Characteristics of Bureaucracy
Politics & Bureaucratic Capacity
Essence
This indicator assesses the characteristics of the bureaucracy, which is the implementing machinery of the government for achieving national learning goals and ensuring that the policies created to promote learning are enforced.
Indicator
A score ranging from 1 to 5, based on a series of 12 questions. For all questions, a score of 1 indicates low effectiveness and 5 indicates high effectiveness in that area. This indicator is disaggregated by urban/rural location.
Background
The implementation of national learning goals requires motivated and skilled bureaucrats (Hasnain et al. 2019). Given difficulties in monitoring, the selection of the right type of bureaucrat is key to a high-quality bureaucracy. Merit, instead of political appointments, as the main criterion for selection and promotion is the hallmark of the Weberian bureaucracy and can help create strong professional norms that drive performance. Intrinsic motivation and pro-social motivation are particularly important determinants of bureaucrats’ productivity. Intrinsic motivation is the desire to work hard for the enjoyment of the task itself rather than for the rewards, such as higher pay, promotion, or recognition, that the achievement of the task may bring. Public-service or pro-social motivation is the desire to work and exert effort for the benefit of others and not for oneself. A large psychology and public administration literature show that it is the combination of intrinsic and pro-social motivation that drives effort and work of public sector workers (Grant 2008; Perry & Hondeghem 2008). A finding that is corroborated by more recent experimental studies that show that more pro-social doctors and nurses perform better in their jobs (Callen et al. 2014; Deserranno 2019).
The 12 questions included in this section of the questionnaire measure the following: knowledge and skills, work environment, merit, and motivation.
Survey of Public Officials
Instrument Used for Measurement
Measurement Approach
A series of 12 questions asked to public officials. For example:
Think about whether employees trust one another to undertake the commitments they make or if there is a general culture of mistrust in this organization. In your view, how often do employees of this organization trust one another to undertake the commitments they make?
How does your organization encourage innovation and the adoption of new practices in its day-to-day operations?
Instrument Sources
Bureaucracy Lab – Survey of Public Officials