Examine the scope of development administration.

 'Administration' and 'Development' is a wide-ranging term and ‘Development Administration’ being a part of both, is natural and its scope is wide. Like administration, scope of Development Administration is very wide, under which development related determination of economic, social and political policies and objectives, organisation of organised developmental activities, establishment of organisational structure for improvement and development and all the activities, including arrangements for administrative development system of means and tools necessary for the attainment of economic objectives, are included. Just as there is a difference in the definition of Development Administration, similarly there is a difference in the determination of its subject area and scope.

Both Fainsod and John D. Montogomery have analysed scope of Development Administration as planned economic development. Both relate development administration with economic development of country and observe that all kinds of economic development related activities are included in its scope.

Scholars with different views, like Lucien Pye, F. W. Riggs and Edward Weidner have, pointed towards the wide areas of Developmental Administration. They have stated that the administrative process of fulfilling the political, economic and social objectives set by an appropriate officer or government is called Development Administration. According to them, scope of development administration is not limited only to economic development but social and political development are also included in its subject matter. Development Administration is related to all those programmes, schemes, purposes and organisation that work for the overall development and nation-building of the country. It is such a developmental and progressive process that fulfils the developmental goals of administration by using the new, modern, and up-to-date means, tools and abilities.

Accordingly, with the analysis of thinkers of both slides of the spectrum, we find that the area is determined by both in their own way. But it is so certain that both are unanimous in area, scope and subject matter of Development Administration and relate it with nation-building. Under the area of Development Administration, forms of work and efforts made for nation-building are implemented by public organisations and government administration. According to J N Khosla, Development Administration is a difficult administrative structure in which economic, social, political, and administrative means and powers are mixed for the fulfillment of objectives and goal.

In this context, it is need of the hour to understand that scope of Development Administration, which is expanding day by day in a positive direction to cover basic societal needs and welfare. It is related to achieving wide spectrum of goals, which is developmental in nature. It not only brings social, cultural, political, and economic changes, but also, purposeful planning and programming through active people’s participation. For proper utilisation of natural resources and to achieve wide variety of developmental goals Development administration constantly interacts with environment. Lest us try to understand the complexion of development administration under the following heads:

a) Treatment of economic problems and poverty alleviation

Solution of economic problems like poverty, hunger, poor economic opportunities, systematic social deprivation and neglect of public services like clean water, housing, clothing and health is also possible under development administration. In this context, it is utmost important for development administration to solve these problems for the smooth operation of the economy. Satisfaction of human needs is the basic objective of economic life in the context of limited resources. Economic resources are limited due to demand and alternative experiments, and on the other hand, there are different types of demands in society. George F. Gant, while defining Development Administration includes poverty alleviation as an important goal. Amartya Sen (1999), on the other hand in his book ‘Development as a Freedom’ while highlighting aspects of capability approach also relates economic poverty and substantive freedom from capability perspective, as opposed to measuring it in terms of per capita income. He stressed on intrinsically important deprivations, which causes capability deprivation, that is, on real poverty, and on relations between low income and low capability. Therefore, an important concern of Development Administration is to use the limited resources according to human needs and social satisfaction, which can lead to smooth operation of economic system.

b) Fulfillment of goals for increasing rational needs and opportunities

The problem of rational use of limited resources and solution to the problem of meeting the eternal and endless needs also comes under the area and subject matter of Development Administration. It is in this context it is important to understand that development is not only limited to basic quantitative aspects of poverty alleviation and fulfillment of the physical needs only. In a contemporary perspective, it covers improvement in both quantitative and qualitative aspects of human life and dignity, empowerment and capacity building including important aspects of human development index like quality of life, education, health and human rights. Equality of opportunities and sufficient choices can only satisfy their life’s basic necessary needs and aspirations. Amartya Sen (1999) says, ‘Expansion of freedom is viewed, in this approach, both as the primary end and as the principal means of development. Development consists of the removal of various types of unfreedoms that leave people little choice and little opportunity of exercising their reasoning agency’.

c) Development administration, political culture and ideology

Political culture and ideology provide functioning and working efficiency and effectiveness for development administration guides and monitors implementation of various developmental policies and programmes. For that purpose, development administration performs duties or services as a steering wheel that govern society to firmly lay down and well-demarcate goals of political leaders and staff attached to the development process. It removes the barriers and lose ground between development necessities and administrative development.

d) Nation-building, social welfare and traditional and parochial social structure

Development Administration also covers the task of nation-building and social welfare. It needs to mould, reconstruct parochial social structure and relationship based on religion, kinship pattern, caste etc. in a globalised modern era. Therefore, it needs to focus more on democracy, industrialisation, promotion and development of technology, education, equity, social justice, job creation and other interlinked aspects of social welfare for national development. Social change is necessary and for this social traditional custom that impede the process of development needs to be converted and improved for the ever increasing task of nation-building.

e) Implementation of development administrative policies

The policies of development administration are of no use till they are followed or fill there is proper implementing system. In the field of administration, various administrative policies are followed to solve various problems arising in the field of recruitment, training, promotion, rules of conduct, classification, etc. It gives tangible form and right direction to development administration by creating certain fixed and positive policies of the government in this regard.

f) Institution building, planning and programming

Proper and suitable institutional framework is needed to implement developmental projects, planning and programming, so that it converts these into action to bring balanced growth, which is acceptable to society at large. For this it is important to give prominence to proper assessment and utilisation of resources, firmness of plan precedence, appropriate formulation, fair implementation, suitable monitoring and reasonable evaluation of plans and project with efficiency, economy and effectiveness. Accordingly, various components of institutional framework need to be well-coordinated for effective development administration, with an aim to achieve maximum results with minimum costs and time.

g) Development administration, ecology, and environment

As we know administration works under the provisions of Constitution as well as political and legal framework. Moving further during 1960s, comparative analysis indicates that development administration is ecological in its nature. It needs to change in consonance with changing political, social, economic, and cultural scenario, because it cannot survive in a vacuum. It affects the environment around it and is in turn affected by it. No growth model and development scheme, no sophisticated technology and even the adoption of best technological assistance from foreign country can be planted on a developing system blindly. For that system has to be ready to receive changes. All such changes have to be suitable to its local conditions.

h) Development administration is transboundary in its nature

Development administration is transboundary in nature as it is not only limited to national level, but it also crosses the boundary. For proper developmental planning, strategy and adoption of technological know-how, we have to depend on the foreign countries for trade, necessary financial aid and technology. Therefore, development administration goes beyond the boundaries.

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