Theoretical and Applied Economics
Volume XVIII (2011), No. 4(557), pp. 65-98
Quality Management and the Reform
of Public Administration in Several States
in South-Eastern Europe. Comparative Analysis*
Lucica MATEI
National School of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest
lmatei@snspa.ro
Corina-Georgiana LAZĂR
National School of Political Studies and Public Administration, Bucharest
corinalazar@snspa.ro
Abstract. The present requirements impose to achieve profound
reforms in public administration both in the EU Member States and in the
acceding countries from South-Eastern Europe, in view to align at the
European Union standards.
Public administration reform strategies aimed to identify measures
for ensuring the modernization of public administration in order to
optimize decision-making, to improve human resource management,
public finance, quality of public services by promoting and introducing
quality management elements.
The objectives aim in this study consist in identifying the quality
policies and their implementation, the use of the quality management
instruments in practice and the analysis of the impact of the accession
process to the European Union, regarding the promotion and
development of quality management in the public sector by means of the
reform documents and strategies in the analyzed countries. Through the
selection of the analyzed countries within the study, we are attempting to
offer an overview regarding the introduction and use of the quality
*
Article achieved with the support of the project ”Restructuring doctoral research in the fields
of political sciences, public administration, sociology and communication”, co-funded by the
European Union through the European Social Fund, Sectorial Operational Programme Human
Resources Development 2007-2013.
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
management instruments in public administration, as well as their
convergence in the South - Eastern European states, EU and non-EU
states.
The research of this study is based on the reform documents and
strategies of the public sector in the countries analyzed, taken from the
Internet, having as source the official websites of several public
institutions. Also, this study is based on the analysis of several empirical
studies performed (mainly by the European Institute of Public
Administration(1)) for the EU Member States and candidate countries,
and a series of studies regarding quality management in the public
sector. In addition, we mention that there are also EU documents and
publications regarding the subject of our study, recently achieved,
throughout the EU Presidency of Slovenia(2) (2008) and throughout the
EU Presidency of Spain (2002). We also mention the studies published by
the World Bank and OECD, which promote, by means of publications,
quality management in the public sector. At the national level there are a
few researchers studying quality management in the public sector and
analyzing and comparing reform documents and strategies in the public
sector of different countries in South-Eastern Europe, tracking the
promotion and application of the quality management instruments.
Keywords: public administration reform; quality management;
reform strategies; convergence.
JEL Code: H11.
REL Codes: 13C, 13G.
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
67
I. Introduction
In the continuous process of building an efficient, transparent public
administration, oriented towards the citizen, the countries in South-Eastern Europe
have become, in the past years, more and more interested in promoting and
introducing the elements of quality management in the public sector, and all reform
projects in the public sector are designed such as to fulfill these objectives.
This comparative paper presents the process of quality promotion and use of
the quality management elements in public administration in several countries in
South-Eastern Europe, comprising both European Union Member States (Greece,
Romania and Bulgaria), and countries desiring the accession to the EU (Croatia,
Albania, Republic of Moldova and Republic of Macedonia). At the same time, the
study will also comprise short reference regarding the convergence of quality
management elements in public administration in the analyzed states.
As a structure, the study could be divided into two large parts: one part
which discusses the notion of quality and its findings in the public sector, and a
second part, focusing on the comparative analysis of the reform documents and
strategies in the states analyzed having as main objective the identification,
within them, of the quality management tools in public administration. We
mention the fact that in neither of the states analyzed there is a clear strategy
regarding quality promotion in the public sector.
I. Quality –integral part of public administration development
Total quality management (TQM) was initially used in the private sector,
in order to achieve integral monitoring and to estimate all relevant activities of
an organization, in view of reaching excellent results in business (Matei,
Andreescu, 2005, p. 50).
“Quality” is a generic concept and not new in public administration, either.
On the contrary, quality was, at least implicitly, a public administration concept
since the creation of the modern administrative state, when it was associated
with the observance of regulations and procedures, with formal correctness,
viability and absence of arbitrary decisions (Engel, 2003, p. 17).
An overview on the emergence of quality in public administration can be
found in Engel (2003), who underlines the idea according to which the “impulse
for quality” (Massey, 1999, p. 2) was present in the public sector in the last half
of the ’80s and at a wider scale in the ‘90s, allowing quality to become “a central
term in our contemporary rhetoric” (Pollitt, Bouckaert, 1995, p. 3), one of the
subjects and central preoccupations of administrative modernization in Western
Europe and in the “OECD world” – or even “a recent epidemics” (Pollitt,
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
Bouckaert, 2000, p. 168). As a consequence, TQM is seen as a “holistic” tool,
and since the end of the ‘80s it was implemented more and more in the public
sector (Matei, Andreescu, 2005, p. 50).
II.1. Orientations in defining the notion of quality in the public sector
The concept of quality is expressed in a series of definitions, mutually
completing each other. Among these:
̇ Improvement of the “manner of governing” – constitutional
architecture and the structure of government and society – and the
efficiency of public action (Bovaird, Löffler, 2002, Bovaird, Löffler,
Parrado-Díez, 2002, Daemon, Schaap, 2000, PUMA, 2002);
̇ Quality can be defined by opportunity of adequate character (OECD,
2001);
̇ Ensemble of standards and characteristics of a product, in relation to
its capacity to satisfy the needs that are known or assumed (Norma
ISO 9004-2);
̇ Quality is the level at which a set of intrinsic characteristics satisfies the
requirements; it can be at different levels, respectively: unsatisfactory or
poor; satisfactory or good and excellent (ISO 9000:2000 Standard.
Quality management systems. Fundamental principles and vocabulary).
Beale and Pollitt (1994) discovered that, in what concerns the standards,
customers’ knowledge is very low, even in a country that places information on a
central position in the political agenda (for example, Great Britain) (Bouckaert,
2001, p. 101).
The European Commission performed in 1996 a study emphasizing the
awareness of the importance/role of quality in the world.
Table 1
Awareness of the importance / role of quality in the world
The level of awareness of the
State ⁄ Region
The role of quality in management
importance / role of quality
Japan
Quality is an essential element of the overall
Excellent
management of organization
SUA
Quality has an increasingly important role
Good
Western
Quality is considered a specialized professional
Limited
Europe
management problem
Central and
Quality is considered to be only the problem of
Limited
Eastern Europe employees of the departments directly productive
Other states
Quality is perceived as a secondary problem,
Reduced
not related to management
Source: An European policy for promoting quality in view of improving the European
competitiveness, European Commission, 1996; in Drăgulănescu, FRPC, 2001.
