Aspects of Public Administration at Work
| Published date | 01 September 1979 |
| Date | 01 September 1979 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002085237904500311 |
| Author | J.L. Lucas Tomas |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
(b) An even larger growth of independent
been generalized, though they do not apply
agencies and state enterprises. In Mexico,
everywhere to the same extent. Latin America
for instance, in the national public service,
is certainly not a uniform Continent, and one
there were 50 decentralized agencies in 1950.
should not forget that each country, State, or
There were nearly 500 in 1975, including
public service has its peculiarities.
over 100 set up since 1970. Owing to the
political and economic importance of some of
them, central government was weakened and
Aspects of Public Administration
there was a serious lack of planning and
coordination.
Efforts
at Work
are
being made to
remedy this.
J.L. LUCAS TOMAS
(c) Policies aiming at rapid economic growth
have been preferred to those of a social nature
The following remarks are about Spanish
and to the protection of the environment.
central government administration in 1977.
Greater importance has been attached to the
establishment of industries than to providing
A Spanish official’s first task on reaching
postal and other elementary services in a satis-
his office is to read the Boletin Oficial, which
factory manner. Attempts are therefore being
yearly contains over 26,000 laws, legislative
made to identify priorities and introduce suit-
decrees, decrees, and other items. They do
able planning methods.
not all, of course, have the same scope and
importance or remain in force, but they form
(d) The development of planning techniques
an accumulated mass, ignorance of which is
for coordinating administrative activities has
no excuse.
Experienced specialists can alone
been remarkable in Latin America during the
tell what really matters or what is still in
last twenty years. Great theoretical advances
force.
But that official gazette does not in-
have been made and excellent plans drawn
clude the vast number of agreements or internal
up, but they have remained inoperative owing
rules affecting administrative...
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