Public Administration and Government is the field concerned with how government institutions are organised, managed and administered, how public policy is developed and implemented, and how public resources are used to deliver services to society. In South Africa, the field operates within a constitutional system covering national, provincial and local government, organs of state and public enterprises. Section 195 of the Constitution requires public administration to promote efficiency, accountability, transparency, fairness, responsiveness, professional ethics and development-oriented administration.
What problems does this field exist to solve?
The field exists because governments have public responsibilities that require organised institutions, policies, personnel, budgets and administrative systems.
It addresses problems such as:
- determining what public services government should provide;
- translating legislation and government policy into programmes and services;
- allocating limited public resources;
- administering public finances;
- coordinating government departments and different spheres of government;
- managing public-sector employees;
- improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public institutions;
- ensuring accountability and transparency;
- administering public procurement;
- planning and implementing government programmes and projects;
- evaluating whether policies and programmes are achieving their intended outcomes;
- maintaining records and public information;
- responding to citizens' needs;
- ensuring fair and impartial public service delivery; and
- managing the relationship between political decision-making and public administration.
South Africa's Constitution establishes that public resources should be used efficiently, economically and effectively and that public administration should be accountable, transparent, development-oriented and responsive to people's needs.
Public administration therefore deals not only with what government decides to do, but also with how those decisions are implemented and administered.
What are the main subjects, theories and concepts in this field?
The field combines administration, management, politics, policy, law, economics and governance.
South African public-administration programmes commonly cover the following areas. For example, UNISA's curriculum includes public resource management, service delivery, decision-making, financial management, procurement, human resources, project management, research, information management, programme management, policy studies and intergovernmental relations.
Public administration
This introduces:
- the nature and purpose of government;
- public institutions;
- public services;
- administrative systems;
- government responsibilities;
- public-sector structures; and
- the relationship between government and society.
Public management
This deals with the management of public institutions and includes:
- planning;
- organising;
- leadership;
- decision-making;
- resource allocation;
- performance management;
- strategic management; and
- measurement of government efficiency and effectiveness.
The University of Pretoria's postgraduate curriculum, for example, includes public-management theory, strategic management, efficiency and effectiveness, the politics-administration interface and New Public Management.
Public policy
Public policy examines how governments identify problems and decide how to respond to them.
It includes:
- policy formulation;
- policy analysis;
- policy actors;
- policy implementation;
- policy evaluation;
- policy change;
- policy innovation; and
- relationships between legislation and policy.
At advanced levels, students may analyse different models of policy analysis and evaluate the effectiveness of policy implementation.
Governance
Governance concerns how authority is exercised and how public institutions are held accountable.
Important concepts include:
- accountability;
- transparency;
- participation;
- responsiveness;
- ethics;
- administrative justice;
- institutional performance; and
- good governance.
Public financial management
This examines how government obtains, allocates, spends, controls and accounts for public money.
Subjects include:
- government budgets;
- expenditure management;
- financial controls;
- financial reporting;
- auditing;
- financial misconduct;
- procurement; and
- accountability.
UNISA's public-administration curriculum specifically covers government financial systems, budget cycles, expenditure management, auditing and financial controls.
Public human resource management
This concerns people employed within public institutions and includes:
- workforce planning;
- recruitment and selection;
- performance management;
- training;
- career development;
- employment legislation;
- diversity management; and
- public-sector personnel administration.
Intergovernmental relations
South Africa has three spheres of government:
- national;
- provincial; and
- local.
Public administration therefore examines how these spheres interact and coordinate their responsibilities.
Public project and programme management
This covers:
- identifying public problems;
- defining projects;
- establishing project teams;
- planning;
- implementation;
- monitoring;
- control; and
- evaluation.
Public-sector information management and e-government
This includes:
- government information;
- record management;
- information systems;
- electronic government;
- communication;
- information storage and retrieval; and
- dissemination of public information.
What does a typical student or professional in this field spend most of their time doing?
As a student
A Public Administration student commonly spends time:
- studying government institutions and structures;
- learning legislation and policy;
- analysing public-sector case studies;
- studying government programmes;
- analysing public policies;
- completing written assignments;
- researching public-sector problems;
- examining government budgets and resource allocation;
- studying service-delivery problems;
- completing group projects;
- preparing reports and presentations;
- analysing organisational structures;
- studying governance and ethics; and
- completing examinations and research projects.
