John Duffy

Described in this paper are the types of bus prerun inspection programs that are used at various transit systems within the United States. The information was obtained through mail-out questionnaires and phone interviews. The results indicate that there is a great deal of variety in how transit properties design and manage their prerun inspection programs. For instance, some agencies have formal procedures that utilize detailed checklists and constant management oversight while other agencies do not have any programs at all. Successful programs have visible support from management: if an agency's management believes in the efficacy of the program, it is much more likely that the inspection program will be undertaken and properly completed. The two greatest problems in utilizing prerun inspections are a lack of funds to pay for additional personnel time (principally supervisory time) and a lack of knowledge about how to operate and enforce inspection programs. The benefits of usi...

Leadership is about strategic thinking-identifying the need for change and determining the most appropriate strategic project to accommodate the needed change. Stakeholder engagement is one of the most important methods available to leaders to build the necessary support to meet the challenge of change and to achieve strategic projects. This work of leadership is a difficult, yet necessary component for organisational success. • Want to write for us? Take a look at Apolitical's guide for contributors During my service as a CEO of a local government, my community's population was growing at an above average rate for over a decade. This population growth required large capital investments for new schools, roads, emergency services and more. The growth also required organisational change in order to acquire new capabilities to undertake the projects, such as adding personnel, securing funding, and creating a positive "can-do" organisational ethos. Achieving these necessary changes, required stakeholder engagement from both within and outside the organisation, to not only garner support for change but also to reset my local government's priorities.

It seems that not a day goes by without more dire information about our climate crisis; wildland fires all over the globe, record breaking temperatures, extreme weather events and more.  Those involved in public administration must take action.

Improving organizational performance is a key task for public administrators. To do so generally requires the development and attainment of long-term goals, which demands discipline and consistent investments of time and effort. Yet most of us struggle to dedicate these factors for such work even though it is critical to our organization's success. In fact, the majority of our time is typically devoted to the daily unforeseen crisis; so, the serious work on long-term projects and organizational goals just never happens. In this column I wish to share three techniques that may be used to enhance both organizational efficiency and effectiveness. And when these techniques are employed, our policies and processes gain the added benefit of becoming more in sync with existing operational realities. No matter where we might be in an organization's hierarchy, the surprise crisis is a regular part of our work routine. Rather than allowing such events ruin to our ability to accomplish scheduled work, we can take a proactive approach to such distractions and learn from them. One way to do so is to track, over a several week period, both the type of issue presented in the crisis and the amount of time required to manage it. Two distinct benefits arise from such an analysis. First, knowing the characteristics of the crisis' issues provides an understanding of the root causes of these emergencies. Once the root causes are known, it becomes possible to marshal the necessary resources to resolve them, thereby reducing the amount of future unanticipated emergencies. Two caveats should be noted though. First, the underlying root cause is likely to be an undertaking that will require resolution over the long-term. The second caveat is that some of these out-of-the-blue interruptions may not have an underlying root cause because they are a

Accountability is the necessary ingredient for good governance. With accountability, there is transparency in the decision-making process. Citizens and policymakers are able to know how decisions were made, why they were made and by whom. Accountability also provides citizens and policy makers with the necessary information to identify responsible parties. Identifying the person responsible for a decision or action is a critical requirement of good governance. Yet, accountability is more often than not considered from an organizational perspective; typically, how one can hold an organization and its employees accountable. In my February, 2019 article in PA Times, I described the nexus between public managers' accountability efforts. These efforts create public organizations that are responsive, responsible and equitable. In this article, I wish to focus on the necessary prerequisite to holding organizations accountable; personal accountability. Personal accountability consists of being responsible for one's actions and consequences. As such, personal accountability requires that we act ethically, commit to excellence and build personal mastery as suggested by Senge in The Fifth Discipline. In my opinion, before we can hold others accountable, we must first get our own personal house in order. As such, personal accountability is a key element of effective leadership. If a leader does not hold themselves accountable, it is unlikely that they can convince others to do so. Personal accountability is developed by achieving personal mastery of the following attributes: ethical behavior, knowledge of your field, continuous learning, commitment, ownership, listening and self-reflection.

All too often, the daily grind of our work causes us to forget the importance of our chosen field, public administration. Remembering our field's role in creating a civil society can both re-energize us and ensure that we focus on the right work. In essence, public administration seeks to improve and bring order to our citizens' daily lives. Public administration addresses the basic needs of our citizens and by doing so allows them the opportunity to make great achievements. Consider Maslow's hierarchy of needs. According to Maslow, individuals must first satisfy their physiological needs such as having sufficient food, clean water and rest before they are capable, or willing to consider, the fulfillment of other human needs. When we improve conditions that satisfy these basic human needs such as ensuring that our citizens have access to healthy food, good housing, clean water and efficient transportation, it allows them to address other needs such as the psychological needs of belonging, family and social relationships. Once these other needs become fulfilled, then our citizens are better able to pursue their life's dreams; be it becoming teachers, cosmonauts or mining engineers. What Maslow believes to be true at the individual level, I believe to be true at the community level. When public administration is able to address each of Maslow's hierarchy of needs on a community level, the members of our communities become better citizens and are able to make more meaningful contributions to both family and community. As a result, our communities become better places to live, work and raise families. Consequently, we come out with stronger societies. Public administration is also responsible for the allocation of scarce resources. For example, it is public administrators who make the decisions regarding how much funding will be allocated to

