E. Additional Reading

CLASSIFICATION, CADRES AND GRADES

Almost all countries have some system of service classification. While the system may be simple or elaborate, it is essential for organizing the civil service and establishing a salary plan.

Classification systems broadly follow two models. One may be described as a position classification system, where the starting point is the position required and its duties, responsibilities and qualifications. All comparable positions are graded at the same level with the emphasis on equal pay for equal work. This system does not have a career structure for automatic upward mobility, although people move to higher responsibility and higher-paying positions if they meet the qualification requirements of the new assignments.

The second model is known as a rank system, where the emphasis is on a career structure and personal status. The cadre comprises a series of posts that have certain functional features in common (for example, civil administration, agriculture service, tax administration, customs, foreign affairs, and police). The cadre is divided into several grades, with each grade assigned a salary. Promotion to the next higher grade may depend on seniority alone or on the seniority-cum-merit principle.

Among developing countries at present, the rank system is more prevalent than the position classification system. But the two systems are not mutually exclusive.

(From Rethinking Public Administration: Overview: pp. 72)

F. Discussion

Ex. 1. Speak on the most common role-types in public organizations.

Ex.2. Express your attitude to the following statements:

1. "A person in an organization usually performs several roles and it may become a source of stress and overload."

2. "Street-level bureaucrats who deal with people treat them like numbers ignoring their unique problems and circumstances."

Ex. 3. Give your viewpoint on the following problems:

1. Imagine you are a lawyer who has to cancel an appointment to care for a sick child. Will you experience a role conflict? Will it become a source of stress for you? Explain what you feel to your family doctor or a colleague.

2. The job of policy entrepreneur is said to be both necessary and dangerous. Why? What can minimize the risks they take and the limits they push?

G. Writing

Write an essay explaining the following statement: "An organization that falls apart when individuals leave has not built an adequate structure of roles."

Imagine you are a street-level bureaucrat (for example, a social worker or a public school teacher). Write a brief essay on what makes your job complex and unpredictable.

Unit 5

Personnel Administration: Staffing and Training the Agency

A. Vocabulary

List of the Key Words and Expressions

Learn the following words and word-combinations using the information presented in the Vocabulary section at the end of the book (Unit 5):

staff (n)

to join the ~ ; office ~ ; teaching ~ ; military ~ ; public administration ~

staff (adj)

staff (v)

the office is well ~ed

recruit (v)

soldiers are ~ed from the working class

recruit (n)

select (v)

to be ~ ed for

select (adj)

promote (v)

to be ~ ed; to ~ all-round good health; to ~ disorder; to ~ a company; to ~ products

promotion (n)

terminate (v)

termination (n)

~ of employment; voluntary ~

terminator (n)

intelligence (n)

a person of considerable ~ ; ~ test; ~ quotient (IQ); to collect, gather ~; classified ~ ; combat/ military ~; ~ department, ~ service

intelligent (adj)

rotate (v)

the Earth ~ s; to ~ crops

rotation (n)

to make a ~ ; by/in ~

rotational (adj)

merit (n)

~ system

merit (v)

competent (adj)

a ~ civil servant; a ~ witness; ~ majority

incompetent (adj)

competence (n)

incompetence (n)

include (v)

inclusion (n)

exclude (v)

exclusion (n)

to the ~ of

background (n)

the low cottage in the ~ ; keep in the ~ - stay in the ~; to check smb's ~ ; one's academic/educational ~ ; religious ~ ; ethnic or racial ~; to have the right ~ for a job

apply (v)

to ~ to the authorities; ~ in person; ~ by letter; to ~ а system (а rule, the law, force, the new method, etc.)

application (n)

~ form

applicant (n)

assign (v)

to ~ counsel to the defendant; to ~ a mission; to ~ clerks. to ~ a sum of money; to ~ a song to smb

assignment (n)

discretion (n)

at customer's ~ ; at the ~ of ; complete, full, wide ~ ; to proceed with ~ ; years of ~ ; •• discretion is the better part of valour.

remove (v)

~ one's hand - ~ one's eyes; to ~ one's hat; to be ~ ed from the chairmanship

removal (n)

snow ~ ; water ~

dismiss (v)

dismissal (n)

feedback (n)

~ effect

evaluate

evaluation

capricious (adj)

graduate (v)

to ~ with honors, graduate cum laude

graduate (n)

college ~ ; university ~ ; ~ work; ~ student

undergraduate (n)

a university ~

postgraduate (n)

supervise (v)

supervisor (n)

extend (v)

to ~ to the river; to be ~ed over a week; to ~ power over the whole country; to ~ congratulations

extension (n)

matter has ~; a dining-room ~

person (n)

not a single ~ ; missing ~; a real ~ ; a juridical ~

personnel (n)

government ~ ; qualified ~ ; enlisted ~ ; military ~

site (n)

~ of breakdown; open the ~ and read the information

site (v)