scholarly journals Decentralization Policies in Public Administration in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and their Impact on Building Offices’ Scale Efficiency

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fandel ◽  
Marišová ◽  
Malatinec ◽  
Lichnerová
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Scale Efficiency ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Managerial Efficiency ◽  
The Public ◽  
Scale Size ◽  
State Administration ◽  
Unit Scale ◽  
Decentralization Policy

Decentralization policy schemes (DPSs) in the public sector have been implemented in different ways by Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Both approaches have led to a transfer of competencies from state administration to self-government with the aim of improving the efficiency of the delivery of services. This paper presents a comparative scale efficiency analysis of the units performing services in the building order sector. The analysis is based on two unique regional datasets from two countries, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The DPS implemented in Slovakia is based on the principle of voluntary cooperation of municipalities. In the case of the Czech building sector, the competencies have been transferred to the newly created municipalities with delegated or extended competencies. This study aims to contribute to the research on efficiency in public administration. We focused on the relationship between two types of DPSs, and units’ scale efficiency. We also tried to determine whether a specific unit scale size could be identified as the most efficient. We employed a two-stage metafrontier approach based on procedures for evaluating program and managerial efficiency. The results show that different DPs have not led to statistically significant differences in performance, and it is not possible to identify the most efficient building office scale size.

scholarly journals Citizens local political participation in the Czech Republic: rural-urban comparison

2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 21-29
Author(s):  
J. Cmejrek
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Political Participation ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Political Process ◽  
The Political ◽  
Local Administration ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public

The Velvet Revolution in November 1989 in the former Czechoslovakia opened the way to the renewal of the democratic political system. One of the most visible aspects of the Czech political development consisted in the renewal of the essential functions of elections and political parties. On the local level, however, the political process - as well as in other post-communist countries - continued to be for a long time influenced by the remains of the former centralized system wherein the local administration used to be subjected to the central state power. Municipal elections took hold in these countries, however, the local government remained in the embryonic state and a certain absence of real political and economic decision-making mechanism on the local level continued to show. The public administration in the Czech Republic had to deal with the changes in the administrative division of the state, the split of the Czechoslovak federation as well as the fragmentation of municipalities whose number increased by 50 percent. Decision making mechanisms on the local and regional level were suffering from the incomplete territorial hierarchy of public administration and from the unclear division of power between the state administration and local administration bodies. Only at the end of the 1990s, the public administration in the Czech Republic started to get a more integrated and specific shape. Citizens participation in the political process represents one of the key issues of representative democracy. The contemporary democracy has to face the decrease in voter turnout and the low interest of citizens to assume responsibility within the political process. The spread of democratising process following the fall of the iron curtain should not overshadow the risk of internal weakness of democracy. The solution should be looked for in more responsible citizenship and citizens’ political participation. The degree of political participation is considered (together with political pluralism) to be the key element of representative democracy in general terms, as well as of democratic process on the local and regional level. The objective of this paper is to describe the specifics of citizens local political participation in the Czech Republic and to show the differences between rural and urban areas. The paper concentrates on voting and voter turnout but deals also with other forms of citizens political participation.

scholarly journals Some of the Theoretical Basis of Local Self-Government in the Czech Republic

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-43
Author(s):  
Petr Pospíšil ◽  
Marian Lebiedzik
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Law ◽  
Public Affairs ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
Public Corporations ◽  
State Administration ◽  
Professional Self ◽  
Definition Of

Abstract In the valid legislation of the Czech Republic, we do not find a clear and completely unambiguous definition of the concept of “self-government”. Nonetheless, it is an institute traditionally used and with content defined in a particular way by the theory of administrative law or administrative science in the context of the division of public administration into state administration and self-government. Self-government usually refers to public administration (i.e. administration of public affairs) carried out by public law bodies other than the state. These public law bodies are most often public corporations, which perform specific tasks within territorial self-government, professional self-government and interest group self-government. The aim of the paper is to provide an interpretation of the theoretical and legislative definition of the concept of self-government and specifically to focus on territorial self-government. In processing the paper and fulfilling the set goal, the authors will primarily use scientific methods of analysis, synthesis, description, explanation and comparison. Based on the presentation and analysis of theoretical opinions on the issue, the applicable legislation of territorial self-government and insights from public law-related practice, the authors conclude that it is appropriate to consider a more detailed (yet open) definition of self-governing tasks of municipalities and regions in the future.

scholarly journals Efficiency of the functioning of public administration: regional empirical study

2021 ◽  
pp. 165-180
Author(s):  
Eleonora MARIŠOVÁ ◽  
Ivana LICHNEROVÁ ◽  
Ján MACHYNIAK
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Scale Efficiency ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Personal Management ◽  
State Administration ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
District Offices

