Context. Nepal was a unitary state ever since her unification process started in 1769 AD. She has been declared as a federal state

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1 Transformation of Nepalese Administration Challenges and Prospects Dwarika N. Dhungel Senior Researcher, Social Sciences EROPA SEMINAR November 2010 Kathmandu, Nepal

2 Context Nepal was a unitary state ever since her unification process started in 1769 AD. She has been declared as a federal state The exact shape of her federal polity would be clear when the new constitution of the country would be drafted and adopted by the Constituent Assembly (CA) Th CA i t d t d ft d d t The CA is expected to draft and adopt the constitution by May 2011 AD.

3 Cont. The country, thus, still has the administrative system that had been designed and developed ever since its entering in the modern era, i.e. after the fall of the century old Rana Oligarchy in 1951 in general, and the formation of the Administrative Reorganization Planning Commission (ARPC) 1956 in particular.

4 Existing Organizational Structure No Office Number A Central Offices 1. Office of the President 1 2. Office of the Vice President 1 3. Ministries Departments Office 136 Total 222 B Offices of the Constitutional Bodies 180 C Field Offices 1. Regional Zonal (including divisional) District 1, Ilaka 5, Municipal Offices Provisional 549 Total of A B and C 8,406 Note: This record does not include the number of offices under the Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force and the Nepal Army. According to another data provided by the Nijamati Kitabkhana, the number of such offices is 8,764.

5 Existing Size of Public Service As of July 2008 No Services Positions 1 Civil Service 100,560 2 Nepal Army 90,000 3 Nepal Police 56,000 4 Armed Police Force 25,600 5 Teachers/Professors/Employees School Level 107,000 University Level 15,625 6 Public Enterprises (Appx) 65,000 7 Local Bodies (Appx) 20,000 Total 479,785 Source:Nijamati Kitabkhana and Offices Concerned

6 Existing Size of Civil Service Office Level Eastern Central Western Mid West Far Western Total 1. Central 2. Department 3. Regional 4. Zonal 5. Divisional 6. Dist rict 7. Municipality 8. Ilaka 9. Secretariat 10. Temporary Not identified (-) 2, , ,993 12,914 4,783 1, , , , , , , , ,216 12,887 4,857 4, ,966 48, , , ,952 (-) 33 Total 19,804 41,260 16,980 13,440 9, ,560 Note: There is a wide discrepancy in the distribution of civil servant positions among the five development regions. Source: Nijamati Kitabkhana, Lalitpur.

7 Total Civil Servants By Service Groups as of July 2008 Services Male Female Total Nepal Economic Planning and Statistics Service Nepal Agricultural Service Nepal Judicial Service 322 4,575 2, ,812 2,811 Nepal Administrative Service* Nepal Audit Service Nepal Forestry Service Nepal Miscellany Service Nepal Education Service 38, , ,333 2, , ,999 1,212 1,470 Nepal Parliamentary Service Nepal Health Service 9,049 4,887 13,936 Nepal Engineering Service 8, ,532 Total 70,665 8,760 79,425 In percentage *Note: Positions in Nepal Foreign Service are included in this service.

8 Nepalese Administration is in TRANSITION Once the new constitution formalizes the nature of the Federal Polity: the existing Administrative structure the existing Administrative structure will have to be transformed

9 Basis for Transformation Basis: Provisions of the New Constitution. As already indicated not yet ready, As a reference, the recommendations of the following thematic committees could be taken as reference: Committee on Restructuring of the State and Distribution of State Powers, Committee on Determination of Forms of Governance of the State, Committee on the Structure of Constitutional Bodies, and Committee on Division of Natural Resources, s, Financial Powers and Revenue,

10 Main Recommendations of the Committees Different levels l of Government: Federal, provincial and Local Multiple Public Services: Federal, provincial and Local Government Service Commission: Single as well as multiple Guiding Principles of Public Service: Mainly related to the elements of good governance

11 Transformational Challenges Need to take into account the existence of new services providers: non government and private sectors Possibility of using the transformation process to make the administrative organization more heavy Feeling of uncertainty about future among the incumbents Perception of the stakeholders about the incumbents for their adjustment and redistribution among the different levels of government

12 Prospects Stakeholders have clear perspectives on the nature of the transformed administration: i ti People-oriented and accountable, and honest, Capable, efficient and result-oriented, Neutral, impartial, professionally competent and non-political, Free of nepotism and political interference, and Free of corruption and financial crimes

13 Suggestions for Transformation Regarding the re-adjustment of the present structure and incumbents, the stakeholders feel that: Organization and personnel would be required for the central, state/provincial, and local governments to perform the identified ed functions through the division of powers in the constitution. These can be started from thescratch,assomesuggest.however,thecountryhas a long tradition of organizations and personnel system. Therefore, the existing administrative organizations, personnel positions and employees have to be adjusted at the central, state/provincial and local level governments

14 Cont.. In addition, the stakeholders suggested that: the district offices should be adjusted to district level local government and regional level offices to state/provincial governments, the personnel (incumbents) adjustment should commensurate with ethnic and linguistic diversity, and the possibility of going on retirement should be left open to those who do not want to be adjusted. Also adjustments should: provide the civil servants up to the rank of Section Officer or Undersecretary, a choice of deciding which tier of government they want to join. encourage civil servants to opt for state/province of which they are permanent residents.

15 Cont The CA Committee on Determination of Form of the Governance in its report has: indicated the need for having a certain percentage of seats in the public service reserved for the weaker sections of the society. It also thinks that local residents be given preference in the service of the provinces and local governments. the readjustment of the public service should be done by the government on the basis of recommendations of a Commission, although the nature of the commission has not been clearly spelt out.

16 Government Efforts, so far Constitution of a 12 member Prashashanik Punarsarchana Ayoga (Administrative i ti Restructuring Commission (ARC) on 19 November 2008 to suggest, among other things, measures to transform the existing administrative system ( other than that of the Nepal Army and the Armed Police) to a new one as per the requirements of the federal polity

17 Cont The Commission has been working for more than two years. But it has so far, as per knowledgeable professionals, been unable to produce any tangible result. Furthermore, its term is going to be over in the near future.

18 Observation and Need Before the promulgation of new constitution, a plan for the transitional arrangement and transformation of the existing system should be in place for the use by the government of the day. Otherwise there may be a great chaos. This I think should be taken seriously by the government.

19 Thank You very Much, and a Very Happy New Year, 2011 AD