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
69
Service quality represents an important aspect of performance in any
organization in the public sector (OECD, 2001), and the public administration
of national states attempts to obtain performance by means of quality
management strategies.
II.2. Characteristics of quality management in public administration
Shorter
QM tradition
Longer
Quality Management holds a number of features (Moldoveanu, Dobrin,
2003, 9): the objective is to acquire customer satisfaction; quality is defined by
the customer; it affects all activities of the organization, whether or not directly
related with the product or the service; customers are external; it closes the
activities of control, but primarily involves the management of the entire
organization; all are involved in its application; the participation is determined
by conviction; methodology is particularly directed toward prevention; it aims
to do the right things “from the beginning”; the responsibility and the
involvement of everyone from organization.
Quality is incorporated in all strategic documents and initiatives
Quality as a core value
Improvements and added value as a concept – a paper certificate itself does not matter
Use of quality models, standards and tools voluntarily and upon the decision of
a PA organization – what matters is the results achieved
Quality as a (long-term) goal
Quality, perceived as a “magic” word, may sound hostile
Emphasis on formalities – a certificate as a motivating factor
Use of quality models, standards and tools strongly imposed, or even prescribed by law
Source: Zurga, G., Quality Management in Public Administrations of the EU Member States –
Comparative Analysis, Ministry of Public Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, 2008,
EUPAN, p. 14.
Figure 1. Characteristics of quality management in public administration
in relation to tradition
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
II.3. “Standard”(3) quality instruments used in public administration
The European Foundation for Quality Management, established in 1988
by the high-performance European companies with the aim of promoting and
spreading the idea of business excellence in Europe, developed and holds the
EFQM excellence model. This model is based on a number of eight
fundamental concepts regarding excellence, which are transformed into a
diagram of nine criteria that create a framework for quality assessment in an
organization. Five criteria cover what the organization does, and the other four
criteria cover the results obtained by the organization. The methodology used is
that of self-evaluation, which means that the organizations must evaluate their
own performance in a structured manner, based on actual facts, and to identify
the strong points and the fields where improvement is necessary(4).
The EFQM model is considerably used in the public sector of several EU
Member States (Engel, 2003, p. 25), and in the last years it has spread to the
level of non-EU countries.
CAF is a self-assessment instrument concerning the manner of
functioning of public institutions. Developed in 1999/2000 by the de EU
Member States as a common framework of the public domain for the
assessment and improvement of public administration, CAF is based on
fundamental concepts, on the diagram and assessment criteria managed by the
EFQM Model and, as the previous one, operates with the self-assessment
evaluation (Engel, 2002, p. 25). Still, CAF is differentiated from the EFQM Model
by a number of dimensions (sub-criteria or areas that must be solved; indicators
exemplified; results records system) and takes into account, explicitly, the
specific of public organizations.
CAF finality is to offer a simple, easy and no-cost framework for the selfassessment of public organizations in Europe and to allow the use of good
practices and benchmarking evaluations (EIPA)(5).
The ISO 9000 series developed by the International Organization of
Standards since 1987 is an international standard accepted for quality assurance
in the field of production and service provision, which offers indicators and
positions regarding the manner in which a quality system is elaborated within an
organization. The series consists of instructions for using the standard (ISO
9000) and requirements for the organizational processes specified for the
organizations performing different activities (Engel, 2003, p. 24).
The ISO 9000 series works with the instrument of certification by third
parties (executed by certification structures) and allows organizations to
officially obtain certificates for their activities. The certificates are issued for a
limited period of time, but can also be withdrawn(6).
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
71
Concerning the application of international quality regulations in public
administration, the first quality regulation was ISO 9000; there are also applied
regulations regarding the environment ISO 14000, ISO 17020 and ISO 17025
and technical regulations in the field of public administration. It is appreciated
that the application of the ISO 9000 standards is useful, especially, for
organizations lacking the transparency of the written rules, of structures and
processes (Löffler, 2001, p. 28).
II.4. Convergence of quality management elements
The study of the convergence aims to describe how the various factors
and economic social and political mechanisms act or compete at mitigation of
some differences between these entities (Matei, Dogaru, 2010, p. 4).
In Pollitt’s view (2001), “administrative convergence” is a term without a
clear and agreed-upon meaning, but convergence on a common model implies a
reduction of variance and disparities in administrative arrangements.
Basically, we can talk about convergence when core ideas, competences,
resources and institutional arrangements match, or fit, - in this case, the
probability for convergence is high, and when mismatch is strong, we can
expect little or no convergence, or even divergence (Matei, Dogaru, 2010, p. 5).
In our study, convergence will be analyzed by comparing elements of
quality management of national policies from public administration of analyzed
states with a series of general standards derived from concepts, practices and
experiences at EU level, providing elements in view to determine “the global
convergence” and the comparison of initiatives, mechanisms and tools
promoted in the states under review will determine “the relative convergence”
(Matei, Săvulescu, 2011, p. 49).
III. Comparative analysis of quality management in public administration in
several states in South-Eastern Europe
The promotion of administration modernization represents an aspect that
totally differs from the implementation process (Pollitt, Bouckaert, 2000), most
public administration reforms being characterized by a gap between the
theoretical and the practical implementation (Engel, 2003).
The implementation strategies and the intensity of the implementation
process will differ from one country to another and are clearly influenced by a
number of contextual factors, such as the degree of executive decentralization
and the administrative and judicial traditions in each separate country (Engel,
2003).
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
The achievement of reform in all analyzed countries is a major priority for
their Governments, by means of which public administration would correspond
to the European standards, would contribute to the satisfaction of society’s
needs, increasing the citizens’ quality of life, being characterized by
transparency, predictability, responsibility and efficiency.
The reform strategies of public administration have as purpose the
identification of the measures for ensuring public administration modernization
on the basis of reorganizing the state institutions, of optimizing the decisional
process, of improving human resources and public finance management.
III.1. Identification of quality management elements(7) in the reform
documents and strategies
Each of the countries analyzed, having as central objective its alignment
to the European quality standards, elaborated “quality strategies” underlining
the policy and objectives of central administration with respect to quality in
public administration or are still in the process of elaborating such strategic
documents. The topic regarding quality is also approached in different
documents such as national reform plans and programmes.
Table 2 presents the reform documents, strategies and quality
management policies elaborated by the countries subjected to the analysis.