This paper presents qualitative research findings and a comparative scale efficiency analysis of the units performing services in the building sector. The analysis is based on two unique regional datasets from two countries, the Slovak Republic (SR) and the Czech Republic (CZ). Performance of building competences in Slovakia is based on the principle of voluntary cooperation of municipalities. In case of the Czech building sector, the competences have been transferred to the newly created municipalities with delegated or extended competences. Both states introduced reforms in public administration with the aim to improve their efficiency, including the performance of building competences. Czech Republic is currently undergoing a recodification of Building Act with unification of building authorities into the system of state building offices. The results of our qualitative research in both states in the period 2014-2019 show insufficient personal management due to low financing of building competences. Using quantitative statistical methods, we came to the conclusion that in Slovakia, a return to the performance of competences by state administration (district offices) instead of building offices (as a part of self-government) would not be effective.

scholarly journals The Demand for Public Administration Education in the Czech Republic

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-32
Author(s):  
Onur Kulaç ◽  
Lucie Sobotková ◽  
Martin Sobotka
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Family Policy ◽  
Learning Preferences ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public ◽  
Current State ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The University

Public administration is overwhelmingly crucial in providing citizens with the best accessible, affordable, effective, and efficient services. Governments need qualified human resources for satisfactory employment processes. Therefore, higher education institutions play a crucial role in supplying the education in the field of public administration. Universities and various institutes from all over the world have numerous public administration education programmes. In this context, students as well as professionals have a wide range of opportunities to get an education in public administration so as to be employed in the public or relevant sectors. In parallel with globalisation and the development of information technologies, new professions have started to emerge and significant changes have been observed in people’s learning preferences. The Czech Republic is one of the significant Central European countries to offer an education in public administration. To this end, the study examines public administration education in the Czech Republic and looks more closely at public administration education at the University of Pardubice, which offers programmes in the area of public administration and the public sector. The analysis is performed based on a statistical evaluation of students’ interest over a span of 16 years. Finally, the demand for public administration education at the University of Pardubice is analysed in order to put forth the current state of public administration education by comparing it with other relevant faculties in the Czech Republic. The conclusion of the study is devoted to considerations on the possibilities of supporting education in the Czech Republic. More consistent supervision from the position of the state seems appropriate, but also support for a family policy aimed at reconciling professional and family life.

scholarly journals The Efficiency and Public Transport Accessibility of Indirect State Administration in the Czech Republic

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iveta Vrabková ◽  
Ivana Vaňková ◽  
Igor Ivan
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Transport ◽  
Administrative District ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Transport Accessibility ◽  
State Administration ◽  
Security Costs ◽  
Administrative Tasks

Abstract This paper examines the efficiency and public transport accessibility of indirect (devolved) state administration performed by municipalities with extended powers (hereinafter MEPs) in the Czech Republic. Our aim is to evaluate the efficiency of the revenues made by municipalities with extended powers, through performing powers delegated to them by the state administration, and those municipalities’ public transport accessibility as of 31 December, 2014. The rate of efficiency is tested on an output-oriented Free Disposable Hull model. One input variable is selected - the operating expenses of the municipal offices recalculated per inhabitant of the municipality’s administrative district - and two output variables are selected: contribution to the performance of state administration, recalculated per inhabitant of the municipality’s administrative district, and revenues from administrative fees per inhabitant of the municipality’s administrative district. The municipality’s offices’ transport accessibility is evaluated via network analysis using ArcGIS software. The article investigates the hypothesis that public administration deconcentration practices logically result in higher security costs and therefore inefficiency. The results reveal that only 66 of the country’s 205 MEPs are efficient and that operating expenses and state contributions for the performance of state administrative tasks play a significant role in these results. Efficiency is less significantly influenced by administrative fee revenues. Public transport accessibility is analyzed for two time intervals - 6:00 to 8:00 am and 1:00 to 2:00 pm - on Tuesdays. The degree of accessibility is defined using a six-point scale of accessibility. The results show that the best accessibility is in the morning hours, when the offices are accessible for 68.8% of the population aged 15+ in the Czech Republic; the worst accessibility is in the afternoon hours when only 2% of the population aged 15+ can access the offices.

scholarly journals The Use of ICT by Local General Administrative Authorities during COVID-19 for a Sustainable Future: Comparing Five European Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 11765
Author(s):  
Aleksander Aristovnik ◽  
Polonca Kovač ◽  
Eva Murko ◽  
Dejan Ravšelj ◽  
Lan Umek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Local Level ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Managers ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
Sustainable Recovery