At higher levels, the work becomes increasingly analytical. Students may evaluate policies, investigate administrative problems, assess public programmes or conduct research into government performance.
As a professional
The work depends substantially on the government institution and position.
Activities may include:
- preparing reports and briefing documents;
- developing or reviewing policies;
- implementing government programmes;
- administering budgets;
- monitoring expenditure;
- coordinating government projects;
- analysing performance information;
- managing employees;
- administering procurement processes;
- monitoring service delivery;
- communicating with stakeholders;
- conducting meetings;
- preparing strategic and operational plans;
- interpreting legislation and regulations;
- maintaining administrative records;
- evaluating programmes;
- preparing recommendations for senior officials;
- responding to public enquiries;
- coordinating activities between departments; and
- monitoring compliance with government requirements.
Senior government managers generally perform more strategic, policy, governance and decision-making work, while administrative and operational officials may spend more time implementing programmes, managing processes and delivering services.
What kinds of assignments, projects, research or practical work are common?
Typical academic work includes:
- public-policy analysis;
- government case studies;
- policy briefs;
- research reports;
- essays;
- public-sector strategic plans;
- government programme evaluations;
- service-delivery analyses;
- public financial-management exercises;
- procurement case studies;
- project plans;
- organisational analyses;
- presentations;
- governance assessments;
- public-sector HR case studies; and
- research projects or dissertations.
For example, students may be given a government service-delivery problem and required to identify the relevant stakeholders, analyse existing policy, determine administrative causes, evaluate available evidence and recommend possible policy or administrative responses.
UNISA specifically incorporates public-administration research alongside project management, financial management, procurement, HR management and public-management practice in its diploma curriculum.
What knowledge must a person understand before they can progress in this field?
Important foundations include:
The South African system of government
A student needs to understand:
- national government;
- provincial government;
- local government;
- the executive;
- Parliament and legislatures;
- the judiciary;
- government departments;
- public entities; and
- the distribution of government responsibilities.
The University of Pretoria specifically introduces students to South Africa's constitutional framework, the executive, legislature and judiciary and the functioning of the three spheres of government.
The Constitution
The Constitution provides the legal and institutional framework within which South African public administration operates.
Public administration principles
Students need to understand why government provides services, who receives them, how public institutions operate and how resources are managed.
Public policy
Understanding how policies are formulated, implemented and evaluated becomes increasingly important at higher levels.
Basic financial management
Public officials frequently work within budgets, procurement systems and financial controls.
Government legislation and regulation
Public administration operates within statutory and regulatory frameworks.
Research and evidence
Policy and administrative decisions increasingly require the ability to gather, interpret and evaluate information.
Organisational management
Students also need an understanding of organisations, employees, decision-making, planning and management.
These foundations allow progression into specialised areas such as public policy, public finance, public human resources, governance, programme management and advanced public management.
Which parts of the field are theoretical, and which parts are practical?
The field contains both.
Theoretical components
These include:
- theories of Public Administration;
- theories of governance;
- public-management theory;
- public-policy theory;
- organisational theory;
- development theory;
- political-administrative relationships;
- institutional theory;
- decision-making models;
- policy-analysis models;
- New Public Management; and
- theories concerning the role of the state.
The University of Pretoria's postgraduate Public Administration programme explicitly examines theoretical discourse in Public Administration, the politics-administration interface, public-management concepts and New Public Management.
Practical components
These include:
- preparing budgets;
- implementing policies;
- managing government projects;
- administering procurement;
- writing reports;
- managing employees;
- developing operational plans;
- analysing service-delivery data;
- monitoring expenditure;
- maintaining records;
- managing public information;
- evaluating programmes;
- developing policies;
- communicating with citizens and stakeholders; and
- applying legislation and regulations.
The practical component therefore concerns turning government decisions, laws, budgets and policies into functioning programmes and public services.
What tools, technologies, equipment or software are commonly used?
Public Administration is primarily an information, policy, management and administrative field. Physical specialist equipment is therefore not normally central to the field.
Common tools include:
Office productivity systems
- word-processing software;
- spreadsheets;
- presentation software;
- email;
- calendars; and
- document-management systems.
Government financial and administrative systems
Depending on the department or institution, officials may work with systems for:
- budgeting;
- expenditure;
- procurement;
- payroll;
- human resources;
- supply-chain management; and
- financial reporting.
