Why is efficiency a major goal of public administration?

In the field of public administration, efficiency is defined as the provision of public services at the minimum cost. It has long been a prominent principle and a primary objective of administrative reform.1

Efficiency is a major goal for several key reasons:

• Resource Management: By focusing on economy and efficiency, public administration aims to ensure that government resources are utilized effectively to provide necessary services to the public.1
• Organizational Proficiency: Historically, efficiency has been linked to the structural design of government agencies. Principles such as establishing a clear chain of command, equating responsibility with authority, and grouping related activities are intended to improve the technical proficiency of bureaucratic institutions.1
• Rational Decision-Making: To combat the limitations of incrementalism—the tendency to merely tinker with existing policies—administrators use tools like cost-benefit analysis to identify and compare the costs and benefits of alternative proposals, striving for more rational outcomes.2

While efficiency remains a central goal, it is increasingly balanced against other essential values, including responsiveness to public needs, justice, equal treatment, and citizen involvement in government decisions.1