Pe opl eha v ebe e ncompl a i ni nga bout‘ r e dt a pe ’ ,i dl ebur e a ucr a t s a ndi ndol e nt‘ pe n-pushe r s’e v e rsi nceg ov e r nme ntwa si nv e nt e d. Inr e ce ntde ca de s,e ffor t st o unde r mi net hee ffe ct i v e ,e ffi ci e nt a nde qui t a bl epubl i c offi ci a lwor ki ngfort hecommong oodha v e be e na dv a nce donse v e nfr ont s:
anasser ti on,r eg ar dl ess ofev i denceandr epeated oftenenoug h thati tbecameacceptedas a tr ui sm,thatthepubl i c ser v i cei si nher entl y i ncompetent,i ndol entandunr esponsi v ebyi ts v er y natur e–r atherthan,i fthosechar acter i sti cs wer etr ue,i ti s becausepol i ti call eader s al l ow thi s( contr astthi s wi th post-i ndependence Si ng apor e:pol i ti caldeter mi nati onandsuccess i n bui l di ngahi g hl ydi sci pl i nedandmoti v atedpubl i c ser v i ce,thathas tr ansfor medtheci ty-state) . a‘ Catch 22’conundrum has dev el oped: Publ i c Choi cet he or yposi t st hei de at ha t t hepubl i c se r v i cei si nhe r e nt l y se l f-se r v i nga ndne e de dt o beconst r a i ne d; Ne w Publ i c Ma na g e me ntpr opa g a t e st he e xa ctopposi t ev i e wt ha tpubl i c se r v i cei s i nhe r e nt l ya pa t he t i ca ndne e de dt o be i nce nt i v i se di nt o be i nge ffe ct i v e .
bi goppor t uni t i e s forconsul t a nt sa nd busi ne ss a r ecr e a t e dbyt hebe l i e ft ha twa s fost e r e dbyt hei de a s ofNe w Publ i c Ma na g e me nt ,ofr unni ngg ov e r nme ntmor e l i keabusi ne ss,out sour ci ngse r v i ce sa nd pr omot i ngpubl i c-pr i v a t epa r t ne r shi ps.
bl a mi ngt hepubl i c se r v i ceforfa i l ur eoffe r s at e mpt i ngsca pe g oa tforpol i t i ci a ns t o de fl e ctcr i t i ci sm oft he i rowni na de qua t e l e a de r shi pa nddi r e ct i on.
pa yl e v e l si npr ofe ssi ona lpost si nt hepubl i c se r v i cel a g g e dbe hi ndt hoseoft hepr i v a t e se ct ort ha te i t he rma nyhi g h-ski l l e dv a ca nci e s coul dnotbefi l l e dorspe ci a lpa y a r r a ng e me nt s we r er e qui r e d.
t he r eha s be e ne noug h( se l e ct e d)t r ut hi n somei ma g e r yofobst r uct i v epubl i c se r v i ce uni ons a ndunhe l pful‘ st r e e tl e v e l bur e a ucr a t s’t o dr ownoutt he much mor e posi t i v ei ma g e s ofde v ot i ont o publ i cg ood, such a s wa s fa mousl yde monst r a t e dbyt he unst i nt i ngse l f-sa cr i fi ceofoffi ce r s oft he Ne w Yor kfi r ese r v i ceona nda ft e r9 /1 1 .
bot he l e ct e dl e a de r sa ndse ni ora dmi ni st r a t or s be ne fi tfr om cr e a t i nga na l moste ndl e ss ‘ pe r ma ne ntr e v ol ut i on’ofce a se l e ss r e for ms a ndr e or g a ni sa t i onoft hepubl i c se r v i ce . De spi t et hemount i nge v i de nceov e rt hey e a r s t ha tma nyr e for ms a chi e v ea l mostno l a st i ng i mpr ov e me nt s butg r e a t l yde mor a l i se dst a ff, t het e mpt a t i ont oa ppe a rt o besha ki ngup suppose dl yl a zya ndi ncompe t e ntbur e a ucr a t s i sa l lt oo g r e a t .