Studies On Shanghai Municipal Government Institutional Reform From The Functional Transformation Perspective

A new round of Shanghai municipal government institutions reform, begun last summer, occupies a radically important place in the political agenda of The Shanghai CPC Committee and The Shanghai Municipal Government, both of which are striving to do their political jobs according to the guidelines provided by the Seventeenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second Session of CPC Central Committee of the Seventeenth National Congress. This reform is an important measure taken to speed up Shanghai government functions transformation and increase its administrative efficiency. Shanghai is taking the lead in the reform of this kind and doing it in many creative ways, which meets the new requirements for building a super cosmopolitan economy and society. It duly represents typical characteristics of contemporary China and Shanghai. The present thesis attempts an exploring discourse on this new round of government organizations reform.The introductory part of the thesis provides a rationale for the present study. China's socialist market economy is experiencing a boosting time while the economic and political situation in the current world is also radically changing on a daily basis. This inevitably imposes a very important task on our governments at all levels, the task of transforming their functions in order to deepen the ongoing reform of their administrative and managerial system. Seen from the perspective of scientific development, this task must be first fulfilled so that our nation can see the hope of successfully coping with the ever changing complex international situation. That is the primary reason why Shanghai has got the necessary political courage of taking the lead in carrying out this kind of reform, in the process of which forms the rationale of the present study. I am confident in the practical and theoretical significance of my study.The first chapter explains my viewpoint that the transformation of its functions is a long-term job for the municipal government to perform. After a general survey of recent developments in administrative management and the theory of logical preliminary definition, I make a comparative analysis of the previous three reforms conducted by the municipal government on its various organizations.In Chapter two of the thesis I find that these three reforms, though successfully conducted in specific and particular historical times, need to be followed by new ones. The economy, society and culture of our nation are all changing rapidly. Our productivity is also incessantly increasing. These changes in all aspects of our social life provide a driving force for the government functions to transform accordingly.Chapter three of the thesis studies the aims and purposes of this new round of reforms and the proper measures to be taken. Based on a preliminary study on the reform being done by the State Council on its ministries to establish "super ministries", this chapter points out many of the creative initiatives I find in this reform, which provides a constant source of inspiration for Shanghai municipal government to conduct its fourth reform of its institutions. This fourth reform should take as its main task to transform the functions of the municipal government. Later establishment of any government institution must be done in accordance with this transformation. This chapter also provides an analysis of some the creative initiatives I find to be obtaining in reforming move currently taken by the Shanghai municipal government. Having spent a long period of time doing relevant investigations, Shanghai municipal government, under the guidelines provided by the central government, is now carrying on a reform concerning the specific location of its function, deployment of personnel, and the establishment of government institution.The forth chapter analyses potential problems and their possible solutions. In this analysis, I make use of my own working experiences and relevant theory of administration and management I have acquired to conduct a study on some of the problems that might appear in the course of the new round of reforms done by the municipal government. The potential problems are mainly in the working efficiency, departmental interests, supervision of political power in order to check its abuse. Improvement and perfection of government institutions, the increase of working efficiency, transformation of its functions, are the most important work to do. Government organizations must be well streamlined to achieve efficiency. Moral integrity and self-control on the part of the officials and supervision done on them by the public should go hand in hand in order to guarantee the smooth progress of the overall reform.The concluding part of the thesis points out that the main rationale for the establishment of government organizations relies on the proper functions they perform. The transformation of their functions demands government institutions is reformed accordingly. Up till now, the new round of reform done by the municipal government is going very smoothly. Let us hope for more success and achievement in it so that the goal of this reform—the establishing of a government serving the people—will materialize.