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That's A Definite Maybe! One of the key questions posed in the new NACLAA course on Public Administration Professionalism is whether local administrators are professionals and, if so, whether this is advantageous for local government. With the precision long associated with the social sciences, the answer provided by the course was "yes and no" and "probably." Yes, local administrators certainly are professionals compared to the amateurs (in the best sense of that term) who serve on municipal councils. They have specialized training and they often feel a sense of self-responsibility and a commitment to serve the public interest. No, because there is no standard program of study required within any province, much less at the national level and because work experience has traditionally been emphasized much more than education when recruiting people for municipal positions. Moreover, the values to which local administrators subscribe are quite varied, have changed over time, and are often at cross-purposes. The last point is evident in the contrast between traditional public administration values and those associated with the new public management movement. To the extent that local administrators are professionals, their governments benefit from their expertise and their strong commitment to the services that they provide. But specialized training can lead staff to a rather narrow focus on their particular discipline. They can become protective of the status quo and resistant to new approaches. If their commitment is carried to an extreme, professionals can become more concerned about the service they provide than about those being served. There may even be a question of whether their first loyalty is to their local government or their profession. As with all things, moderation and balance would seem to be the key to positive professionalism.
C. Richard Tindal,
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