Challenges to NPM

Challenges to NPM

1.    Debureaucratization- It primarily emphasizes on weeding out rule orientation, status orientation, status quo orientation, rigidity, indifference towards citizens etc. from the administration. Some positive characters like flexibility, goal-orientation, citizen-friendliness, decentralization, participation, honesty etc. needs to be infused into the administration. But, this is a big challenge because every system has developed its own administrative culture. So, for change in this administrative culture, a change in mind frame is required, that involves problems like resistance, vested interests, training, introducing new technologies etc.

2.   Downsizing- NPM intends to make public bureaucracy efficient. This requires that the public bureaucracy should be right-sized. But, since the governments across the world are over-sized, NPM emphasizes on down-sizing. But, while down-sizing is critical to NPM, it is also a challenge since it involves unemployment.

3.      Privatization- NPM requires the shift out the non-core activities to the non-state agencies. But, privatization is not an easy task since it involves tasks like remuneration, corruption, employment etc.

4.   Performance Evaluation- NPM requires that the individual’s pay must be made contingent upon the individual’s performance. For this, a scientific and an objective performance evaluation system is required. In the public sector, the goods and services are more qualitative and less quantitative in nature. This makes the performance evaluation, a difficult process.

5.      New Managerialism- NPM is also referred to as New Managerialism in the pejorative sense.