scholarly journals Public Administration Reform in Bulgaria: Top-down and Externally-driven Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-124
Author(s):  
Emilia Zankina
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
External Pressure ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Public Administration Reform ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
The Eu

The article examines public administration reform (PAR) in Bulgaria and the main factors that shaped the reform agenda and dynamics. PAR is examined along five key dimensions – transparency and accountability, civil service and human resources management (HRM), public service delivery and digitalisation, organisation and management of government, and policy-making coordination and implementation. The article argues that there are four main factors influencing reform dynamics and determining policy outcomes in the Bulgarian case: the specific political choices made by government elites, external influence of the EU and of past national legacies, and the importance of institutions and reform mechanisms. To illustrate these factors at work, the article examines three policy initiatives, i.e. e-government, the reduction of administrative burden, and civil service reform. The article presents a longitudinal analysis and a qualitative case-study approach, utilising Annual Reports on the Status of the Public Administration 2001–2018, mapping European Semester Documents 2011–2017, an inventory of PAR initiatives 2005–2018, and interviews of public officials. The pushes for reform have been top-down, externally-driven, and stop-and-go in nature. The results confirm previous findings that Bulgaria is among the EU countries with the poorest record in PAR, struggling to overcome communist legacies and high levels of corruption and politicisation. The Bulgarian case highlights several important lessons: the importance of political will and political dynamics for the outcome of reform efforts; the importance of external pressure and financing; the difficulty of uprooting long-standing legacies in administrative traditions; and the limitations of the top-down approach as an obstacle to the sustainability of reform efforts.

scholarly journals Public Administration Reforms in Slovakia: Limited Outcomes (Why ?)

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juraj Nemec
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Standard Group ◽  
Civil Service Reform ◽  
Public Administration Reform ◽  
The Right ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Eu

AbstractThe goal of this paper is to document and to analyse public administration reform dynamics and outcomes in three selected areas – transparency and accountability, civil service and local self-governments.The high level of potential access to government information in Slovakia does not “produce” increased accountability, predictability and also does not effectively serve as a tool to control corruption. We argue that citizens are not only victims, but also accomplishers: their tolerance for corruption, excessive bureaucracy and rentseeking is confirmed by many existing studies.Concerning civil service reform, Slovakia shows a substantial reform reversal towards politicisation and centralisation after 2001, which clearly threatens the fundamental features of democratic governance. Soon after the EU accession in 2004 major regressive changes took place, and the Civil Service Office was abolished in 2006. The new legislation in force from 2017 (forced by the EU conditionality) should return the Slovak civil service back on the right track – let us to see.With regard to self-government the reforms aimed towards the establishment of more independent local and regional self-government. However, the major issue here is the extreme fragmentation on the municipal level – almost 3,000 municipalities in the country, most of them bellow 1,000 inhabitants. Many studies confirm that amalgamation (or at least functional amalgamation) is necessary – but there is no political will to start it.What are the main lessons from the Slovak case ? The information provided indicates that the Slovak Republic belongs to the “standard” group of CEE countries – after the first wave of democratisation reforms immediately after 1989, most of the later changes were realised “thanks to” external motivations and pressures – and not always really welcomed. The specific issue, however, is the decentralisation reform in 2000 – 2005. This change, providing really fragmented local self-government by extra rights and responsibilities, was internally driven, with positive results from the point of view of self-government principles, but with many hurdles caused by too large a number of too small municipalities.

scholarly journals Civil Servants Recruitment Process in Kosovo

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (41) ◽  
pp. 26-43
Author(s):  
Xhemazie Ibraimi ◽  
Enver Mala
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
The State ◽  
Civil Servants ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
State Administration ◽  
Object Of Study ◽  
Heads Of State ◽  
Instantaneous Control