Table 2
Reform strategies and documents, policy documents and legislative initiatives
on quality management
Strategies, documents and reform initiatives which include
Promoted
State
elements of quality management
tools
Greece
1. Operational Programme “Public Administration Reform” 2007 –
2013, 2007,
• CAF
2. National Strategic Reference Framework 2007 – 2013, 2006,
• ISO 9001
3. National Programme Reform for Economic Growth and Jobs,
2005-2008, 2005,
4. „Kapodistrias Plan”, 1997
5. Reform Programme for Local Public Administration, 1997,
6. Code of Conduct of Civil Servants, 1999,
7. National Action Plan for CAF 2007 – 2009 and 2010 – 2011,
8. Law on Access to Information of Public Interest, 1999.
Romania
1. National Reform Programme, 2007-2010,
2. National Strategy on Preventing and Combating Corruption in • CAF
Vulnerable Sectors and Local Public Administration 2008-2010, • ISO 9001
2008,
3. Strategy for a Better Regulation for Central Public Administration
Level 2009-2013, 2008,
4. Romania's Reform Strategy 2004-2006,
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Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
Bulgaria
Croatia
5. Strategy for Improving the System of Planning and Public Policy
Making at Central Public Administration level, 2006,
6. Government Strategy for Accelerating Reform in Public
Administration, 2001 – 2004,
7. Government Strategy on Introduction of Information Technology
in Public Administration, 2001,
8. Updated Strategy on Institutional Reform of Ministry of
Administration and Interior 2005-2006,
9. Government Strategy on National Action Plan on E-Government,
2001,
10. Government Programme for 2009-2012,
11. Government Programme for 2008 – 2012,
12. Government Programme for 2005-2008,
13. Code of Conduct of Civil Servants, 2004,
14. National Action Plan for CAF, 2007,
15. Law on the Status of Civil Servants, 1999,
16. Law on Decisional Transparency in Public Administration, 2003,
17. Law on Measures to Ensure Transparency in Exercise of Public
Dignities, civil service positions and in Business, Corruption
Prevention and Sanctioning, 2003,
18. Law on Local Public Administration, 2001,
19. Law on Free Access to Information of Public Interest, 2001,
20. Framework Law on Decentralization, 2004.
1. Operational Programme on Administrative Capacity 2007 – 2013,
2. Decentralization Strategy on Public Administration, 2006 and the
Programme on Implementation for the period 2006-2009,
3. Programme on transparency in the work of Senior Civil Servants
of the State Administration, 2006,
4. E-Government Strategy, 2009,
5. Law on E-Government, 2007,
6. Strategy for a Transparent Management and for Preventing and
Combating Corruption, 2006-2008, 2006,
7. Strategy for Modernization of State Administration - from
accession to integration 2003-2006, 2002,
8. Strategy on Employees Training in Public Administration, 2002,
9. National Strategy on Anti-corruption, 2001,
10. Code of Conduct of Civil Servants, 2000,
11. Law on Access to Information of Public Interest, 2000,
12. Strategy on Development of Information Society in Bulgaria,
1999,
13. Law on Civil Service, 1999,
14. Electronic System for Self-Assessment of Public Administration,
2003,
15. Measurement methodology of customer satisfaction, 2007,
16. Guidelines for Developing Quality Citizens Charter, 2007.
1. Development Strategy of Internal Financial Control in the Public
Sector, 2009 – 2011,
2. Reform Strategy of State Administration 2008-2011, 2008,
•
•
•
EFQM
CAF
ISO 9001
•
•
CAF
ISO 9001
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
Albania
Republic of
Moldova
3. Anticorruption Strategy, 2008,
4. Strategy on Development of the Public Procurement System,
2008,
5. Strategy on Implementation of Acquis Communautaire on Free
Movement of Goods, 2007,
6. Strategy on Development of the Services of Postal Market and its
Action Plan for Implementation, 2008,
7. Strategy on Development of Electronics Business 2007-2010,
2007,
8. Strategy on Developing E-Government, 2009 – 2012,
9. Code of Ethics of Civil Servants, 2009,
10. National Strategy on Development of Rural Area, 2008,
11. National Anti-Corruption Programme, 2006 ,
12. Government Programme for 2003-2007, 2002,
13. Law on Civil Servants, 2005,
14. Law on Public Service, 2006,
15. Plan on Training in Public Service, 2008.
1. Strategy on Public Administration Reform, 2009,
2. Intersectoral Strategy on Preventing and Combating Corruption,
2008,
3. National Strategy on Development and Integration 2007 – 2013,
4. Strategic Plan of the Institute of Public Administration Training
2006 -2009
5. Anticorruption Strategy, 2002,
6. National Strategy on Socio-economic Development, 2001,
7. National Strategy on Decentralization and Local Autonomy, 2000,
8. Law on Ethics in Public Administration, 2003,
9. Law on Status of Civil Servants, 1999,
10. Law on Standardization, 1999,
11. Law on Electronic Communications, 2008.
1. Government Activity Programme ”European Integration:
Freedom, Democracy, Welfare, 2009-2013”,
2. National Strategy on Development of the Republic of Moldova
2008 – 2011,
3. Institutional Development Plan of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and European Integration, 2009 – 2011
4. Government Activity Programme 2005-2009, "Modernization of
the country - welfare of the people", 2005,
5. Reform Strategy of Central Public Administration from Republic
of Moldova, 2005,
6. Action Plan for Achieving the National Strategy of the Edification
of Company Information Society – “Electronic Moldova”, 2005,
7. National Strategy of the Edification of Company Information
Society – “Electronic Moldova”, 2005,
8. National Programme „Moldovan Village” 2005-2015,
9. National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Corruption and
Action Plan for its implementation, 2005,
10.National Strategy for Preventing and Combating Corruption, 2004,
•
•
CAF
ISO 9001
•
•
CAF
ISO 9001
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Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
Republic of
Macedonia
11.Law on Public Service no. 443- XIII, 1995,
12.Law on Civil Service and the Status of Civil Servants, 2008,
13.Code of Conduct of Civil Servants, 2008,
14.Law on Transparency in Decision Making, 2008,
15.Law on Preventing and Combating Corruption, 2008,
16.Law on Access to Information, 2000.
1. National Strategy on E-Government 2010 – 2012,
2. Strategy on Cooperation between Government and Civil Society •
2007 – 2011,
•
3. Strategy on Training for Civil Servants 2009 – 2011, 2009,
4. National Development Plan 2007 – 2009,
5. Government Programme for 2006-2010,
6. Strategy on Public Information and Communication in the
Republic of Macedonia's Process for Accession to EU , 2007,
7. National Strategy and Action Plan on Information Society
Development, 2005,
8. National Strategy for European Integration of the Republic of
Macedonia, 2004,
9. Memorandum for Cooperation and Development of Vocational
Training of Civil Servants in Municipal Administration, 2003,
10. Strategy on Training of Civil Servants in the Process of
Accession of the Republic of Macedonia in the EU, 2000,
11. Strategy on Public Administration Reform, 1999,
12. Status of Civil Servants, 2000,
13. Law on Free Access to Information of Public Interest, 2006,
14. Code of Conduct of Civil Servants, 2008,
15. National Strategy for the development of Electronic
Communications with Information Technologies, 2007 – 2010.
