scholarly journals The Influence of Government Priorities on Public-Administration Reforms in Europe

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-40
Author(s):  
Vitalis Nakrošis

Abstract3 The article assesses how and the extent to which political or policy priorities of European governments condition reform processes and their results in times of crisis. This research is based on desk research and statistical analysis of the 2013 EUPAN survey data on public-administration reform initiatives in Europe. The article finds that the place of public-administration reforms on the governmental agenda partially explains the process of public-administration reforms, but it cannot account for the variation in the (perceived) reform results. Also, the results of this research confirm that EU-13 and (potential) candidate countries face more difficulties in reform implementation due to a combination of comprehensive reform strategies and weak administrative capacities. If the quantitative analysis was able to uncover some broad trends common to European public administrations, more qualitative approaches (causal process-tracing and case studies) are needed to capture specific contexts and changing processes in different European public administrations on which delivery progress is inevitably contingent. In order to explain why some windows of opportunities are seized while others are missed during the process of public-administration reforms, it is important to undertake process-tracing in within-case and between-case analysis and focus on causal configurations in the study of particular reform cases.

Author(s):  
Grace Jaramillo

Archives, including primary documents such as meeting minutes, memoranda, white papers, blueprints, drafts for laws, and acts, are a crucial part of a consistent research inquiry that provide significant understanding of the public-policy processes in public administration. Within qualitative methods for studying public policy and public administration, archives are a key step of the process-tracing method for comparative historical analysis. Archival research is the backbone of any process-tracing exercise. Using archives for public administration studies requires rigorous planning. It starts with the definition of a time horizon of analysis that sets the dates over which the analysis will be performed. The time horizon will also help design the types of documents and indicators needed to identify the decision-making process, along with the goals and the budget performance that will accompany the policy decision. The key elements of time, sequence, selection, and classification of archives in public-policy studies determine the causal process mechanisms within a public-policy process. Identifiers, data-mining software, and sequencing are additional tools for improving classification and interpretation.


2022 ◽  
pp. 107-124
Author(s):  
Tanzer Celikturk

PA education is closely related to the public administration understanding of the relevant country and the public administration reform process. In this context, the structure of the Italian public administration, its historical roots, traditions, and public administration reform processes are discussed in order to understand the PA education in Italy. Since Italy is from the Continental European school of public administration, its effects on public administration reforms and PA education in Europe have been examined. Factors such as the spread of the new public management approach and the Bologna process initiated by the European Union, the convergence process in PA education and its effects on Italy are discussed. It is aimed to shed light on the PA education studies in Turkey by considering the PA education in Italy, one of the important representatives of the Continental European public administration understanding, which constitutes the intellectual foundation of the Turkish administrative system.


2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Shariar Islam

This article highlights that Bangladesh has not been able to achieve desired success in implementing Public Administration Reform Commission’s (PARC) new public management (NPM)-driven reform recommendations as there are major challenges such as lack of political commitment, bureaucratic unwillingness to bring about change, lack of advocacy for NPM reform among the people and inefficient public service management. To face the challenges of NPM reform implementation, it is needed to ensure political commitment, bureaucratic support, awareness among the people through government, non-government and social organisations.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Špaček

Abstract The chapter summarizes and discusses the main topics, developments and issues of Czech administrative reform, based on desk research, secondary literature on developments of administrative reform in the country and input obtained through mapping and analyzing ESF / ESIF support and interviews with employees of central bodies that are responsible for the coordination and evaluation of the use of ESF / ESIF support. It is based on findings prepared within the project European Public Administration Country Knowledge (EUPACK) that focused on researching dynamics of public administration in EU member states and the contribution of external support to improving public administration quality. The research indicates that partial results have been accomplished particularly in the following areas: openness and transparency, quality management implementation (by municipalities and regions) and e-government. Civil-service legislation has been consolidated rather recently, yet has changed various times, and this undermines every effort to evaluate its effects. A national PA evaluation system is being developed by the Ministry of the Interior but focuses (similarly to PA strategies and related operational programmes) on input indicators. This raises questions about possibilities to evaluate actual quality in PA and results of projects implemented within PA reforms.


Author(s):  
Adegboyega Ojo ◽  
Tomasz Janowski

Better integration of Electronic Government (EGOV) and Public Administration Reform (PAR) strategies has been identified by global EGOV benchmark reports as one of the contemporary issues to address in improving the outcomes of EGOV programs. This chapter presents a technique for aligning EGOV and PAR strategies based on the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM) of Henderson and Venkatraman. By treating EGOV and PAR strategies as two different alignment domains, similar to organizational and technological domains respectively, we re-frame the original SAM to address our specific alignment needs. Our model provides a procedure and metrics for analyzing: (1) alignment between a pair of EGOV and PAR strategies and (2) the internal coherency of an EGOV strategy. We discuss our experience in applying this approach in Macao and conclude with how it may be used in aligning EGOV with other strategies such as those related to governance and development.


Author(s):  
Martha Ivanivna Karpa

The article reveals the main features of the competence approach in the practice of European public administration. The features of the competence approach in public administration are determined on the basis of analysis of the basic concepts of public administration. In the dynamics of the formation and development of popular theories of interaction between state and local authorities, such as the theory of a free community, community (public) and public and state (the theory of municipal dualism), we can trace a number of characteristic features of a competency approach, which manifests itself both through the general theoretical relations and manifestations, and through the practice of coexistence of public authorities. There is a problem of definition and distribution of public functions as a prerequisite for defining and shaping the competences of public institutions. An important issue in the context of a competent approach is the institutional consolidation of functions in the context of the existence of the basic models of territorial organization of power. In each of the varieties of the Governance concept (Responsive Governance concept, Democratic Governance concept, Good Governance concept), the specifics of the use of competencies are defined. The archetypal symbols in the European public administration are singled out using the analysis of competence in public administration in its main constituents. A brief description of the archetypal aspect of European public administration is given. The main components of competence are shown in connection with the existing archetypal symbols and the characteristic trends of their development. Their connection is shown according to the scheme “the entity component (who?) — the object component (what?) — the administrative component (how?) — the basis (in what environment?)”. Concerning the trends of development of a competence approach in the context of practice and theory of public administration, it is determined that modern concepts of public administration are characterized by shifting the balance between state and public institutions to the sphere of common goals and tasks, and thus responsibility. The joint activity of all subjects of society requires new forms of cooperation, definition of the spheres and subjects of each entity’s activity for effective cooperation, distribution of functions and competences of the entities, formation and consolidation of their status characteristics.


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