Publications Archives - Page 4 of 5

Public service and human resources management

2023-10-13T11:41:32+02:0012/01/ 2022|Publications|

Developed democracies as a rule boast professional, largely apolitical civil services, which have been recognised as a crucial component of good public governance. Their work is centred on protecting the public interest. Hence, a modern civil service must be governed by specific codified rules, which set standards and procedures for keeping the civil service merit-based and apolitical, while ensuring integrity and accountability of civil servants, as well as sufficient security of their job positions with a view to protecting them against politically motivated dismissals.

This Brief is focused on shortcomings of laws governing state and public administration related to the merit-based employment procedure and the criteria for access to senior civil service positions and it offers concrete solutions for overcoming such deficiencies, which have been persisting over a long period of time.

The Brief can be downloaded here (in English) and here (in Macedonian).

Addressing the lack of open data in Bosnia and Herzegovina

2022-01-12T19:39:34+01:0009/01/ 2022|Publications|

Open data refers to public sector information or government data that can be readily and widely accessed and reused This data must be available at no more than a reasonable reproduction cost, mainly available for download over the internet, in a convenient and modifiable form. Main reason behind is interoperability – the ability of diverse systems and organizations to work together, allowing for different components to intermix. Opening of public data represents a phase in the development of an idea of public administration transparency, an idea which contributes to the society as a whole. Publishing public data contributes to transparency of public institutions, work efficiency of public administration,as well as to higher involvement of citizens in decision-making processes. By making governments more transparent, open data can provide clear information on how public money is being spent and how different policies are being implemented. Publicly available data can contribute to informing individuals on relevant state matters and contribute to opinion forming. With that, it can boost citizen participation in political life and promote significance of public consultations. Furthermore, open data allows citizens to obtain necessary information without needing to directly contact public administration, resulting in higher efficiency and less workload for public institutions. This can also initiate a long-lasting cooperation among different agencies and institutions in the public sector. Since there is a growing need for open data policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the intent of this policy brief is to address this need, assess and analyze the current state in this regard, as well as provide recommendations for further steps on the path towards opening data,relying on WeBER PAR Monitoring Reports for 2019/2020.

The Brief can be downloaded here (in English) and here (in BHS).

Scarce early consultations in Kosovo

By Emilija Nenadovic|2023-11-01T11:53:34+01:0005/01/ 2022|Publications|

As part of its commitment to democratic governance and European integration, Kosovo has recognized the vital role of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in contributing to policymaking processes. However, the extent to which government institutions consult CSOs at early stages of policy and legislative development is a matter of concern. According to the WeBER 2.0 survey, only 7% of CSOs in Kosovo report being consulted by government institutions in the early phases of policymaking. Effective policy development and coordination are essential for addressing the multifaceted challenges. In this context, early consultations play a pivotal role in shaping policies that are responsive to the needs and aspirations of Kosovo. Furthermore, the involvement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) adds an invaluable dimension to the policy-making process by ensuring inclusivity, transparency, and accountability. Early consultations facilitate the alignment of policies across various sectors. Kosovo’s development requires a coherent and integrated approach that transcends individual sectors. Through consultations, policymakers can identify overlapping goals, reduce duplication of efforts, and ensure that policies are harmonized to work collectively towards the nation’s development objectives. Consultations enable evidence-based decision-making. By engaging experts, researchers, and stakeholders in the policy development process, policymakers can access a wealth of knowledge and data. This information helps in crafting policies that are not only informed by local realities but also grounded in international best practices, thus increasing the chances of their success.

Download the paper here (English) and here (Albanian)

Proactive transparency and the right of access to information

2022-01-11T13:16:52+01:0030/12/ 2021|Publications|

Proactive transparency and free access to information characterize democratic societies, introducing the order of a country to ensure transparency of the work of its administrative structures. These structures need to provide a basis for initiating communication between institutions and citizens. Communication rests on reactive transparency of the administration and its pursuit of the Freedom of Access to Information Act. Upon this Act, citizens are to receive information upon request, while the administration published specific information on its own initiative for the purpose of informing the citizens of its work, on their rights and obligations, or to involve citizens in decision-making processes pertaining to laws, policies, actions and other. This communication takes place on different levels and through various channels, and the development of new technologies and wider use of internet platforms and social media opens opportunities for new ways of involving the citizens.

The Brief can be downloaded here (in English) and here (in BHS).

Early Consultations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

2022-01-10T14:41:21+01:0029/12/ 2021|Publications|

Political involvement is the fundamental mechanism through which citizens are included in democracies, and it is frequently linked to increased democracy, higher accountability, and more effective policy decisions. Open government reforms are built on effective citizen engagement in policymaking, which has the potential to renew the connection between policymakers and citizens. Citizens’ participation in policymaking is a crucial component of successful governance because it provides a new source of ideas, knowledge, and resources while also bolstering public confidence in the government. Complete, objective, and relevant information, defined consultation goals, and enough time and flexibility should all be part of the process.

