The Public's Interest & the Public's Best Interest

Define and identify the problems and opportunities that exist between the "public's interest" and the "public's best interest"

The decision making, or problem solving, process can be broken down into six phases, some of which overlap in some situations: recognizing the need for a decision; identifying the objectives; identifying alternatives; evaluating alternatives; selecting the best alternative; and, implementing the decision (Steers, 1991, p. 243).

Recognizing the need for a decision may be the most important step in the decision making process. If the manager does not recognize that there is a decision to be made or a problem to be solved, he or she cannot take the necessary steps to resolve the situation. In the public sector, there are guidelines in many situations which determine when public input must be sought; in other situations, bureaucrats, and public employees will be able to identify issues which require problem solving techniques (Brache & Rummler, 1997, p. 69).

Recognizing the need for a decision requires that managers recognize the difference between symptoms and underlying problems. This can be particularly problematic in the public arena in that various stakeholders may perceive the underlying problem differently. Managers and organizations that address only symptoms and not root causes are unlikely to have long-term success.

Brainstorming and cause-and-effect diagrams can be used to help isolate problems. Through these methods,

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law. Use of such experts can shorten the time associated with searching for alternatives, and can help the manager find solutions that would otherwise remain hidden (Gruenfeld, 1996, p. 1). Once alternatives have been generated, they must be evaluated. Some alternatives can be dismissed because they are not in keeping with the standards or expectations of the community. Conservative communities may be hard-pressed to implement an extreme solution, while other communities may not have the resources necessary for some alternatives. Other alternatives may have certain characteristics that make them untenable, such as being heavily laden with restrictions, or requiring that the community stray from its long-term goals (Behn, 1998, p. 213). It is at this point that the difference between the public interest and the public's best interest becomes key. Clearly, a public administrator wants to act in the public's best interest, but it can be difficult to determine what that best interest is when there are conflicting alternatives. There may be times, for example, that the public's best interest is a highly unpopular alternative that will cause problems for elected officials and their re-election if implemented, but that will serve

Category: Government - T