Data and reporting systems
These can include:
- spreadsheets;
- databases;
- dashboards;
- statistical software;
- monitoring and evaluation systems; and
- performance-reporting platforms.
Project-management tools
These may be used for:
- project planning;
- schedules;
- responsibilities;
- budgets;
- milestones;
- risks; and
- progress monitoring.
Information-management systems
Public institutions use electronic systems to collect, store, retrieve and distribute government information. E-government and public-sector information systems consequently form part of Public Administration education.
Administrative and analytical tools
Not all tools are software. Public administrators also work extensively with:
- legislation;
- regulations;
- policy documents;
- strategic plans;
- annual performance plans;
- budgets;
- reports;
- organisational structures;
- procurement documents;
- performance indicators;
- risk registers; and
- monitoring and evaluation frameworks.
What are the most important skills required to succeed in this field?
Important skills include:
- Policy analysis: examining public problems, policies, evidence and alternative courses of action.
- Research: gathering and evaluating information about public-sector problems and programmes.
- Critical thinking: assessing evidence, policies, institutional arrangements and administrative decisions.
- Written communication: producing reports, memoranda, policies, briefing documents and other formal documentation.
- Financial literacy: understanding budgets, expenditure, financial controls and resource allocation.
- Planning: translating objectives and policies into programmes and activities.
- Project and programme management: coordinating resources, people, schedules and objectives.
- Data analysis: interpreting statistics, administrative information and performance indicators.
- Stakeholder management: working with government institutions, communities, employees, service providers and other stakeholders.
- Public-sector decision-making: evaluating options within legal, financial, policy and institutional constraints.
- Administrative skills: maintaining documentation, procedures, records and organisational systems.
- Digital literacy: using information, communication and administrative technologies.
- Monitoring and evaluation: determining whether government programmes and policies are being implemented and whether intended results are being achieved.
Which skills can be developed through training, and which are expected at entry?
There is no single entry standard for the entire field because occupations range from junior administrative positions to senior government management.
Skills commonly developed through training and experience
These include:
- public-policy analysis;
- policy development;
- public financial management;
- procurement management;
- public-sector human-resource management;
- programme management;
- project management;
- monitoring and evaluation;
- government planning;
- advanced research;
- public-sector leadership;
- regulatory interpretation;
- governance;
- strategic management;
- intergovernmental coordination; and
- specialised government information systems.
South African Public Administration qualifications progressively introduce these areas from foundational public administration through to specialised financial, procurement, HR, programme, policy and information-management subjects.
Capabilities commonly required at entry
Depending on the qualification or occupation, foundational capabilities generally include:
- reading comprehension;
- written communication;
- basic numerical literacy;
- basic digital literacy;
- ability to organise information;
- ability to follow procedures;
- basic research capability;
- ability to communicate with others; and
- basic problem-solving.
More specialised public-administration capabilities are developed through education, workplace training and professional experience.
What personal qualities are commonly useful in this field?
Commonly useful qualities include:
- integrity;
- accountability;
- reliability;
- impartiality;
- attention to detail;
- organisation;
- consistency;
- discretion when handling information;
- objectivity;
- adaptability;
- responsibility;
- willingness to follow established procedures; and
- ability to work with different stakeholders.
In the South African public sector, some of these are more than general workplace preferences. Section 195 of the Constitution specifically establishes professional ethics, impartial and equitable service provision, accountability, transparency and responsiveness as principles governing public administration.
Occupations identified as being in high demand in this field
According to the Department of Higher Education and Training's National List of Occupations in High Demand: 2024, and using the Public Administration and Government field grouping we established for this project, the relevant occupations are:
- General Manager Public Service — OFO 2021-111202
- Senior Government Official — OFO 2021-111204
- Senior Police Officer — OFO 2021-111205
- Senior Government Manager — OFO 2021-111207
- Policy and Planning Manager — OFO 2021-121301
- Policy Analyst — OFO 2021-242202
The DHET list should be interpreted carefully: these occupations were identified as showing comparatively strong demand signals, rather than necessarily representing occupations in which South Africa has a shortage of qualified people. The document states that occupations in high demand show comparatively strong employment, wage and vacancy growth and a likelihood of employer recruitment in the medium term.
Next step
Want help deciding whether this field fits you and what to do next?
Book a career consultationBahayas provides educational information, resources, communities and structured programmes designed to build the capability and evidence you bring to the routes described here.