Lean Management Philosophy for Public Administration: Case COVID-19 Pandemic

• Author: Engelbert Zefaj
• Position: Dukagjini College ? UBT, Kosovo
• Pages: 130-147

Vol. 4 No. 2

June, 2020

European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

ISSN 2519-1284

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

130

Lean Management Philosophy for Public Administration: Case COVID-19

Pandemic

Engelbert Zefaj, PhD

DukagjiniCollegeUBTKosovo

Abstract

This paper addresses three important issues, lean management philosophy, public

administrationand theconsequences causedby pandemicCOVID Thepurpose ofthis

research is to present and promote the values of lean management philosophy in order to

be accepted and implemented as an appropriate method in public administration.Also, this

paper brings concrete arguments which prove that lean management is suitable in public

administration even in emergency situations.The research was conducted in Peja municipality

intheRepublicofKosovowherethreeimportantsectorswereobservedsuchastheeducation

process, management of movement and travel restrictions of citizens and social assistance.

The case study method has been applied where institutions, policies, events, individuals and

working groups have been observed and systems and methods have been analysed during

theiroperationTheresearch ndingsareinterestingbecauseit hasbeenpossibletoidentify

dierent organizational acceptable and unacceptable cultures of public administration

employeesand consequently the results are dierentOrganizational culture based on lean

management methods has proven to be convenient and useful.

Keywords: Lean Management PublicAdministration Critical Success Factors COVID

OrganizationalCulture

Introduction

DuetopandemicCOVIDwillberememberedasadicultandunusualyear

for humanity. This pandemic has endangered the lives of citizens, has damaged the

economy, disrupted cultural and social life, and has complicated the functioning of

the public sectorthroughout the globe. To respond to this danger and to protect the

humanitygovernments around the world havebeen forced to take extraordinary

protective measures WHO  Many businesses and public institutions were

closed and the way of life changed as a whole.A new reality appeared for all sectors,

wherethepublicadministrationwasaectedaswellTopreventacompleteblockage

ofthepublicadministrationsystempublic institutionswereforcedtondcreative

and appropriate methods to provide services for citizens and to their needs.This

situation stimulated the institutions to think creatively. As stated by the authors West

Bermanthecreativityoforganizationsandindividualsisgreaterwhenthey

operateinlimitedworkingconditionsMethodswhichenablethedeliveryofservices

from a distance, with reduced motion, without endangering the lives of people, fast

and as simple as possible, with smooth processes that brings value for the citizens

wererequiredButpreviouslyinstitutionshavebeen forcedtondcreativewaysto

make decisions which meet the demands of citizens and formalize them according to

normative procedures.Ideas were needed on how to organize meetings without being

European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

Vol. 4 No. 2

June, 2020

ISSN 2519-1284

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

131

physically assembled, how to organize internal communications between departments

andsectorsofpublic administrationhowtostreamlineprocesseshowtoexchange

ocialdocumentationhowtoinform citizensandworkersaboutongoingchanges

how to do payments and how to perform various other administrative services.In fact,

there weren't many alternatives to respond to this challenge! The state administration

was forced to build and to use practical Internet-based applications that enabled

rapidindividualandgroupcommunicationsPublicsectorstawassomehowforced

tolearnquicklytouseelectroniccommunicationplatformssuchasFacebookViberor

WhatsApp, in voice and video and the mass group communication systems such as

WebexZoomSkypefor businessGooglecommunicationetcInawayeverything

was oriented towards the ability to perform tasks remotely.This was the moment

wherethepublicadministrationbegantochangetothinkdierentlyaboutcarrying

out its duties, to install and to act according to the lean management philosophy.

ThismeansuseofInternetbaseddigitalplatformstocompletelysolvethecustomers

problems by ensuring that all services operate and, especially, work together, and do

notwaste thecustomerstime provideexactly whattheywantexactlywhere and

whenwantedLeiteVieiraButapplyingamethodsuchasleanmanagement

philosophy is not easy, employees at the public administration are required to be

well trained,the public administration must possess appropriate equipments, the

internet network must be of high quality, employees need to have professional skills

andcreativityandthecultureandleadershipoftheorganizationmustbeexcellentAt

the time of the pandemic, in many cases, it seemed that public administration did not

complywiththeseconditionsAsaresultthedecisiontakingtheinclusionofstain

theprocessestheprovisionofresourceswasslowandinsomecasessignicantdelays

have appeared.It turned out that public administration employees had shortcomings

in the application of excellent governanceExactly these problems are the essence

of this research paper.This paper makes possible to understand the challenges that

publicauthorities have hadin implementingexcellent governancemethods in the

momentswhenthepandemicCOVIDappearedandhadmadeeverythingdicult

forpublic administrationTondout howthe publicadministration hasreacted to

thisdicultsituationthepaperisbasedonthefollowingtwoquestions

- What are the critical success factors of lean management that were useful for

publicadministrationduringCOVID

- In which critical success factors has the public administration been challenged

to be in line with the philosophy of lean management?

Toanswerthe rstquestion thecriticalsuccess factorsrst areidentiedselected

andextracted fromthe scienticliteraturewhereas toanswer thesecondquestion

acasestudyresearchisbeenconductedduringthepandemicCOVIDwithdirect

engagement of the author of this paper in the emergency task force.

Lean Management Philosophy

Applying lean management philosophy is not easy but there are many cases that

prove it is feasible and very useful.When implemented successfully, it can help enable