The citizen, according to public administration theory and practice, is increasingly at the center of policymakers’ discussions, not just as a target, but also as an agent. The goal is to provide policies and services that are tailored to individuals’ needs and appropriate to their circumstances. Terms such as “co-creation” and “co-production” have emerged to reflect this systematic goal of ongoing collaboration among government agencies, non- government organizations, communities, and individuals.

The Brief can be downloaded here (in English) and here (in BHS).

(Non)transparency as a mirror of (ir)responsibility European Policy Centre – CEP Belgrade

2023-10-13T14:29:57+02:0021/12/ 2021|Publications|

Good governance implies governance that focuses on citizens, their well-being and satisfaction. One of the main attributes of good governance is transparency in the work of institutions and the decision-making process, in order to provide the public with timely information about activities and decisions that may have an impact on everyday life. With transparent insight into decisions of public interest, citizens in democratic societies have the opportunity not only to be informed but also to point out shortcomings and demand accountability, thus creating an unbreakable link between transparency and public accountability for the results achieved. Public reporting about work and performance is one of the ways to ensure government transparency in practice. In Serbia, the long-standing problem of non-transparent annual reporting on the work of the Government and the administration results in a lack of accountability towards citizens.

The Brief can be downloaded here (in English) and here (in Serbian).

Transparency of the public investment budget

By WeBER|2023-11-07T10:26:53+01:0009/12/ 2021|Publications|

Research of the transparency level, availability of information, as well as external communication and proactive approach to the citizens in key areas of public financial management in Montenegro, shows a lack of effort on the administrative part and significant problems. One of the key components of the state budget which is aimed at improving the life quality of citizens, is the capital budget. Considering the importance and differences in the process of making and implementing in relation to the rest of the budget, in this report we point out some of the key problems regarding openness, preparation and implementation of the capital budget, as well as bringing it close to citizens, with recommendations for improving the situation.

Download the brief ENG | MNE

The Appeal Commission: “Professionalisation” without merit

By WeBER|2023-10-31T14:27:34+01:0009/12/ 2021|Publications|

The Appeal Commission has a very important role in the civil service system, as it protects rights and interests of civil servants, state employees and candidates for state authorities. The Law on Civil Servants and State Employees from 2017 has enabled professionalisation of the Appeal Commission. In other words, this means that all members are fully committed to work in the Commission. In the past they did it in parallel with other work and received special compensation for decision-making in the Commission. At the same time, its competences have been expanded, and instead of separate local commission, the Commission now decides on appeals of local officials, employees and candidates for jobs in local government. However, the appointment and dismissal procedures were not sufficiently elaborated, which had negative impact on practice.

On October 2, 2021, the Government, by a decision and without holding a session, dismissed the entire Appeal Commission by telephone, referring to legal provisions that indicate unprofessional and negligent performance of duties. This dismissal, was conditioned by the fact that for almost three months, by the time of writing this brief at the end of December 2021, civil service system was left without a functional second-instance body for dealing with complaints. Moreover, it showed omissions on the legal framework that have long term consequences for the effectiveness of protection of employment rights, scheduling, rewarding, termination of employment, etc. The goal of this analysis is to provide a critical review of the procedure for appointment, decision-making and dismissal of the Appeal Commission and to make lessons from month-long dysfunction of this body in order to prevent similar situations in the future.

Download the brief ENG | MNE

Proactive and reactive information

By Emilija Nenadovic|2023-11-01T10:49:44+01:0012/05/ 2021|Publications|

Effective communication between public institutions and the citizens of Kosovo is pivotal for the nation’s democratic development. Transparency, trust-building, and public engagement hinge on the successful implementation of proactive and reactive informing strategies. Effective communication between public institutions and the citizens of Kosovo is essential for the nation’s democratic development. Transparency, trust-building, and public engagement rely on successful proactive and reactive informing strategies. To strengthen democratic governance in Kosovo, policymakers should address these challenges and capitalize on the opportunities to enhance public information access and transparency. This paper examines the complexities of proactive and reactive informing in Kosovo, encompassing, the principle of proactivity, limited resources, institutional coordination, the law on access to public documents and civil society’s concerns regarding access to public documents.

Download the paper here (English) and here (Albanian)

Government reporting on its performance

By Emilija Nenadovic|2023-11-01T12:02:06+01:0001/02/ 2021|Publications|

The governments worldwide have been approaching toward more open and out-and-out reporting of their performance, yet regardless of this Kosovo’s governments throughout the years lack this approach. Measuring the performance of government lend a hand to shed light on and define government objectives and responsibilities as well as making performance more transparent through enlightening the public. Government work reports based on their performance should be an indicator for their continuing performance improvements, by calling attention to the upcoming improvements in addition to the objectives set up previously in the work plan.
Over the last 5 years in this regard, accountability and openness are moving towards the real definition of transparency, Kosovo still has work to do. This is because they do not provide information and even access on which the public can hold the government accountable. The transition from one government to another and the institutional vacuums created, may be a factor of the problem but it does not stand as basis for an excuse.
A Good Government should be defined by openness, therefore this policy note will give a background and an understanding of the problems regarding Government taking responsibility towards its citizens when reporting on their work and performance. This policy note will include how is the government reporting established considering the work plan as well and the legal framework regarding the reporting of government work will be elaborated.