Abstract In this study, we will analyze the instantaneous control in the recruitment of civil servants in the Republic of Kosovo. The purpose of the study is to achieve knowledge of the object of study, ie how the procedure of recruitment of civil servants is carried out, which procedures should be implemented until the establishment of employment in the civil service of Kosovo and which bodies are competent to control the legality of administrative acts of state administration bodies in the field of recruitment and establishment of employment of civil servants. Specifically the detailed aspects of the facility, ie how the recruitment is performed, how a labor relationship is established in the civil service of Kosovo, and how the control is applied internal versus the legality of administrative acts of public administration bodies in the field of recruitment of civil servants and by whom. The result of this study is the achievement with the knowledge of the object of study. In this study to achieve or not to confirm the hypotheses raised, we have used descriptive and statistical methods. Primary data are taken from the annual reports of the Ministry of Public Administration on the state of the civil service, the work reports of the Independent Oversight Board for Civil Service, literature, legal acts, and general normative acts governing the field of recruitment in civil service. The conclusion of this study is that the staffs in the civil service are not accepted according to the principle of merit, that the state administration bodies largely respect the deadlines for the establishment of labor relations, that there is no instantaneous control in the field of recruitment of civil servants. Had the proper influence on the heads of state administration institutions to recruit civil servants on the basis of merit.

Legal bases of transformation of human resources management in the system of civil service of Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Melnyk
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Personnel Management ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Service System ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Legal Principles

Problem setting. Ukraine is on the path of systemic institutional transformations, which consist in modernization of the civil service and human resources management, formation of a new personnel policy with the use of modern HR technologies, the implementation of which is impossible without proper legislative support. That is why it is so important to create in Ukraine a mechanism of legal regulation of human resources management in the civil service, capable of ensuring high standards of governance that meet modern experience and best practices in personnel management in developed countries. Recent research and publications analysis. Current issues of legal support of human resources management in the civil service have been the subject of research by domestic scholars in the field of public administration and administration, public administration, administrative, labor law, namely: V. Averyanova, M. Alexandrova, S. Alekseeva. I. Aristova, O. Bandurka, D. Bahrakh, B. Begichev, N. Bolotina, N. Goncharuk, P. Zhigalkin, S. Kivalov, R. Kalyuzhny, K. Kolpakov, R. Kondratiev, G. Nazarov, N. Neumyvaichenko, P. Pylypenko, O. Skakun, B. Stychynsky, V. Shcherbyna, O. Prodaevych, Y. Kizlov, L. Bila-Tiunova, O. Kravchenko, V. Pogorilko, V. Tolkovanov and other scientists. Despite the scientific achievements of recent years, this issue in the scientific literature remains insufficiently researched and covered, especially in terms of legal support of transformational processes taking place in the field of human resources management in the civil service. Highlighting previously unsettled parts of the general problem – to characterize the essence of legal bases and the process of transformation of legal regulation of human resources management in the civil service in Ukraine. Paper main body. The article is devoted to the consideration of topical issues on the transformation of the legal framework for the management of the civil service and human resources. The main normative legal acts that regulate legal relations in the field of state management of human resources are analyzed. Deficiencies were identified and ways to improve the regulatory and legal support for the management of the civil service and human resources of Ukraine were proposed. The transformation of relations taking place in various spheres of public life in Ukraine requires a detailed study of the legal framework that regulates and establishes key principles and rules of interaction between the state employer and employee, which will trace the evolution of the civil service in Ukraine in 1993 – 2020. p. and conceptualize the legal mechanism for human resources management in the civil service. Transformation of human resources management of the civil service is a systemic process of transformation in the field of human resources management of the civil service, which is able to ensure the transition from stable “traditional” personnel management to continuous, dynamic state of human resources management in the direction of its renewal and improvement. functions, forms, methods, technologies, tools and methods of management. That is why the term “human resources management” is used in the paper instead of the more accepted “personnel management” in the civil service. According to many scholars, human resources management in public bodies is broader in content than personnel management, there is a need at the legislative level to make the transition in the civil service from personnel management to human resources management. Therefore, we consider the legal basis of human resources management of the civil service, referring to their legal enshrinement in the legislation of Ukraine, in the Concept of implementation of the information system of human resources management in government agencies and action plan for its implementation. To disclose the content of regulatory – legal support for human resources management, it should be noted that it consists of an array of documents that create regulatory and methodological and legal support for the functioning of human resources management as a system. The article stipulates that the level of legal support is divided into international, national, regional or sectoral and local, legal acts have their own hierarchy and, accordingly, the territory to which they apply, as well as divided by legal force. Among the legislative acts that determine the legal principles and regulates legal relations related to the management of the civil service system, the central place is occupied by the Law of Ukraine “On Civil Service. The scope of legal norms governing the management of human resources, and in content, and in scope, and in nature differs from the legislation that ensures the functioning of the institution of civil service, so the work carried out theoretical and legal analysis of legal ensuring the management of both human resources and civil service. That is why it is expedient to consider the legal principles of human resources management as a component of civil service management. Conclusions of the research and prospects for further studies. Examining the array of regulations that provide legal regulation of human resources management in the civil service, it should be noted that Ukraine is taking systematic and gradual steps in the process of reforming and modernizing its own civil service system, gradually transforming existing legislation, implementing new legal provisions and adapting already existing regulatory framework for European standards. However, the change of the architecture of public administration, through the introduction of modern HR management technologies in public bodies, dictates the need to amend a number of key regulations that will ensure the further development of human resources management in the civil service.

