it is delegated to the subordinate. So the responsibility of superior and subordinate remains absolute.
Principle of Parity of Authority and Responsibility: Since authority is the right to carry out assignments and responsibility is the obligation to accomplish it, there should be a balance between the both. The responsibility should bear logical relationship with authority delegated. The subordinate should not be burdened with high performance responsibility with delegating enough authority. Sometimes the authority is delegated but the concerned person is not made accountable for its proper use. This will be a case of poor management. The parity between authority and responsibility will be essential for achieving efficiency.
Authority Level Principle: The principle that decision-making should remain at the level at which authority is delegated. The managers delegate authority to subordinates but have the temptation to make decisions for them. They should allow the subordinates to take their own decisions as per the authority delegated to them. The delegation of authority will be effective only when it is clear and understandable to subordinates. The subordinates should know the area of their decision-making and should avoid the temptation of referring things to higher ups. In the words of Koontz and O’Donnell, the authority level principle would be “maintenance of intended delegation requires that decisions within the authority competence of individuals be made by them and not be referred upward in the organization structure.”
The Scalar Principle: The scalar principle refers to the chain of direct authority relationships from superior to subordinates throughout the organization. The ultimate authority must rest somewhere. Subordinates must know to whom they should refer the matter if it is beyond their authority. The more clear the line of authority from top manager to every subordinate the more effective will be responsible decision-making.
Deconcentration
Deconcentration is a term used to describe the process whereby a central organization transfers some of its responsibilities to lower-level units within its jurisdiction. This process redistributes the balance of power and authority between the central administration and the other units in varying proportions.
Devolution
Devolution as the relocation of power away from a central location. In this sense, power can be equated with the capacity or authority to contribute to decision-making.
For Uganda’s case the best method of administration would be devolution
Enhance better performance; Today’s leaders and managers are driven to succeed, and for this reason, they often take on more projects than they can handle alone and therefore when the government to ensure that the government is running effectively there is need to adopt the system of devolution so that the powers are given to the local authorities who have better grasp of the challenges faced by the local population whom they serve.
It builds trust, open communication, and engagement among team members; Another benefit of delegation has to do with building trust, a feeling of openness, and engagement among team members. Leaders who fail to devoluve their powers adequately often have employees who are not afraid to take initiative or who feel apprehensive about bringing new ideas to the table. Managers who devolve tasks adequately help to build trust, and that trust is driven even further when those managers remain open for communication and listening. When employees truly feel that their skills and talents are being put to good use, they are engaged and happier overall.
It stimulates creativity and develops skills in your team; Leaders who give their team members the freedom to tackle tasks in their own way are actually empowering their team and giving them a creative license. These employees become driven to succeed, not only for themselves and their own futures, but also for the future of their employer. What’s more, this personal initiative can lead to creativity breakthroughs, which can benefit everyone involved, and it helps team members build some very specific skills along the way.
It creates a positive business culture; Perhaps the best reason to delegate tasks to others has to do with the type of business culture a leader hopes to create. Devolve helps to boost team moral, improve efficiency and productivity, and promotes enthusiasm, innovation, and cooperation – all of which are vital to a company’s bottom line. It can also help reduce turnover rates, minimize safety risks, and supply the company with a group of highly-qualified employees who are experts at getting the job done right.
One of the main advantages of devolution is that the actions are based on deeper knowledge of local particularities and clienteles, for example the people at the lower levels are closer to the community members and therefore they are the ones who understand the key priorities of the people they represent.in Uganda it may be hard to understand the culture of some tribes like Baganda, Bateso, Karamojong and therefore it is imperative that the people at local administrative unites are the ones with the power to effect the change that is desired.
The system of devolution enables the country at local level to make better Decisions are better adapted to local contexts and taken more rapidly. This is further because the local people feel that they are part of the decision making process and therefore they quickly adopt the decision.
Devolution develops team spirit. Due to evolution effective communication develops between the central authority and lower level departments. This brings better relations and team spirit among the superiors and subordinates and the local levels are able to make mature and better decisions.
