administration, but with the content of what is being administrated (Henry, 1995).
Public administrators must balance the needs of the public with the available resources, and take a long-term approach to many of the decisions facing them. Throughout this process, the public administrator must choose from alternatives (sometimes from many alternatives), each of which may well serve the public's interests, but only a few of which are in the public's best interest.
Decision Making in the Public Sector
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 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).
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