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Getting the Core Government Functions Right. Annie Demirjian Bratislava Regional Centre. Trends in Core Government Functions. Challenges in post-financial crisis Post-2015 global consultations on MDGs or Sustainable Development Goals
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Getting the Core Government Functions Right Annie Demirjian Bratislava Regional Centre
Trends in Core Government Functions • Challenges in post-financial crisis • Post-2015 global consultations on MDGs or Sustainable Development Goals • Lack of comparative studies on best practices in “Core Government Functions’: examples Australia, UK, Canada, Eastern Europe, Arab Countries. • UN/UNDP focusing on support to “Core Government Functions’ & implications to sustainable development in 2000 2014/9/3 Bratislava Regional Center Bratislava Regional Center 2
Trends Core Government Functions • EU approach to accession countries & European Neighborhood Policy (ENP): includes W Balkans, Turkey, Middle Eastern countries. • EU - public administration reform – first chapter of the negotiations, includes core functions – very broad. • The important role Civil Service hub (CS Councils) plays to support ‘the machinery of government’. Bratislava Regional Center
Six pillars of core government functions: UNDP approach – based on international norms: WB, EU, OECD, regional banks, others.- political leadership – understanding complexities- capacity of the executive/legislative & central agencies (CS, OAG, Statistical Bureaus) - citizens voice & participation - role of civil service, CS councils & CS Reform - role of local authorities, municipalities, mahalliets - transparency & accountability 2014/9/3 Bratislava Regional Center Bratislava Regional Center 4
Complexities of Core Government Functions Other priorities: PFM, security, judiciary, trade, jobs youth employment, private sector development, among others. Recognition that Core Gov’t Functions are complex & difficult aspect of state-building in emerging economies. Core institutions/central agencies: executive, parliament, judiciary, treasury, CS council, auditor general, statistical bureau, among others, are drivers to help address the broader economic, social, environmental and other challenges. 2014/9/3 Bratislava Regional Center Bratislava Regional Center 5
Global experiences 6 Canadian/Australian experience:- get mandate, responsibilities, accountabilities right- make structures simple but robust- ministerial portfolios are clear – line of reporting- strategic policy co-ordination is centralized but each minister remains responsible for their sector- structure, policies are ‘citizen-centred’- mechanisms to address conflict of interest 2014/9/3 Bratislava Regional Center Bratislava Regional Center
Global experiences… - ministries/structures reflect national priorities – and are changeable- structure provide maximum decentralization of service delivery responsibilities to local actors – set within appropriate accountability framework. • W. Balkans, CIS region (EU approach)- there was political leadership but lacked capacity in the early stages- capacity of central agencies limited & CS reforms were not aligned with national priorities. Bratislava Regional Center
Global experiences - limited public consultation- local authorities were not as engaged in national priority setting - judicial, legal reforms not robust & systems had no teeth- accountability, transparency and reporting mechanisms were not robust – but this is changing • Arab spring countries – Iraq, Libya- limited understanding of ‘machinery of government’- Iraq had the CS institutions. Libya very weak- modern organizational trends such as CS reform, citizens’ participation limited. Strong local actors Bratislava Regional Center
Key messages • Important to get the core government functions right- within the context of today’s global trends. • New trends in post-financial crisis, post-2015 consultations indicate: engagement of local actors, citizen’s participation, role of the private sector, transparency & accountability ought to be part of the core government functions. • Capacity of core government functions must be in place to help address other challenges: employment, environment, climate change, security, private sector development etc. Bratislava Regional Center
Opportunities for Regional Civil Service Hub • The CS hub in Kazakhstan and the CS councils can play a crucial role to support the executive and central agencies in delivering their core mandate:through policy co-ordinations, establishing the right organizational structures, develop conflict of interest guidelines, service delivery frameworks in a decentralized system, ministerial accountability frameworks, promote broader public consultations and dialogue mechanisms, among others. • Drive the 6 pillars Bratislava Regional Center
Key messages. • Getting the core government functions right is fundamental to get other priorities, a prerequisite: jobs & youth employment, private sector development, security and other priorities right and central agencies such as the CS Hub can play a key role. Bratislava Regional Center