New Wine in Old Wineskins: General Administrative Procedure and Public Administration Reform in Croatia

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 183-197
Author(s):  
Vedran Đulabić
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Research Topic ◽  
Legal Text ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Administrative Procedure ◽  
Public Administration Reform ◽  
Main Research Topic ◽  
The Eu

In  2009,  Croatia  adopted  the  new  General  Administrative  Procedure  Act (GAPA),  which  introduced  several  novelties  in  the  regulation  of  general administrative procedure. The main research topic deals with the changes that the new GAPA, as an incentive for public administration reform in Croatia, has produced. The empirical data were collected within the EU funded IPA project “Support  for  the  implementation  of  the  General  Administrative  Procedure Act” (2012−2013) and interpreted on the basis of institutional theory. Despite changes to the legal text, the empirical data show that the new GAPA has not resulted in actual changes in everyday public administration.

The Democratization and Development Agenda and the African Civil Service: Issues Resolved or Matters Arising?

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Balogun
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
Economic Management ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Development Agenda ◽  
The People ◽  
The Social

For far too long, public administration has played second fiddle to economics in confronting the challenges of governance and development in Africa. Whether it is in the design of ‘good governance’ programmes, the reform of economic management policies or the renewal of institutions, it is economics that defines the issues and proffers the solutions. Yet economic prescriptions prove inadequate if the aim is to empower the people to make input into decisions on how they are governed and to influence policy outcomes in ways corresponding to their own notion of the ‘good life’. This article focuses on how public administration could, through its integration of the analytical competencies of the social sciences, promote that critical stance that the civil service needs to challenge the assumptions underlying public choice and to render meaningful advice on policy interventions.

scholarly journals Modern Models of Public Administration in EU Countries: Implementation Experience

2019 ◽  
pp. 38-47
Author(s):  
Valentyna Nykolaieva
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Civil Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
The Public ◽  
Eu Countries ◽  
New Public ◽  
The Eu

The comparative characteristics of European public administration systems are presented. Particular attention is paid to new models of public administration in EU countries: New Public Management (NPM); New Public Governance (NPG) or New public service (NPS); Good Governance (GG). Both positive and negative characteristics of these government models are listed. Successful reform of public administration is revealed through the creation of appropriate institutions and adherence to the relevant principles, procedures, and standards of public administration and values that should be guided by civil servants. It is proved that the sphere of organization of public administration and civil service in the EU has wide experience through the implementation of so-called «soft» standards. The focus is on highlighting effective tools for reforming public administration in the EU, their main functions. The implications of NPM implementation for European regions, which were adapted by Walter Kicker’s presentation, are outlined. The key features of the new public administration and the cardinal directions of administrative reforms implemented in each EU country are identified, as well as the improvement of the main interconnected components of the public administration system, which include: institutions; rules and procedures, processes and mechanisms for coordination of cooperation; personnel potential. The realization of the reform of the public administration through the reform of administrative procedures, the development of the civil service, the process of decentralization and agencification were clarified. In modern democratic states, managerial innovations are aimed at supporting market mechanisms for democratization of public authorities; market marketing (transformation) of the work of the state with the mass introduction of methods of state managerialism. In these government models, a customer-centric approach is put in place to develop an appropriate strategy based on consumer values, meeting expectations from service providers and implementing information technology.

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