Answer Happy

Human resources management: The function of the public sectormanagerSouth Africa, like most developing countries, faces some challengesin public service leadership. The public sector has aresponsibility of providing goods and services to its citizenry andto successfully achieve this, the public sector must beequipped with well-trained personnel. The public sector providesservices at all government levels, and it is, therefore,important that in each of these levels there should be officialswho can give direction to the rest of the employees. Suchindividuals responsible for providing guidelines are in the cadreof top management often referred to as public managers. Tomanage personnel, these managers should have knowledge of theneeds, motivations, fears, and expectations of thepublic. The task of providing direction to others is for exampleone of the major functions of the public managers.All public managers are in fact, supervisors, but all supervisorsare not necessarily managers. Managers must supervisethe unfolding of the government's policy as it is implemented andexecuted by their subordinates. The public manager isalso a special type of leader in the sense that the public manageris continually involved in guiding the processes ofpolicymaking, financial matters, personnel matters, andorganisational arrangements, as well as designing newproceduresand controlling the entire process. The public manager is also ableto attain this position because he knows best how toperform all above-mentioned functions and must acceptresponsibility and be accountable to the government, thetaxpayer,and the public in general. Public managers are appointed as headsof departments and other public institutions to serve thepublic interest and not to further their personal interest or theinterests of unknown investors.In the public sector, public managers would be transparent in theirdeliberations and accountable to their political superiors.Public organisations are publicly funded and therefore need to beaccountable to the public. In the public sector managersare forced to apply limited resources to massive objectives. Goalsof public agencies are often set by a variety of groups,that is, the legislature, the executive, courts, unions, andvarious interest groups. Public managers have to placegreateremphasis on providing equity among the different constituencies andhave to ensure that citizens have access to certainbasic minimum services, such as health and education.The task of the public manager embraces three areas. In the firstplace, a public manager attains his position not becauseof good writing skills or because of the interpretation offinancial statements, but more comprehend to the ability tointerpretfunctional mission of the department and to be able to carry outthe mission with well thought-out plans.In the second place, the public manager has the responsibility ofdetermining and establishing the enabling functionsnecessary for carrying and pursuing the functional mission of thedepartment namely:In the third place, the public manager must direct actions andbehaviour in the direction indicated by policy. Management asa human activity did not originate overnight. It is the task of apublic manager to carry the institution with well-thought-outpolicy directions and functional obligations to new heights, whichwill meet the needs and desires of the community.In respect of each administrative processes, the public managermust manage planning, coordination, communication,human relations, and similar functions. Public personneladministration is a distinctive field of activity which consists ofallthe functions undertaken by officials in public institutions toprovide the community with public services and goods.Source: Borgonovi, E. & Kuah, Adrian. (2018). Changing role ofpublic managers: Viewpoints from elio borgonovi. 34. 1-3.