CAF
ISO 9001
III.2. The emergence and development of quality management
The presence or absence of the quality management elements from the
reform documents and strategies of the national public administration of the
analyzed states illustrates not only the evolutions in specific fields, but also
highlights the less developed fields.
Table 3
The quality management emergence in the public administration
of the surveyed states
Years 1990 second half
Greece
Years 2000 first half
Romania, Bulgaria
second half
Croatia, Albania, Republic of Moldova, Republic of Macedonia
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
Greece
The effort of the Hellenic State to introduce the notion of quality in public
administration started with the “Ioannis Kapodistrias”(8) plan in year 1997,
named after the first governor of independent Greece, which establishes
structural modifications in public administration by awarding central
competences to certain local services. The Government considers this plan a
necessary step towards the modernization of administration, from the local
level. Some of the most important objectives of the plan were the
modernization of the administrative system by offering high quality services to
citizens in the urban and rural areas and the promotion of transparency in the
management of the financial resources and the guarantee of legitimacy by
means of the responsible application of the local authorities’ policies with
respect to citizens.
At the end of the 1990’s, within the General Secretariat of Public
Administration of the Ministry of Interior, a Special Unit regarding Efficiency
and Quality was created. This continued with the adoption by the Hellenic
Parliament of a law in 2004, Law no. 3230/2004 regarding the establishment of a
Directorate of Quality and Efficiency within the General Secretariat of Public
Administration. This law stipulated the instituting of a network of similar
directorates in all ministries and the establishment of an integrated performance
management system, the introduction of the quality models (mainly CAF) and
policies and a quality prize for the public organization with the best performance.
The unit responsible for promoting CAF is the Directorate of Quality and
Efficiency within the General Secretariat of Public Administration. This
directorate is responsible for promoting efficiency, efficacy and quality policies
in public administration. The Directorate of Quality and Efficiency launched
two major initiatives meant to transform the manner in which the Hellenic
public organizations should operate: the establishing of an integrated
performance management system and the introduction of quality and policy
instruments and, especially, the use of CAF by public administration.
The main objectives regarding the modernization of public administration
in the strategic documents are:
̇ improvement of productivity and quality of public services;
̇ establishing an assessment system regarding the impact of the new
legislation on competitiveness;
̇ administrative transparency – combating corruption;
̇ development of e-government;
̇ establishing a framework for life-long learning and for training civil
servants;
̇ improvement of inter-regional cooperation.
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
77
The main objectives regarding quality management in public
administration: improvement of efficiency, efficacy and quality of public
organizations, adoption of an approach oriented towards the citizen-client in
public organizations, simplifying and facilitating the access of citizens and
enterprises to public administration, creation of an administrative culture
oriented towards results; reduction of bureaucracy.
Romania
In public administration in Romania important steps were made in
introducing the quality management tools. In year 2004, CAF was applied in a
pilot stage within two directorates of the Ministry of Administration and
Interior (MAI) and the National Agency of Civil Servants, and later, in 2005, it
was expanded at the level of all ministries, prefectures, county councils etc. in
Romania.
MAI is responsible for promoting CAF in public administration in
Romania. The application of the self-assessment instrument is a voluntary
option, it is not imposed by the government, but it is fully supported by Central
Unit for Public Administration Reform (CUPAR).
For the purpose of ensuring and consolidating quality management in
public administration, certain coherent measures were comprised in the
strategic documents issued, especially with respect to the improvement of
public service quality, namely:
̇ Introduction of quality standards for monitoring and assessing public
services and the professional activity of civil servants;
̇ Establishment of a certain number of public servants according to the
standards set for each public service;
̇ Establishment of a strategic planning system for each public authority
according to the public services offered;
̇ Establishment of certain motivational schemes in view of increasing
the quality of public services and stimulating innovation;
̇ Elaboration and application of the “Citizens’ quality charter”, for the
purpose of introducing and assessing the quality standards for public
services;
̇ Implementation of an assessment guide for the institutional selfassessment, in relation to CAF;
̇ Development and increase of the efficiency of electronic public
services by public interventions;
̇ Development of the integrated system for the issuing and renewal of
civil state documents.
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
The main objectives regarding quality management in public
administration: reduction of bureaucracy, professionalization of civil service in
order to introduce quality in public services, supply of high professionalism
public services, modernization of the institutional structures, development of an
administration oriented towards the citizen.
Bulgaria
CAF was applied in Bulgaria in 2006, the institution responsible being the
Ministry of State Administration and Administrative Reform.
Public administration reform focuses on the application of contemporary
governance models and techniques, on the creation of an anti-corruption
environment, with clear control rules, the encouragement and motivation of
employees for the disclosure and prevention of conflicts of interests, civil
service management.
Also, in the strategic documents issued elements of quality management
in public administration were inserted, namely:
̇ Increase of efficiency and efficacy of the public sector;
̇ Training and development of human resources;
̇ Development of e-government;
̇ Improvement and efficiency of administrative regulation and service
supplying;
̇ Increase of transparency and integrity in public institutions;
̇ Improvement of the image of public sector as employer;
̇ Increase of satisfaction of both clients and employees;
̇ Training employees to work with e-government systems.
Also, within the national documents there were established principles for
the supply of public services, namely:
̇ Treatment of all users in a correct, honest and polite way;
̇ Open communication and supply of complete information;
̇ Wide consultations and the promotion of continuous improvement;
̇ Incorporating feedback and learning from complaints;
̇ Measurement and publishing of citizens’ satisfaction results.
The main objectives regarding quality management in public
administration are: improvement of the administrative capacity, increase of
transparency of public institutions, orientation towards the citizen,
professionalization of civil service for introducing quality in public services.
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
79
Croatia
The main objectives concerning quality management policy, underlined in
the reform documents and strategies of the public sector in Croatia, are as
follows:
̇ Increase of public administration efficiency;
̇ Increase of the quality level of public services;
̇ Increase of transparency and accessibility of public administration;
̇ Consolidation of state of law standards;
̇ Consolidation of the social sensitivity of the state administration with
respect to its citizens;
̇ Increase of ethics in public administration and reduction of corruption;
̇ Use of modern technologies of information-communication in public
services;
̇ Inclusion of the Croatian state administration in the European
administrative space.
