Answer:

Introduction:

Wisdom lies in knowing what to reckon with and what to overlook. However, the effectiveness of an officer’s focus on the periphery versus the core issues before them depends on the specific situation and context.

In some cases, it may be important to pay close attention to details that may seem peripheral but are actually crucial to achieving the desired outcomes. On the other hand, ignoring core issues can lead to a failure in effective service delivery and good governance.

Body:

• In the context of a bureaucratic setting, an officer’s preoccupation with the periphery at the expense of core issues can have negative consequences.
• For instance, if a government official is focused on minor details such as the formatting of a report while ignoring critical issues such as the lack of resources needed for project implementation, the result can be a failure to achieve the desired outcomes.
• Another illustration is the case of a public health officer who is more concerned with monitoring compliance with regulations than addressing the root causes of a health crisis.
• In this scenario, the officer’s preoccupation with the periphery can lead to a travesty of justice to the cause of effective service delivery and good governance, as the root causes of the health crisis remain unaddressed.
• In contrast, an officer who is able to distinguish between peripheral issues and core issues can make better decisions that lead to effective service delivery and good governance.
• For instance, if a police officer is faced with a situation where a minor traffic violation has led to a major conflict, the officer’s ability to distinguish between the peripheral issue of the traffic violation and the core issue of the conflict can help to resolve the situation effectively.

Conclusion:

While it is important to pay attention to peripheral issues, it is crucial for an officer to distinguish between peripheral issues and core issues. Ignoring core issues can lead to a travesty of justice to the cause of effective service delivery and good governance, while a focus on peripheral issues can result in the misallocation of resources and a failure to achieve the desired outcomes.

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