Balancing Equity and Efficiency
Today there is great demand for
structural change in both the public
and private sectors; indeed,
the world itself is undergoing
change. How should we react? As the
world becomes more complex and
interdependent, it is difficult to
formulate an answer.
The New Public Management (NPM) is a
public-sector management philosophy
that was introduced in the 1980s to
address this question. NPM seeks
administrative reform through the
use of private-sector market
principles. Particular attention is
paid to methods such as
privatization, private sector
commissioning, and the Private
Finance Initiative (PFI). The danger
exists, however, that NPM’s use of
market principles and its
emphasis on efficiency may harm
public equity (social justice).
Theoretically, equity should arise
from efficiency but in many cases
this has not occurred.
The public sector has adopted the
market principles of the private
sector and the reverse has also
occurred. As a consequence, there
are a growing number of areas where
private-sector companies must pay
attention to public issues such as
the environment. Further,
third-sector organizations such as
nongovernmental and non-profit
organizations have proliferated. The
present reality is one where the
divide between public and private is
ever more difficult to define.
In this situation it is more
important than ever for decision
makers to think about the balance
between the efficiency of the
private sector and the equity of the
public sector as they formulate
policy. In some circumstances equity
must be prioritized and in others
efficiency. The ability to choose
the right priority is absolutely
essential to leaders both now and in
the future.The Okuma School of Public
Management curriculum places great
emphasis on fostering this balance
between equity and efficiency. We
teach future leaders that balance is
the keystone of policy making.
Four Research Concepts
The Okuma School believes that
effective public-management policy
must be based on a balance between
equity and efficiency. To achieve
this balance, attention must be paid
to four areas: administration,
public policy, public economy and
information
journalism.
“Administration” is perceived as the opportunity to support national- and local-government personnel and to provide brush-up/in-service training for civil servants. “Public Policy” focuses on policy formulation and evaluation by politicians, policy advisors, NPOs, NGOs and international institutions. “Public Economy” focuses on the cultivation of management and consulting skills in corporations as well as in think tanks, consulting companies and other institutions. “Information Journalism” intersects all three of these categories. These concepts are not limited to any one field: any endeavor depends on a firm historical perspective and an appreciation of values. With these, one can understand one’s era. Our courses and special studies are not classified according to these concepts. Instead, they function as research guides.
Master’s Theses Grounded in Reality
Theory and ideas are one thing,
practical implementation is another.
Students at the Okuma School of
Public Management write a master’s
thesis that deals with the
realities of policy formulation and
evaluation.
At present, public management is
generally confined to three sectors:
administrative bodies, private
corporations, and NPOs/NGOs.
Journalism and the media form a
fourth sector that evaluates the
policies of the first three sectors
and acts as an interface.
Graduates of the Okuma School
understand the realities of policy
formulation and evaluation from the
standpoint of any of these sectors.
Our curriculum provides students
with the foundations of political
science, law, and economics, and
equips them with necessary tools
such as statistical methods. Having
completed this base, students then
take courses and seminars that
further their individual research
interests, concerns and viewpoints.
The master’s thesis is the
completion of this process. Students
build on their acquired knowledge
and ideas, and submit a thesis with
real-life proposals and policy
evaluation.