In order to fulfill the mentioned objectives regarding quality management,
the reform of public administration in Croatia unravels on five main directions,
namely:
1. Structural adjustments of public administration include the increase of
efficiency, improvement of coordination, namely openness,
transparency of government towards the citizens and civil society
participation in the decision-making process;
2. Consolidation of the legislative framework, quality of laws, planning,
designing and assessment of the effects of the new regulations;
3. New system of civil servants which will ensure a modern public
service, focus being placed on designing the system with respect to the
measures of professionalization and depolitization, on the system in
continuous development and on human resource management, the fight
against corruption and the consolidation of ethics of civil servants, the
introduction of a system of incentives and remuneration depending on
performance, and the reform of salaries in public administration;
4. Education and training of civil servants, for the purpose of gaining new
knowledge, abilities and competences required by the development of
the modern public administration;
5. Simplification and modernization of administrative procedures, such as
the creation of E-government.
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
Albania
The concept of quality was also integrated in the reform strategies of
public administration in Albania, deriving from their objectives, namely:
̇ Establishment and consolidation of efficient structures for all public
institutions;
̇ Reform of public service;
̇ Improvement of performance management system;
̇ Establishment and application of remuneration systems for civil
servants;
̇ Depolitization of the civil service and its founding on the basis of
meritocracy principles;
̇ Supply of training as strategic means for the development and
consolidation of the capacities of civil servants;
̇ Creation of a modern system for human resources management: a
central electronic database for public sector workers.
The main objectives of quality management in public administration in
Albania are the increase of efficiency, efficacy, transparency and responsibility
of public administration.
Republic of Moldova
In public administration in Republic of Moldova the first steps for
introducing the quality management tools were made in 2008, when the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration applied the CAF.
Within the plans and strategies of public administration reform in the
Republic of Moldova there are also comprised measures regarding the
improvement of quality in public administration, namely:
1. Assurance of a transparent, equitable, efficient decisional process;
2. Modernization of public services by reducing bureaucracy, increasing
efficiency and improvement of the quality of services with maximum positive
impact on citizens;
3. Introduction of minimum quality standards for public services and for
the system of indicators for monitoring/assessing their quality, as well as for the
instruments for submitting complaints with respect to the public services
provided below standard;
4. Development of a meritocratic public service, formed of civil servants
recruited, evaluated and promoted on the basis of professional skills and
performance in fulfilling the job duties;
5. Decentralization of public services and re-establishing of the
Government’s territorial office;
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
81
6. Increase of quality in public administration by means of the
unequivoque employment practice, via competition, of public servants, of the
institutionalization of a recruitment, evaluation and promotion system based on
merit and competences, as well as by means of punishing civil servants for
weak performance and dishonest behaviour.
The main objectives regarding quality management in public
administration are: transparency of public institutions, increase of public
services quality and their modernization, reduction of bureaucracy, participative
decisional process.
Republic of Macedonia
In the reform strategies of FYROM the notion of quality was also
introduced by means of the objectives set, having as purpose the modernization
of administration:
̇ Increase of transparency and the involvement of citizens and civil
society in adopting public interest decisions;
̇ Consolidation of the administrative capacity and consolidation of the
capacity of the control organisms;
̇ Application of the principle of equitable representation of the
community members in public administration;
̇ Increase of the level of public services quality;
̇ Promotion of an administrative management and of a system of highperformance human resources management;
̇ Development of informational technology in public administration,
creation of electronic governing.
In what concerns the public function reform in the Republic of Macedonia
by means of the Strategy for the training of civil servants of year 2000 and
through a strategic document adopted in year 2005 with respect to the creation
of a national system for the coordination of training and professional
development of civil servants, the following principles regarding the public
function were promoted: principle of transparency, of neutrality, competence,
accountability, stability, predictability, equality of treatment, ethic, efficiency
and efficacy.
Studying the cases of correct practices regarding the quality of services in
all Europe, Pollitt and Bouckaert (1995) made two major discoveries. The first
discovery is that a high focus on the internal processes, qualities and efficiency
oriented towards the producer is complemented by the perspective of the
consumer or of the party involved, with respect to the efficiency, results, effects
and satisfaction. A second major discovery is connected to the relations within
leading and management organizations. The administrations that are developing
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
go from the relations traditionally dominated by the state of law to a
relationship dominated by the action of the parties involved; for example,
clients are involved in the process of counseling, decision-making,
implementation and evaluation, based on their interests.
This has as consequence the creation of three possible strategies regarding
quality improvement, in order to replace the traditional bureaucratic production
(meaning, concentration on the internal processes, activities and, sometimes,
efficiency and governing through regulations) (OECD, 2001, p. 98):
̇ from a traditional bureaucracy focusing on the provider to a traditional
bureaucratic production oriented towards the citizen;
̇ from a traditional bureaucracy focusing on the provider to the
voluntary participation of customers to this mechanism;
̇ from a traditional bureaucracy focusing on the provider to the
determination or co-determination of the provision, oriented towards
quality, by the citizen or client.
III.2. Quality management approach at the level of the countries analyzed
The quality management approach at the level of each state can be(9):
̇ centralized, decentralized or a combination between the two and/or
̇ descending, ascending or a combination between the two.
Each state can use only one approach or may simultaneously use both
approaches.
Following the analysis performed on the reform documents in the
analyzed states, we notice the fact that Greece, Romania and Bulgaria are
simultaneously using the two approaches, namely their combined form. Croatia,
Albania, Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Moldova use one approach,
generally descending, based on a strong element of central coordination and
management. We outline this viewpoint based on the fact that – by comparison
– the structure of public administration in these countries is still strongly
centralized, with a relatively modest local autonomy and with a high degree of
financial dependence towards the central executive.
The centralized and descending approaches are used in the activities
performed especially by the ministries competent for the implementation of
quality management instruments in the reform strategies of each country, in
order to translate CAF, to organize conferences regarding quality in public
administration, in order to elaborate the methodology and guides regarding the
application of quality standards,
monitoring of quality standards
implementation, in agreement with different indicators, applying E-governance
etc. The decentralized approach is used in the local administration. Each local
administration organizes conferences regarding its own quality. The ascending
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83
approach is connected to the application of quality programmes and the quality
management system within public organizations. The programmes most used
by these organizations are complaints and suggestions, citizens’; charter and
self-assessment with the EFQM and CAF models.
III.3. Application of performance models in public institutions and ISO
standards
Each of the states analyzed have designated certain institutions of public
administration responsible for promoting quality management.
Institutions designated to handle the implementation and coordination of
quality management tools in the national administration of the states are central
public institutions, namely the ministries with the task of public administration
reform, the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Administration and Ministry of
Integration of each state.
