Competence and justice in public service discipline management

Although most injustice scenarios in discipline management indicate insufficient competence of discipline managers, the correlation between competence and justice has received limited attention. This paper assessed the relationship between competence and justice in Tanzania’s public service using selected institutions, namely, Dar es Salaam Water Sanitation Authority, Tanzania Electric Supply Company, and the Public Service Commission, as case studies. Using mixed methods, a survey was conducted on public servants from the selected case studies. In-depth interviews were conducted with discipline management experts from the Attorney General’s Office, the Commission for Mediation and Arbitration, the Public Service Commission, and employees who had experienced disciplinary proceedings. The findings demonstrated that both specialized competences, that is, knowledge, skills, behavior, and multidisciplinary competence were equally required for just discipline management. However, the study noticed a competence gap which was demonstrated by wrongful and unlawful dismissal of employees. Moreover, the statistical correlation between knowledge and justice was stronger than between skills and justice and between multidisciplinary competence and justice, although the interviewees were adamant that skills and multidisciplinary correlate with justice. The study concluded that the relationship between competence and justice was symmetrical and that the right mix of specialized and multidisciplinary competence predetermines justice. The study recommends discipline managers’ capacity-building initiatives for just discipline management.