1. OECD AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU Ankara April 2014 Public Administration Reform: Efficiency and Effectiveness Karen Hill Head of SIGMA

2. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU Outline of the presentation 1) What is SIGMA, what do we do and who do we work with? 2) Why care about good public governance? 3) The link to public administration reform (PAR) 4) Some tools of PAR to help achieve good public governance 5) Better regulation 6) E-government 7) Conclusion 2

3. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU What is SIGMA and what do we do? SIGMA is part of the Directorate for Public Governance and Territorial Development of the OECD and we are a joint initiative of the OECD and European Union (EU) We have been working with countries to strengthen their public governance systems and the capacities of their public administrations for over 20 years All senior advisors in SIGMA have extensive professional experience from their own public administration We provide short-term technical assistance in key areas of public administration reform (PAR), help to develop and implement PAR strategies and action plans, undertake studies on public governance and carry out assessments of progress in countries We facilitate sharing of experience between countries: OECD and EU member states, and SIGMA partner countries 3

4. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU SIGMAs areas of expertise 4

5. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU Who does SIGMA work with? Two groups of countries: Turkey and Western Balkan countries, financed through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) Eleven countries of the European Neighbourhood, financed through the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) We build long-term relationships with partners in countries: Prime Ministries General Secretariats / Government Offices Ministries of Public Administration Ministries of Finance Supreme Audit Institutions Public procurement bodies Parliaments and oversight bodies 5

6. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU What do we mean by public governance? Wikipedia: Governance refers to all the processes and decisions of governing, whether through laws, norms, power or language It is the way that rules and actions are produced, regulated, implemented and sustained. UNDP: The exercise of economic, political and administrative authority to manage a countrys affairs mechanisms, processes, and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights, meet their obligations and mediate differences. World Bank: Public governance is based on public sector management, a competitive private sector, the structure of government, civil society participation and voice, and political accountability. 6

7. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU Why should we care about good public governance? OECD: The role of public sector economics and governance is crucial for economic and social well-being. UNDP: Good governance is participatory, transparent and accountable. It is also effective and equitable. And it promotes the rule of law. Good governance ensures that political, social and economic priorities are based on broad consensus in society and that the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable are heard in decision-making over the allocation of development resources. World Bank: Good governance is associated with democracy and good civil rights, with transparency, with the rule of law, and with efficient public services. 7

8. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU What is the link with public administration reforms? The public administration is an important means of delivering public governance others include the Parliament, oversight bodies and an active civil society For EU member states, public administration is a domestic matter BUT they have to implement EU directives and recommendations in such a way that citizens and businesses are able to enjoy the rights granted to them, regardless of which country they live in So each national administration needs to have comparable quality and professionalism in its administrative capacity sharing of experience and good practice is a key part of achieving this 8

9. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU Some tools of public administration reform Better regulation: regulations are one of the key levers by which governments act to promote economic prosperity, enhance welfare and pursue the public interest Well-designed and effectively implemented regulation can generate significant social and economic benefits, which outweigh the costs of regulation and contribute to social well-being E-government: the use by government institutions of information technologies to transform relations with citizens and businesses e.g. through better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with businesses, faster and simplified processes, and greater access to information 9

10. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU Better regulation, an end-to-end process From developing government policies to implementing them, reviewing their impacts and monitoring how effectively they are achieving the Governments objectives Both the OECD and EU emphasise the importance of effective and coherent better regulation strategies Key elements: open and participative policy making processes, including effective consultation, a consistent framework for analysing options and impacts, emphasis on importance of effective implementation and subsequent monitoring, review of stock of significant regulation over time Recommendations of the OECDs Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC): 10

11. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU OECD recommendations 1) Commit at the highest political level to an explicit whole-of- government policy for regulatory quality clear objectives and frameworks for implementation to ensure that if regulation is used, the economic, social and environmental benefits justify the costs, the distributional effects are considered and net benefits are maximised. 2) Adhere to principles of open government, including transparency and participation in the regulatory process to ensure that regulation serves the public interest and is informed by the legitimate needs of those interested in and affected by regulation. This includes providing meaningful opportunities (including online) for the public to contribute to the process of preparing draft regulatory proposals and to the quality of the supporting analysis. Governments should ensure that regulations are comprehensible and clear and that parties can easily understand their rights and obligations. 11

12. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU OECD recommendations 3) Establish mechanisms and institutions to actively provide oversight of regulatory policy procedures and goals, support and implement regulatory policy, and thereby foster regulatory quality. 4) Integrate Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) into the early stages of the policy process for the formulation of new regulatory proposals. Clearly identify policy goals, evaluate if regulation is necessary and how it can be most effective and efficient in achieving those goals. Consider means other than regulation and identify the best approach. 5) Conduct systematic programme reviews of the stock of significant regulation against clearly defined policy goals, including consideration of costs and benefits, to ensure that regulations remain up to date, cost justified, cost effective and consistent, and deliver the intended policy objectives. 12

13. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU Cutting red tape in the UK Two key components: 1) Citizens can challenge existing regulation: the Red Tape Challenge was launched in 2011 to promote open discussion of ways in which the aims of existing regulation can be met in the least burdensome way 2) Use of e-government tools to improve consultation, sharing of information and facilitation of open data 13

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15. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU E-government Important to remember that e-government tools are just that tools; the policies, regulations and public administration organisation underlying them are critical Some of the benefits: sharing of information, allowing participation of citizens, online provision of public services, achieving efficiencies E-government involves the use of information technologies that serve a variety of different ends: better delivery of government services to citizens, improved interactions with business, faster and wider access to information and more efficient public administration management The resulting benefits can be less corruption, increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth and/or cost reductions (for government and end-users) 15

16. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU E-government OECDs 2011 Government at a Glance uses indicators to compare the political and institutional frameworks of governments in OECD countries. On e-government it found that: Citizens and businesses increasingly prefer and use digital channels. The online provision of public services increases access and provides greater convenience for users while reducing costs for all involved, including governments. For these reasons, governments around the world invest significant resources in the delivery of online services, particularly in the current context of fiscal austerity when they are trying to do more with less. Ensuring the cost-effectiveness of these investments relies heavily on the uptake of e-government services by citizens and businesses. 16

17. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion, principallyfinancedbytheEU Conclusion Public administration reform is a complex but extremely important topic for any country. It is about providing the best possible administration and services, at all levels of government, to our citizens and businesses. It is also about contributing to a fair and open society, competitive markets and inclusive economic growth, and maximising the potential of our cities and regions. Thank you and I look forward to an interesting and successful conference! karen.hill@oecd.org 17