Top 2 Methods of Co-Ordination | Public Administration

This article throws light upon the top two methods of co-ordination. The methods are: 1. Coercive Co-Ordination 2. Voluntary Co-Ordination.

Method # 1. Coercive Co-Ordination:

Through Hierarchy:

Coercive co-ordination can be achieved through the organisational hierarchy. If a conflict between the various divisions of a department or between two sections of the same bureau or division arises and is not resolvable through mutual agreement, it is referred to the common official superior. His decision is binding upon them.

However, such occasions should not be oft repeated as decisions so imposed leave a trail of unpleasantness behind them.

Compulsory co-ordination may seem to be an outcome of a fiat of higher authority and may give an impression that it is a matter of issuing orders. It is, however, fallacious to assume that if a proper order issuing authority is there, problem of co-ordination is solved. The issue of proper coordinating order itself involves co-ordination.

In fact, every decision or order is but a moment in a process. It is an organisation product born of an elaborate process of references, consultations and clearances rather than just an order issued without previous thought and prepa­ration.

Method # 2. Voluntary Co-Ordination:

In fact, bulk of co-ordination in any organisation is secured voluntarily by mutual adjust­ment and agreement.

Following are the techniques of voluntary co-ordination:

(a) Conferences:

Co-ordination can be effected through conferences which may be inter­departmental or intradepartmental. Such conferences are beneficial where the number of parties to be consulted is large or where some new policy or proposal is to be explained or where the matter under consultation requires the co-operation of a large many agencies.

Freedom of dis­cussions in such conferences is imperative. In India such a method is being adopted to secure co-ordination of policy and action between Union and the States in various spheres of activities. The Chief Ministers are often called at Delhi to meet the Prime Minister or some other Union Ministers to thrash out issues of policy or chalk out a common line of action.

(b) Through Reference Consultation and Clearance:

Through reference consultation and clearance conflict or duplication can be avoided. Such a method is employed in Government secretariats and departments for coordinating their day-to-day activities. Every proposal or policy which is likely to affect other departments must be circulated amongst them for procuring their agreement before being sent up for decision.

Questions having financial implications should be referred to the finance department with the words ‘Finance, any objection please’ written on the file.

According to Indian administrative procedure, if a secretary of a department sends a ques­tion higher up for decision without first clearing it with other departments it is considered as a lapse.

Besides these horizontal references and clearance between departments or sub-units of the same department, vertical references and clearance upward and downwards within the organisational hierarchy are also made. A question necessitating a decision is not sent up to the highest level skipping over intermediate or lower steps of hierarchy.

This process of reference and clearance does cause delay and makes the wheels of admin­istration move slowly. However, this is not too heavy a price for the unity of action which is effected through this method.

The delay can be minimized by circulation of various copies of the papers instead of the one original file, oral consultation over the telephone, or by personnel meeting instead of written reference, direct lateral contacts instead of through proper channel.

(c) Institutional or Organizational Devices:

Co-ordination can be effected by institu­tional or organisational devices, viz., inter-departmental committees, co-ordination officers, plan­ning commissions or Boards. These bodies are adjunct to organisational hierarchy but not part of it.

Co-ordination is secured through these bodies by exchange of ideas and through consul­tation. If two or three departments have overlapping jurisdiction, an inter-departmental commit­tee can be constituted for effecting co-ordination.

Single coordinating officers can be useful for co-ordination of field services in a region. In India the D.C. or the Collector and in France the Prefect have proved very useful coordinating officers.

The Planning Commissions effect co-ordination through a central plan prepared in collaboration with the agencies which have to implement it. Such devices are effective for co-ordination of policy and planning and not of routine. Hence, they should be sparingly used.

(d) Standardization of Procedure and Methods:

Standardization of procedure and meth­ods ensures that every worker in the organization will act in the same way under similar circum­stances. This results in inculcating advance awareness of one another’s activities, among the members of the group and thus making them co-operate with each other.

Standardization of procedure also facilitates comparison and measurement of results. Common budget and account­ing procedures and procurement of supplies procedures check confusion, misappropriation and wastefulness.

(e) Decentralization of Activities:

Co-ordination may be facilitated and conflicts be avoided by the device of decentralization of activities. Each functional activity may be made virtually independent and the central authority may be made nothing more than a ‘kind of holding com­pany’. Such an idea in fact is adopted by large business enterprises having large and compli­cated activities.

The applicability of this method to public administration would mean that the functional departments should be virtually independent in their operations and the central cabi­net should limit itself to co-ordination through budget, planning and personnel.

However, such a method is not easily applicable to Government departments. However, it may be applicable for effecting co-ordination in the Government departments undertaking business activities.

(f) Ideas and Leadership:

If the employees in a Government department or undertaking are convinced of the worthwhileness of the work or the organization, they work as a coherent group and remain united to realize their goal. Stimulating leadership can also enthuse the work­ers to work unitedly and thus create a sort of esprit de corps among them.

(g) Verbal and Written Communications:

Verbal and written communications can also prove effective in effecting co-ordination. Through them, information and ideas are channelized down, up and across the chain or command.

Every person comes to understand the scope and limits of his functioning, authority and responsibility in relationship with others. But communi­cation to be effective does not require only a communication network but it should also be free from any bottleneck which affects flow of messages adversely.

(h) Centralized House-Keeping Agencies:

Centralized house-keeping agencies also pro­mote co-ordination. In India for instance the Accounting and Auditing service under the Audi­tor-General, supplies under the Director-General of Supplies, construction and repairs of build­ings under Central P.W.D. are the central house-keeping agencies through which co-ordination can be effected.

(i) Finance Ministry:

The annual budget which is pursued through Finance Ministry coordinates the resources, expenditures and programmes of the government. The Finance Min­istry co-ordinates and reconciles the claims, demands and programmes of the ministries to evolve an agreed plan of action commonly termed as budget.

Further Finance Ministry’s approval is required for the implementation of any programme by the operating departments.

(j) Informal Methods of Co-Ordination:

Besides the formal methods of co-ordination discussed in preceding paragraphs there are certain informal methods of co-ordination as well.

(i) Through personal contacts, free exchange of ideas, frank and candid discussion and agreement by compromise is made possible,

(ii) Committees and Conferences also provide op­portunities for such informal consultations.

(iii) Dinners, lunches and tea and cocktail parties have also proved effective media of mass communication.

(iv) A disciplined party system is a very important medium of unofficial co-ordination.

Thus we come to the conclusion that co-ordination is a centripetal force in administration. It can be achieved both through formal and informal methods. The written and verbal commu­nications, conferences, round-table meetings, institutional devices, etc., play as prominent a part in effecting co-ordination as informal methods like lunches and dinners and meetings in commit­tees and conferences.

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