Civil Service Administration in Ethiopia, 1961-1974: A Historical Analysis

Abstract

This study is an administrative history of Ethiopian modern civil service from 1961 to 1974. The year 1961 is selected because it forms an  important watershed in the administrative history of modern civil service since it witnessed a significant structural and functional change  in the Ethiopian civil service institutions as the result of the issuance of the Public Services Order No.23/1961. On the Other hand, in  November 26, 1974 (as soon as Därgue took over the leadership of the country), one of the first historic steps it took was to examine the  general administration of the government from various angles and establish a high-level "Administrative Reform Committee" to  restructure civil service administrative agency in the direction of the "Ethiopia First" policy announced at the time. The study is based on  the qualitative method of research and used both primary and secondary sources to interpret and analyse the administrative history of  Ethiopia during the selected period. These sources were cross-checked and triangulated to achieve the desired result. The style of  periodisation was the important approach used for comprehending the analysis. The study found the following major findings: Firstly, it  found that among the leaders who administered the Ethiopian Civil Service Administrative Organ, Commissioner Mammo Tadässä and  Käbädä Gäbrä Mariyam made a great significant contribution for the structural changes in the Ethiopian Civil Service Administration  during this period. Secondly, efforts to make free the civil service from political influence were unsuccessful in Ethiopia from 1961-1974.  This was because the capacity required for the job to be done was not well developed and the institution was not in a position to work  freely