The most common, still now, quality management tools is the series of
standards ISO 9000 (Engel, 2003, p. 24), and, in general, the national quality
policy of the states analyzed was more focused on quality service and products
than on TQM.
In each of the states analyzed in this study ISO quality standards are
applied(10).
In Greece, the Ministry for the Interior, Decentralization and
e-Government through the Directive on Quality and Efficiency from the
General Secretariat of Public Administration and E-Government is responsible
for promoting CAF and creating the support for using it. This directive has
launched two major initiatives meant to transform the way in which Greek
public organizations operate: instituting an integrated management system for
performance and introducing quality tools and instituting policies and most
importantly, using CAF in public organizations.
With regards to promoting quality management, this institution published,
in Greek, “CAF 2006”, a “Guide for the implementing of CAF” “Answers to
the most frequently asked questions on CAF”, “A guide to the steps public
institutions should take when implementing CAF”, all of these having as a main
target audience the public organizations from central, regional and local level.
The institution also translated into Greek and published “CAF in Education”,
for promoting the use of quality models in education.
Moreover, the Directive on Quality and Efficiency supports the use of the
Balanced Scorecard (BSC) by the public organizations as a tool for establishing
objectives and evaluating performance.
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The Ministry of Interior gives its support to public organizations for
implementing CAF (coaching). To this end, it has organized CAF training
sessions (total quality management, performance management and measuring
public administration efficiency) for civil servants, while the Ministry of
Education organized trainings and CAF seminars for the staff from culture and
education units.
Greece does not own a Charter on Quality for Citizens, but through the
law regarding access to public interest information, these benefit from answers
in reasonable terms from the public administration.
As for the prizes given for public administration quality, in Athens in
2007 the first Conference was organized, and in 2009 the second Conference
“The National Quality Prize for Public Administration”, and the National Greek
Prize for Quality was awarded. The candidates for the prize were public
organizations from central, regional and local level from Greece. In 2009(11) the
Prize was awarded to the Central Region of Macedonia, the second prize went
out to the Municipality of Herakleion (Crete), and the third prize went to three
participants: The Center for Services for Citizens of the Municipality of
Perama, to three departments from the Prefecture of Larissa and other three
departments of the Amarousion Municipality. In 2007, the first prize was
awarded to the Greek National Organization for Medicine, the second prize
went to the Christian and Byzantine Museum and the third prize went to the
Directive of organization and functioning for the citizens from the Ministry of
Interior.
Romania
The decision regarding the introduction of a Common Assessment
Framework for Romanian public administration belonged to the Ministry of
Administrations and Interior (MAI) through the Central Unit for Public
Administration Reform (CUPAR). The application of this self evaluation system
is made voluntarily, without being imposed by the Government, but it is fully
supported by the CUPAR.
Promoting this tool on a national level started out in 2005 and to this end
more training sessions were organized for civil servants from public
institutions, central and local public administration.
Moreover, MAI and CUPAR have also published a “Guide for
Implementing CAF” (approach- CAF Background, CAF structure, grading
systems) the Brochure “The easiest way to understand CAF” (containing a short
presentation of the advantages of CAF, how it can be applied, its structure, the
support given for implementing CAF for public institutions from CUPAR.)
these having as target audience the public institutions from Romania from
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85
central and local levels, including deconcentrated and decentralized public
services; the “CAF 2002 versus CAF 2006” Brochure (containing the most
important differences between CAF 2002 and CAF 2006), having as targets the
public institutions and the “Best practices” Brochure (presenting the
experiences of successful cases after implementing CAF) having as targets the
public institutions that already implemented CAF. The National Administration
Institute, now a department of The National Agency of Civil Servants (NAPS),
the Regional Training Centers, MAI- CUPAR, but also the Faculty for Public
Administration from the National School of Political Studies and Public
Administration of Bucharest have organized training sessions for high civil
servants (module dedicated to the quality management tools) and CAF training
sessions (a general presentation of CAF) destined for all civil servants. NAPS
and SIGMA organized in 2008 an event having as main purpose the civil
servants training in the area of quality management.
Authorities and public institutions from Romania use the concept of the
Charter of Quality for Citizens. To this end, the Romanian Government has
adopted a Memorandum regarding “Necessary measures for the improvement
of the quality of public services”(12). This memorandum contained a plan for the
2007-2008 period for improving the quality of a number of public services:
passport issuing, driver’s licenses, identification records etc. The memorandum
establishes a number of general policy orientations regarding the behavior of
public service suppliers towards citizens.
Romania has also received Prizes for Excellency in Public
Administration. These prizes underline the efforts made towards developing the
public administration system in Romania.
In 2005, the Prize for Excellence in Public Administration was given for
initiatives of using best practices in the public sector, for example “Excellence
Prizes organized by Romanian Leaders” (2007), The Prize for Excellency in
Public Administration (third edition) as well as the prizes offered by the
National Institute for Administration (2007).
In 2007, MAI- CUPAR from Romania organized the National seminar for
the Network of Modernizers “Sharing experiences on using CAF”, and in 2010
it hosted and organized the 4th event of CAF users in cooperation with the
National Network of CAF Correspondents and the Centre for CAF Resources
EIPA. Moreover, the NAPS created a manual regarding best practices in more
fields(13).
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Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, the public institution responsible for promoting and
coordinating quality in public administration is the Ministry of State
Administration and Administrative Reform.
The EFQM model is compulsory in Bulgaria. Public administration
quality is established through self-evaluation based on the EFQM model even
since 2003, and CAF has been applied starting with 2006. For promoting
quality in public administration, the Ministry of Administration has translated
the CAF guide into Bulgarian and published it, together with Best Practices
brochures and other materials that stimulate the application of this model in
public institutions.
To the same end, the Ministry of Administration has started a project
regarding the consolidation of administrative capacity to implement quality
management in public administration (especially CAF) in order to give support
to other institutions in the process of implementing CAF. Starting with 2008,
the ministry organizes annual conferences regarding quality for promoting the
quality management tools and best practices. In order to successfully implement
quality management in public administration, the Institute for Public
Administration and European Integration, subordinate to the Ministry of
Administration, has organized many course sessions for the training of civil
servants regarding quality management, and several experts from Bulgaria have
participated in the training courses organized by EIPA.
In 2006, the Ministry of Administration awarded, on the Day of the
Administration Employer, the public institutions for their contribution to the
process of modernizing public administration. The prizes were given for the
following categories: “Providing accessible and high quality public services”,
“Best on-line services”, “Efficient management of Human resources”, “Best PR
practices in state administration”. Also, in 2003, 2004 and 2005, the Institute
for Public Administration and European Integration organized several
competitions and gave best practices awards for administrative services,
e-Governance and transparency etc.