At its essence, the work of public administration involves addressing complex problems to improve society. Stated another way, the work of public administrators requires managing numerous interconnected systems for the benefit of the general public. It includes organizing government, developing and preparing policies to improve the public's quality of life, and delivering services efficiently and effectively in addition to allocating resources in an equitable manner. Complex problems involve multiple, interconnected systems such as a city's transportation, water distribution and economic systems. When making adjustments to one system to address an issue, changes may occur in other connected systems, oftentimes producing unintended consequences. For example, when adding road lanes to reduce traffic congestion, the added transport capacity improves access and travel times which in turn, increases adjacent land values. This increase in land values often results in new development which typically creates the unintended consequence of more traffic. As Rittel and Weber (1973) note, complex problems are never truly solved. Rather, they are moderated and must be addressed and readdressed again and again over time. Climate change—which affects our environmental, social and economic systems—is a complex problem facing public administrators throughout the world. Sustainable development has been the recommended method for addressing climate change for over 30 years. While positive achievements have been made, much more needs to be accomplished. We, as public administrators, need to recognize that sustainable development is

One of the challenges we face in public administration is putting our plans into action. Most planning projects begin with great enthusiasm. Much time and effort are then devoted to preparing the plan, but then our enthusiasm diminishes and the planning effort ends in a fizzle with the plan placed on the shelf never to see the light of day. Such results are a waste of precious resources. Instead, we should develop inspiring plans that seek to achieve major goals and our enthusiasm should carry over into the plan's implementation. In this article, I review some of the critical elements necessary for putting our plans into action. First of all, planning should be a continual process, not a one-time event. The planning process requires us to: define the problem(s) we face, collect and analyze data, obtain stakeholder viewpoints, consider alternatives, select a preferred alternative and develop monitoring and evaluation methods. These steps should be undertaken in an iterative manner; that is, as we proceed we should return to earlier steps to determine if new information or changing conditions requires adjustment of earlier conclusions. The planning process should also emphasize engagement between planners and all stakeholders affected by the plan. It is vital to create the conditions for two-way dialogue among stakeholders because it provides insight into the issues, challenges and opportunities related to the planning effort. Engaging with stakeholders also builds their " buy-in " or support of the plan; once stakeholders support the plan, they are more likely to help achieve its goals.

An important aspect of public administration is the use of plans to effect policies and programs. Plans describe those actions necessary to achieve predetermined goals and objectives. In the United States, local governments have the primary responsibility for land use planning decisions which form the basis for a community's development. The seriousness of a local government's climate change and sustainability efforts may be gauged by the statements and measures found within its planning documents. An exploratory study utilizing a content analysis of the primary planning documents of fourteen small, rural local governments in Alaska and Oregon was completed to determine the level of interest in climate change and sustainability. Results indicate that few planning documents specifically address climate change and sustainability. The study expands current knowledge by determining how the primary planning tools of local governments within the United States are being used to address climate change and sustainability.

Described in this paper are the types of bus prerun inspection programs that are used at various transit systems within the United States. The information was obtained through mail-out questionnaires and phone interviews. The results indicate that there is a great deal of variety in how transit properties design and manage their prerun inspection programs. For instance, some agencies have formal procedures that utilize detailed checklists and constant management oversight while other agencies do not have any programs at all. Successful programs have visible support from management: if an agency's management believes in the efficacy of the program, it is much more likely that the inspection program will be undertaken and properly completed. The two greatest problems in utilizing prerun inspections are a lack of funds to pay for additional personnel time (principally supervisory time) and a lack of knowledge about how to operate and enforce inspection programs. The benefits of using prerun inspection programs include improved vehicle reliability, safer vehicles, and improved maintenance efficiency. Transit agencies should develop and use prerun inspection programs to improve vehicle reliability and possibly lower overall maintenance costs. If an agency does develop a program, management must offer visible support for the program; otherwise, inspections are unlikely to be performed properly.

Authors:  DUFFY, JOHN; Foerster, James F., & Puente, Santiago

The Handbook provides information and resources for conducting performance evaluations of local government managers.

Note: The Handbook was prepared by a Task Force of the International City/County Managers Association. See Handbook for complete listing of co-authors.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, public administration (PA) departments have been established, primarily in the USA and later in other Western countries, and education in the field of public administration has been provided in these departments. As the field of public administration has been changing due to globalization, government reforms, and increasing governance practices within intergovernmental networks, research and teaching in public administration has also had to adapt. Public Affairs Education and Training in the 21st Century highlights the best practices of various countries in public administration and policy education and training to contribute to the development of the public administration and policy education/training field. This book focuses on comparative studies and innovative teaching techniques and how they affect public administration education methods and curriculum. Highlighting topics that include distance learning, public affairs education, ethics, and public policy, this book is essential for teachers, public affairs specialists, trainers, researchers, students, practitioners, policymakers, academicians, public administrators, public officials, and public policy scholars.

Duffy, J.J., & Todd, S. (2018). Variables Influencing the Adoption of Sustainability Programs by Local Governments. In P.R. Lachapelle & D. Albreccht (Eds.); Addressing Climate change at the Community Level in the United States. Community Development Research and Practice Series, New York: Routledge.