Dr. Hamad Kasasbeh

The importance of discussing productivity in Jordan’s public sector grows as the need for faster economic growth and more efficient services increases, without significantly raising the cost of the state or its financial burdens. A state is not measured only by the size of its institutions or the number of its employees, but by its ability to turn available resources into better services, faster decisions, and a clearer business environment. From this perspective, productivity in the public sector is no longer merely an internal administrative issue; it has become a direct part of the economy’s ability to grow and create jobs.

This discussion should not be understood as a direct comparison or a preference between state institutions. Public administration on one hand, and institutions of a military and security nature on the other, each have their own nature of work, mission, and outputs. However, there are common administrative values that can raise the efficiency of public work as a whole, such as clarity of responsibility, discipline in implementation, speed of response, and measurement of results. The closer public administration moves toward these values, the more capable it becomes of serving citizens and investors and supporting economic activity.

In institutions of a military and security nature, organizational strength appears through clarity of mission, a clear chain of decision-making, continuous training, and daily performance follow-up. These elements make work more organized and help ensure a faster response to issues that require readiness and sound management. These institutions also contribute to providing security and general stability, which are essential conditions for sustaining economic activity and attracting investment. However, economic stability is not completed by the security dimension alone; it also requires fiscal and monetary stability supported by disciplined policies that preserve confidence, reduce imbalances, and provide a clearer environment for the private sector.

Public administration, by contrast, is the state’s broadest interface with people’s daily lives and with the economy. Through it pass education and health services, licensing, taxation, customs, land administration, municipalities, digital services, and investment affairs. Therefore, any delay in these areas does not remain inside offices; its impact extends to citizens, companies, and investors. A delayed transaction means wasted time, a complicated procedure means additional cost, and lack of clarity means hesitation in making economic decisions.

For this reason, improving the productivity of public administration does not begin by placing the responsibility for weak performance on the employee alone, but by reforming the work environment in which the employee operates. An employee may be qualified and capable, yet work within lengthy procedures, disconnected systems, overlapping authorities, or incentives that are not linked to achievement. When the institutional environment is slow or complicated, individual productivity declines regardless of experience. Reform therefore begins with simplifying procedures, defining responsibilities, and linking performance to results.

If the productivity of public administration improves and moves closer to the spirit of discipline and speed of delivery found in more organized institutions, the impact on the economy will be direct. Reducing licensing time means projects can start sooner, simplifying procedures means lower costs for companies and citizens, linking data between institutions means more accurate decisions, and digitizing the service from beginning to end means less time and greater trust. In this way, public administration becomes part of the economic production process, not merely an entity that provides services upon request.

From here, the link between public administration productivity and gross domestic product becomes clear. Growth is achieved when security stability and fiscal and monetary stability come together with efficient public administration capable of turning this stable environment into investment, services, and productive economic activity. Every improvement in public service reduces the cost of doing business, accelerates the movement of capital, and opens the way for companies to expand and create jobs.

To ensure that the discussion of productivity does not remain general, it must be connected to clear and measurable indicators. These include the average time required to complete a transaction, the cost of a single service, the number of services completed per employee, the percentage of fully digital services, the time required to issue licenses, citizen and investor satisfaction, and the number of projects that move from approval to implementation. When these indicators become part of institutional evaluation, administration shifts from a system of procedures to a system of results.

In the end, the strength of the state is not based only on its ability to preserve security and stability, nor only on its ability to manage fiscal and monetary balance, but also on its ability to turn this stable environment into production, growth, and job opportunities. Institutions of a military and security nature provide the safe environment, fiscal and monetary policies preserve confidence and balance, while public administration is responsible for turning this into faster services, easier investment, and broader economic activity. If Jordan can raise the productivity of its public administration through simplified procedures, genuine digital transformation, and clear responsibility, the impact will be reflected in GDP, investor confidence, service quality, and the economy’s ability to grow within its available resources.