Public administration is a discipline drawing from political science, economics, sociology, and other fields to enhance understanding of public bureaucracies and administrative behavior. It can be used and applied broadly to non-governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, even in the private sector. It uses a combination of skill and theory development that help prepare individuals to work within or work with public organizations.
A public administration education offers value for anyone with an intellectual interest in public affairs, although it obviously prepares those interested in public service. A quality education gives individuals the chance to move freely between the public, private, and non-profit sectors, creating significant and exciting career opportunities.
Public administrators are in charge of the management and implementation of services and policy initiatives in the most effective and efficient manner. Administrators can be found working in all levels of government and in non-profit organizations. They may also be employed in hospitals, universities and even within private organizations in the field of government relations.
The primary objective of the administrator is to serve the public. Members of the public depend on you to serve and represent them. They even expect you to bring dedication and commitment and dedication to the job whether you’re an elected official in a local municipality, the executive director of a non-profit or the government relations executive in a private company.
Public administrators should embody characteristics that represent leadership. They lead nations, states and cities. They also lead universities, hospitals and non-profit organizations. On a smaller scale they lead programs, projects and policy initiatives. These must have characteristics that include integrity, creativity, vision, dedication and assertiveness.
Public policy is the way of the government to address the needs of the public and its issues. These issues are education, health care, housing and help for groups such as elderly people and homeless people. As administrator you must have knowledge of policy issues related to the field in which you work to implement programs effectively that address your specific issues and policies.
They manage programs of all sizes, from Medicare to lower-level projects that involve workshops to let people know about programs. Planning, vision and forethought are all needed to manage programs and projects successfully.
In order to run government or nonprofit organizations, public administrators must have the skills and knowledge to use their financial resources in the most efficient way.
Non-profit organizations and government entities alike often require the support for programs and projects such as assistance of grant funds. A public administrator should be adept at writing a grant proposal that expresses a need, a plan for the program or project as well her ability to successfully manage the grant funds because the competition is fierce for most grants.