An Analysis of a New Public Sector for Developing Countries

This paper basically synthesizes the work of Stephen F. Jooste which appeared in 2008 as a working paper number 36 of the Collaboratory for Research on Global Research (CRGP), Stanford, California, United States of America. It is the fourth paper by the author /s in a six part series to unpack issues that surround public sector discourses in developing countries. It is a synopsis of Jooste’s work: “A New Public Sector in Developing Countries.” This paper examines the debate that has raged over a century in first world politics, and that, a new or more recent trend has been the realization that development requires an effective state for successful implementation in developing countries in terms of public sector reforms. It reviews the reform initiatives that have been undertaken to change this role and the capacity building programmes that have been launched to ensure that reforms achieve their theoretical aims. The recent consensus has been that the public sector has an important role to play, but that, this role is different from the traditional Weberian view. The new role calls on the public sector to focus more on service provision and less on production. The paper will therefore look at the New Public Management (NOM) and New Governance initiatives to guide the network of actors, in relationship to the human level of organization, the institutional and the capacity building process. All of these must be addressed in unison, particularly the latter two issues. The paper does not technically add to new knowledge, but the authors will attempt to weave into the discussion their view by means of observation and experience gleaned in the public service of South Africa, as administrators over the last three decades.