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reshaped administrative relations and put emphasis on the digital transformation of public administration that is urgently needed to support a sustainable recovery from the pandemic crisis and future sustainable development in the post-pandemic era. This paper presents a comparative study on the ways the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted general administrative authorities on the local level with respect to various aspects of their functioning and digitalization in five European countries. With a sample of 926 respondents from the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Romania, and Slovenia, the study shows that the pandemic-imposed changes are very similar in these countries. The results reveal that, except for Germany, the biggest problems of pandemic-related regulations are their obscurity. For all countries under study, parties to the procedures are shown to be the main driver of digitalization and not the public administration itself, generally lagging behind in this sense. Nevertheless, the pandemic has also created several potential opportunities, whereby public managers, especially in Germany, have acknowledged the importance of digitalization right after the protection of health, as confirmed by the wider use of ICT equipment, particularly in Germany and the Czech Republic. Moreover, Germany and Romania exhibit the greatest potential to accelerate digitalization. Finally, the critical factors influencing accelerated digitalization after the pandemic are also identified. The paper’s evidence-based findings could prove useful while formulating recommendations for the sustainable practices of public administrations during this and any future pandemic crisis.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION BETWEEN CONTROL AND SUPPORT

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Sovova
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public ◽  
State Administration ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
The One ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Relationship

The role of the public administration in modern states is diverse and extensive. The state administration is traditionally connected with the activity of lordship and decision-making. The municipality and community administration is more user-oriented and supportive in difficult life situations. Both types of public administration execute permanent and daily control of their users. They check how the addressees follow laws, by-laws and orders or instructions of the public administration. Contemporary modern global society born new challenges and for both parties of the relationship. The paper examines the needs of users for a more friendly, supportive approach. The public administration's daily practice must connect particular and general interests regarding, on the one hand, the protection of human rights, on the second-hand goods of a community or the whole society. The paper analyses the thin line between support and control when delivering public service based on the Czech Republic experience. The article focuses on managerial and legal issues and possible tools for transitioning from lordship to procuring and assisting public administration.

scholarly journals The difficulty of an official performing in public administration with a focus on the Czech Republic

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucie Kamrádová ◽  
Marie Sciskalová
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Servant ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – the paper aims to present public administration as a managerial organisation which puts many requirements on its employees, respectively on officials in public administration. In today’s globalised society, the boundaries between the public and private sectors are mutually intertwined. The difficulty of official’s profession, both in terms of knowledge and psychology, is often wrongly criticised by civil society. The paper intends to point out the particular requirements and specify the risks carried by this profession. Research methodology – the basic methods used are from the area of qualitative research. These are methods of analysis, induction and deduction. The method of description is used in the whole paper. Findings – the result of the article is the identification of the principal risks and threats in the exercise of official activity. Research limitations – the authors of the article see a certain limit that it is impossible to assess the demandingness of the official’s performance in terms of the quantitative, as the structure of executive positions within the Czech Republic is problematic. Practical implications – the identified risks can be beneficial for human resources management in public administration, to avoid frequent burnout in this profession. Originality/Value – the paper presents the new perspective of a public servant

scholarly journals NEW CHALLENGES FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AT THE AGE OF THE RIGHT TO THE INTERNET ACCESS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zdenek Fiala ◽  
◽  
Olga Sovova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
The Internet ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public

The paper discusses the challenges, benefits, and risks of the digitization in public services; argues the internet access right as a fundamental human right and the obligation of a state to provide digital services in the public administration; points out the main tasks of public administration when introducing the principles of good governance; addresses the development of the mentioned principles in the European public space as well at the examples of the Czech Republic. The authors critically describe evaluation methods of digitized public administration and e-Government, including the general model of user acceptance of information technology and benchmarking within the global worldwide information society. The paper highlights practical examples of digitization of the public space in the European Union and in the Czech Republic. The paper concludes with the issues of the state obligation to cover gaps between the legal and economic demand for digitization and provision of digital public services and needs of communities and individuals. The authors use the economic approach to examine legal issues of digitization in public administration. The comparison of the European legislation and Czech national legislation form the primary methodology of the interpretation of the rights of users as well as the obligations of the public administration. Practical examples, figures and tables highlight the argued issues.

scholarly journals ENCOURAGING ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION BY HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

2005 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuzana Dvoráková
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Public Administration ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Ethical Behaviour ◽  
Ethical Values ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
The Public

The public administration reform in the Czech Republic set off with a reform of the territorial public administration at the end of the 90s. The reform established a joint public administration model in the territories, power decentralization, and de‐concentration of operative functions from ministries to regions and municipalities. The reform outcomes largely depend on the quality of human resources in public administration, their ethical values, and status in the society. The public sector always needs to solve a traditional ethics dilemma whether public officials serve citizen or politician purposes. The paper is aimed at ethical values in the Czech public administration, ethics dilemmas in the public sector, and human resource management in territorial self‐governments supporting ethical behaviour. An abnormal situation comes into being in the Czech Republic as public officials incline to serving neither citizens nor politicians. Some municipal authorities strive to improve public administration ethics by designing and implementing new HR practices, codes of ethics and anticorruption programmes.

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