SUGGESTIONS FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM IN CROATIA

1. SUGGESTIONS FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM IN CROATIA By Prof. Ivan Koprić, PhD Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb Republic of Croatia

2. 1. Rationalisation of public administration To rationalize the central state administration To simplify the territorial organization of the state administration below the central level To eliminate functional overlapping To introduce modern regional self-government To rationalize the structure of the basic local self-government units (towns and communes)

3. 2. Strengthening of the institutional capacity: To strengthen Government’s professional capacities To separate ministries and executive agencies To regulate and ensure the functioning of the (quasi)independentregulatory bodies To computerize and network the whole public administration To create managerial and entrepreneurial work methods To create horizontal relations and prefer matrix organization with more flexible labour arrangements To establish the mechanisms of harmonising public policies and coordinating and integrating the whole public sector To introduce e-administration and records management

4. 3.Strengthening of the professionalism and ethical standards. Depoliticization of the administrative service: To introduce a comprehensive system of administrative education To establish reliable records of the civil servants and employees To introduce the in-service training system To introduce pre-entrance exams To re-train inadequately educated civil servants To introduce efficiency remuneration system and peer review To establish an efficient system of disciplinary responsibility To depoliticise public administration and reduce the number of politically appointed officials To regulate the legal status of local civil servants

5. 4.Debureaucratization: To simplify and accelerate administrative procedures To provide e-access for citizens and entrepreneurs To develop entrepreneurial administrative culture and proactive attitude of the civil servants To introduce more flexible labour contracts To educate civil servants in the spirit of service to public interest To create an efficient system of supervision that would monitor legality, quality of services and civil servants’ morality. To strengthen inspection services. To inform citizens and entrepreneurs about public administration

6. 5. Orientation towards results, transparency and openness: To hire public managers in executive agencies To introduce strategic planning To introduce project budgeting To publicise budget and annual budget balance statements and to enable citizens to have access to public spending To ensure access to the public sector information

7. 6. Decentralisation: To modernize the territorial structure To constitutionalise local self-government To strengthen the financial capacity of local self-government units To widen local self-government scope To strengthen democratic political legitimacy of the local bodies and the professionalism of local public administration To ensure a more efficient legal protection of citizens and entrepreneurs

8. 7. Partial privatization in public administration To privatize parts of public companies, particularly utility services To apply other methods of strengthening the private initiative in the public sector – outsourcing, etc.

9. Thank you very much! Prof. Ivan Koprić, PhD Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb Republic of Croatia