When I first began comparing the public and private sectors, I quickly noticed something fundamental: they follow very different logics. While both aim to serve people, their methods, goals, and structures diverge sharply. In this article, I’ll explain what process orientation means in public sector. I’ll also show how it contrasts with private enterprise—and why this matters for modern administration.
What Is Process Orientation in the Public Sector?
Process orientation in the public sector means shifting focus from departments and responsibilities to end-to-end workflows. Instead of thinking, “Which office handles this?”, we ask, “How can we fulfill this service efficiently and consistently?”
This mindset puts citizens at the center. Every step, from request to result, is part of one connected process. And each of these steps should add value, be clearly defined, and ideally be measurable.
Key features include
- Customer-centric thinking: Citizens expect clarity, speed, and digital access.
- Efficiency through standardization: Processes are streamlined to avoid delays and redundancies.
- Clear responsibilities: Even across departments, each process has an owner.
- Data and transparency: Performance can be tracked, optimized, and improved.
How the Public Sector Differs from the Private Sector
At first glance, both sectors involve people, rules, and money. However, the underlying priorities are quite different. Let’s break them down.
Objectives
- Public Sector: Focuses on the common good, equality, and service access for all—regardless of cost-efficiency.
- Private Sector: Prioritizes profitability, customer satisfaction, and market competitiveness.
Legal Framework
- Public Sector: Operates under strict laws and administrative regulations.
- Private Sector: Enjoys more entrepreneurial freedom, limited mainly by commercial and civil law.
Organizational Structure
- Public Sector: Often hierarchical, with fixed roles and slow decision-making.
- Private Sector: Tends to be agile, with flatter hierarchies and dynamic workflows.
Customer Relationship
- Public Sector: Citizens are entitled to services by law, not through market choice.
- Private Sector: Customers decide freely whether or not to buy a product or service.
Funding Model
- Public Sector: Funded by taxes, with emphasis on fairness and budget compliance.
- Private Sector: Funded by revenue streams, investors, and sales growth.
Performance and Motivation
- Public Sector: Less variable pay, more job security, and slower career progress.
- Private Sector: Offers performance-based pay, career incentives, and competitive pressure.
Change Readiness
- Public Sector: Changes are often slow and regulated, involving many stakeholders.
- Private Sector: Usually faster, driven by competition and innovation pressure.
Public Sector Business Case: Digitizing Building Permits
Let’s consider a real-world example to make this more tangible.
Situation
A city’s building authority receives paper-based applications for construction permits. The process involves four departments, manual document checks, and in-person communication.
Problem
Applications often take eight to twelve weeks. Citizens complain about lack of transparency and inconsistent communication.
Private Sector Perspective
A private real estate company would automate repetitive steps, introduce real-time status updates, and assign a dedicated account manager.
Public Sector Response
With process orientation, the authority maps the full workflow:
- Start with the citizen’s online application.
- Introduce a digital intake form that captures all required data.
- Automate document routing across departments.
- Assign a process owner responsible for overall progress.
- Enable status tracking for applicants.
Result
The new process shortens turnaround time to three weeks. Moreover, citizens can now check progress online at any time.
This case shows how process orientation transforms service delivery—even in a traditionally rigid environment.
Final Thoughts
Although the public and private sectors differ in many ways, the need for effective, transparent, and user-friendly processes is universal. By focusing on process orientation, the public sector can modernize its services and meet rising expectations. Even though the public sector may move slower, small changes—when targeted and consistent—can have a huge impact.
Because, at the end of the day, whether it’s a citizen or a customer, people just want things to work.
Credits: Photo from Vanessa Garcia by Pexels
