QUESTION 4(b)
GS4
10 marks
Efficiency is doing things right, while effectiveness is doing the right thing. How do you strike a balance between the two to enhance productivity?
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Explain why productivity requires both economical processes and achievement of the correct public objective.
Answer each partThere is no single directive word, so answer every part the question asks, in order.
Demand-wise check
- 1Efficiency in input/time/cost terms≈30 words
- 2Effectiveness in outcome/goal terms≈30 words
- 3Failure modes: efficient wrong task and effective but wasteful delivery≈30 words
- 4Balance through clear outcomes, process redesign, quality measures, feedback and ethical constraints≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
DefinitionsTwo failure modesBalancing methodAdministrative example
Where marks usually go
- Equating efficiency with effectiveness
- Using output quantity as the only productivity metric
Value addition
- 2×2 efficiency/effectiveness matrix
→ Draw it in the body, next to the point it supports.
Official source anchors
These are authoritative sources selected for this exact PYQ. Where a card is an official-domain anchor rather than a fact-level citation, verify the precise provision, definition or data point on the linked source before using it.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.