Reply
The criterion for efficient public management should be blended with the element of human error. It is irresponsible to judge the efficiency of governmental services without considering what is humanly possible. I can relate to sentiments relayed on the article on creating systems that work well in both positive and negative situations. The changing economy and public opinion force a public service such as military to be very careful and mindful of every situation.
The ability to collect and disseminate information by the public has made it hard for the military to operate in secrecy. Due to the sensitive nature of security of a nation or society, it is important for military to be able to keep certain information from the public. Technology will force the military to be more accountable as in-depth scrutiny into their decisions will be done through the public eye.
The South Fulton City fire department did not live up to the ethos of the New Public Service. However, in instances where the public servants fail to offer services that are above board due to “complicated value judgment,” the public should not be allowed to broadcast such instances with total disregard of its effect on the ability to offer security. The case in point is the Edward Snowden who released information to the public that exposed security agents.
The article has clearly addressed issues pertaining to effective public service management. It has also brought to the fore, the complicated scenarios that public administrators have to consider.