Starting with 2002 the content of a Charter for Citizen Quality was
drafted and it was published at the end of 2006, its application becoming
compulsory. In order to measure citizen satisfaction regarding services provided
by public administration, in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006, surveys were carried
out all across the country and as of 2006 it became compulsory.
Taking into account the exchange of best practices, the Ministry of
Administration stimulates this by organizing various events, round tables and
publishing best practices on its website as well as the website of the
Administration Institute.
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87
Croatia
According to EIPA database, in Croatia, CAF is applying in the following
institutions: Ministry of Finance, State Inspectorate and City of Vukovar, but
we do not know the year of application. The institution responsible for public
administration reform and with the provision of trainings in the field of quality
management of civil servants is the Ministry of Justice, Administration and
Local Government (MoJALSG).
Albania
In Albania, we are not aware of CAF application, but we remark their
efforts to promote CAF organizing courses on quality management by the
Public Administration Training Institute.
In 2000, the Public Administration Training Institute was created
subordinated to the Council of Ministers of Albania. The mission of this
institute is to support the improvements and the reform in public service by
organizing training courses for civil servants.
The Institute of Public Administration Training, in 2008, published the
Guide on Standards and Quality Indicators. Also in 2008, according to the
Institute site,(14) a part of the institute staff and other employees of the Ministry
of Interior participated in Portugal at a training aiming the sharing of best
practices in quality management, namely on introduction of best practices to
ensure the quality (in particular, the implementation of CAF), in public
institutions from Albania, using the example of public institutions from
Portugal.
Republic of Moldova
The self-evaluation framework of the functioning of public administration
institutions in Republic of Moldova was implemented in 2008 inside of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MFA EI).
In MFA EI in 2008 a workshop was organized, for two days, for selfcapacity, according to the CCE model, involving the management team of the
ministry. Two groups were able to identify many areas of strengths and
weaknesses of the institution, the process allowed participants to select and
approve a balanced set of Areas for Improvement and provided tools for
prioritizing interventions to achieve those improvements.
According to the ministry's strategy, the CAF model self-assessment
helped MFA EI:
̇ to elucidate more details about its organizational structure and the
current systems and performance related to international best practices;
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
̇ most of these descriptions are derived from the list of competences of
the Ministry;
̇ based on nine key criteria for the analysis of public administration, a
consensus has been reached on the priorities for planning the
development projects and, of areas of possible “quick win” for each of
them.
In order to promote CAF, the Republic of Moldova is making efforts to
apply at the level of most institutions.
Republic of Macedonia
In Republic of Macedonia CAF is applied inside of the Government of
Republic of Macedonia. The Secretariat for European Affairs is the
department which deals with the promotion and implementation of CAF, but
do not know the year of application. Also, according to EIPA database, CAF
is applied in the Directorate of Protection and Rescue from Department of
Research and Analysis.
By applying the European Training Strategy for Civil Servants from
Republic of Macedonia efforts are made to promote the CAF through courses in
quality management organized by the Training Unit of the Secretariat for
European Affairs.
Table 4 shows the number of public institutions from states analyzed,
which were registered by 1 January 2011 in the database of EIPA using CAF:
Table 4
Number of public institutions using CAF
from the states analyzed(15):
State
Number of public institutions
Greece
39
Romania
45
Bulgaria
10
Croatia
3
Albania
0
Republic of Moldova
0
Republic of Macedonia
2
Regarding the application of CAF, the results obtained at the level of the
network modernizers indicates that extending the application of this tool is very slow.
We can remark that the number of institutions using CAF is small (we
take into account that this centralization does not include all institutions), CAF
still being implemented in all countries.
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
89
III.4. Convergence of the elements of quality management in public
administration in analyzed states
Referring to the convergence of the policies for promoting and
implementing quality in public administrations, it encompasses aspects of
compatibility, complementarity or similarity that could be remarked in the
national policies concerning the use of quality management in the reforms of
national public administrations (Matei, Săvulescu, 2011, p. 49).
We can remark that policies for promoting the quality in public
administration of analyzed states which are also EU Member States are more
developed than the states in the acceding process to the EU. The explanation
for such a situation consists on the one hand from their status as members of
the EU, and on the other hand, in the late set up of a coherent, conceptual
framework and good practices on promotion of quality and TQM in public
administration in the end of 1990s. In fact the model of the European
Administrative Space that provided after 2000 the standards in view to assess
and monitor the progress in national public administration reforms does not
contain explicit approaches on the necessity to introduce and implement quality
and TQM policies in public administrations (Matei, Săvulescu, 2011, p. 55).
Analyzing the reform documents of those states we notice strong
similarities between the states concerning the broad objectives of developing a
quality policy in public administration, there being a high level of convergence.
These similarities are mainly about:
̇ improvement of public administration performance;
̇ increase of efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector;
̇ improving administrative and management capacities;
̇ improving professional and ethical standards and the transparency in
public administration;
̇ developing an administration oriented towards the citizen;
̇ professionalizing the civil service;
̇ introducing compulsory quality standards for public services;
̇ decentralizing public services;
̇ modernizing institutional structures;
̇ developing e-government.
Also, convergence implies the existence of common structures or similar
structures to implement the reform in public administration and implicitly in
implementing the elements of quality management. By analyzing the
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
institutional framework which leads to the reaching of the above mentioned
objectives we can affirm that there is institutional convergence between the
seven states. This institutional convergence derives from the responsibility of
the institutions in reaching the objectives regarding implementing and
promoting quality management elements in the public administration of each
state. The main institutions, in all seven states, which are responsible for
implementing and promoting quality management elements are central public
institutions, more precisely ministries (The Ministry of Interior,
Decentralization and e-Governance in Greece, The Ministry of Administration
and Interior in Romania, Ministry of State Administration and Administrative
Reform in Bulgaria, The Ministry of Justice, Administration and Local SelfGoverning in Croatia, The Council of Ministers in Albania, the Foreign Affairs
and European Integration Ministry in The Republic of Moldova and the
Secretariat for European Affairs in the Republic of Macedonia).
As for the putting into practice the performance models in public
institutions and ISO standards in the analyzed countries, we find once more
levels of convergence, but on a higher level in the EU Member States and in a
lower one in the future Member States.
