What is meant by the term Administrative Development?
Administrative Development is meant by the development of Administrative capabilities. It aims towards the adoption of structural and behavioural changes in Administrative operations. Administrative development is a pattern of increasing effectiveness in the utilization of available means for achieving prescribed goals. It, therefore, involves both qualitative and quantitative changes in bureaucratic politics, programs, procedures and methods of work, organizational structures and staffing patterns, number and quality of development personnel of different types and patterns of relations with clients of administration.
The change in Administration should be of kind that it can bring about fundamental changes in economic, political and social spheres. There should also be a change in cultural environment of Administration.
The colonial administrative culture is not suitable for the changed socio-political environment of developing world. There should be the capability to get adjusted with the new changes. It also includes the improvement of tools and techniques for which technological changes should be induced in Administration.
Administrative development should direct towards self-sufficiency and lesser dependence upon foreign support. It should be accompanied with delegation of power to ensure speedy performance and specialization of administrative tasks.
Administrative development also requires administrative changes and reforms. For administrative reforms. it is an essential ingredient of development in any country, irrespective of speed and direction of change. Administrative capacity becomes increasingly important in the implementation of new policies, plans and ideas.
The improvements in administrative capacity may involve the removal of environmental obstacles, structural alternatives in traditional and innovatory institutions bureaucratically organized or otherwise. This would also necessitate changing individual and group attitudes and performance.