In the seven states there are similarities also in what concerns the modes
of promoting performance models. In the states that are not yet members of the
EU there are very few or no elements of quality management such as: prizes,
excellence models, charter for citizens, conferences, testing customer
satisfaction, measuring the quality of public administration or sharing best
practices. CAF is included in the strategies and national documents of all the
states analyzed (for example: the National Plans for Reform) as a modality of
increasing performance and efficiency in public institutions and as a basis for
modernizing strategies that will be elaborated on an institutional level, this
contributing to the well-functioning of public sector organizations and to the
quality of providing citizen services.
In all of the analyzed states, except Bulgaria, the use of excellence models
and quality norms are only recommended and used on voluntary basis; in
Bulgaria the EFQM model is compulsory. These models and instruments
receive the help of the states in the process of implementing them, in material
aids, financial aids, expertise, training, etc.
As far as the measuring of public administration quality is concerned,
none of the states analyzed, with the exception of Bulgaria through the
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self-evaluation based on the EFQM model, hasn’t achieved such a thing, and
the evaluation of citizen satisfaction is made through various surveys organized
at a national level, in order to know their needs better.
III.5. The impact, outcomes and convergence of application of quality
management on civil service through the strategies and reform
documents in public administration of states examined
The reform processes paid attention to civil service, the reform strategies
of the states analyzed having a significant impact on it.
Improvements on the quality and effectiveness of public services depend
on the motivation of civil servants and broadening their skills and abilities
(OCDE, 2001). In this respect, steps have taken in their integration in the
strategies for public administration.
Following the examination of the legislation on civil service (Status of
Civil Servants, Law on Civil Service, etc.) in analyzed states the promotion of
quality was done through the introduction of EU standards on the quality of
civil service and the convergence towards the principles of the European
Administrative Space.
Table 5
Principles of national civil service and the EU standards
Nr.
crt.
State
1
Greece
2
Romania
Principles of civil service(16)
EU Standards(17)
a) professionalism,
b) openness,
c) efficiency,
d) reasonableness,
e) promptly,
f) objectivity,
g) fairness.
a) legality, impartiality and
objectivity,
b) transparency,
c) efficiency and effectiveness,
d) responsibility, in accordance
with the laws,
e) citizen oriented,
f) stability in the exercise of
civil service position,
g) hierarchical subordination,
g) confidentiality.
- political neutrality,
- impartiality,
- rule of law,
- transparency and
openness,
- efficiency and
effectiveness,
- serving public interests,
- social equality and
justice,
- responsibility and
accountability,
- reliability and
predictability,
- loyalty to the
constitutional
government,
- legality,
Principles of
European
Administrative
Space
- rule of law;
- openness and
transparency;
- responsibility;
efficiency and
effectiveness in
public
administration.
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
3
Bulgaria
4
Croatia
5
Albania
6
Republic of
Moldova
7
Republic of
Macedonia
a) lawfulness,
b) loyalty,
c) responsibility,
d) stability,
e) political neutrality,
f) hierarchic subordination,
g) openness,
h) confidentiality.
a) legality,
b) responsibility,
c) confidentiality,
d) professionalism,
e) impartiality,
f) serving the public interest,
g) hierarchic subordination.
a) legality,
a) integrity,
b) openness,
c) professionalism,
d) honesty,
e) impartiality,
f) loyalty.
b) efficiency,
c) transparency,
d) neutrality,
e) confidentiality.
f) competence,
g) legality,
h) impartiality,
i) independence;
j) professionalism.
a) legality,
b) equality,
c) transparency,
d) fairness,
e) neutrality,
f) professionalism,
g) competence,
h) equal treatment.
- fairness,
- citizen, participation
(involvement).
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
93
Table 6
Frequency of principles emphasized in different national legislation(18)
Principles / values
Frequency of
principles / values
Legality
6
Confidentiality, impartiality, professionalism
4
Responsibility, efficiency, hierarchical subordination, openness, neutrality,
3
transparency, fairness
Competence, stability in the exercise of civil service position, loyalty,
2
objectivity
Citizen oriented, serving the public interest, effectiveness, independence,
1
promptly/reasonableness, equal treatment, integrity/honesty
Analyzing the principles of civil service on national level (see Table 5)
for each of the states concerned we observe that both the EU standards (except
predictability) on civil service principles and principles of European
Administrative Space are reflected in national legislation on the civil service.
In this regard, there is a high degree of convergence achieved in the seven
states by the existence of some common values and principles, related to the
European democratic tradition and contemporary administrative practice, which
have a strong influence on the EU administrative space as a whole and on each
of the Member State (Matei, Dogaru, 2010, p. 16). Thus the seven states
analyzed fulfill the conditions required to become full members of the European
Administrative Space.
Since 1999-2000, the analyzed states began to adopt the law on civil
service and to implement these laws pursuing to build a professional civil
service, reliable and neutral (Bossaert, Demmke, 2003). Because these laws
do not refer only to the status of civil servants, but also to the system of
recruitment, remuneration and promotion, human resources management and
development of managerial and leadership skills of the civil service, they
directly affect the quality of civil servants and their performance (Engel,
2003, p. 80).
As characteristic activities related to the quality of public services we find
also the ethical conduct in civil service, and all analyzed states have adopted,
relatively recently, codes of conduct and ethical behavior. Many, if not the most
European states, to varying degrees, are involved in establishing the
foundations of a trust, neutral and professional civil service, following the
model of neutral and professional ideal “Weberian” (Bossaert, Demmke, 2003,
Goetz, Wollmann, 2001, Verheijen, 1999).
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Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
Conclusions
The main conclusion of the study is that the introduction of elements of
quality management in public administration in the states surveyed is
determined by internal factors and, in general, closely related to administrative
reform initiatives.
In our study, EU accession serves as a reference framework for the
introduction of quality of public administration.
Public administration based on European standards can be considered a
cornerstone for its efficient functioning. We can remark that both the states
acceding to the EU, as well as the EU Member States have implemented a
comprehensive public administration reform on the introduction of these
standards in the public sector, the reason being that citizen were using
inefficient public services at all levels, and, in this respect, concrete, reform
programmes and strategies in public administration are preparing the
implementation of quality management in the public sector.
Compliance of services provision in generally at European standards will
provide a legal framework less arbitrary and less corrupt. For citizens, this will
mean efficient and effective services, information system more transparent and
professionalized staff.
Regarding the introduction of self-assessment methodology and the
organizational quality management systems, the study shows that states have
progressed to a certain extent, but the self-evaluation just begun to develop.
It is desirable that quality management tools would be implemented in all
central and local institutions of public administration - mainly for reasons of
transparency, credibility and efficiency.
The quality of public sector is indispensable for legitimate governance. At
the same time, this seems to be impossible, intangible, opaque, ambiguous, and
multidimensional (Pollitt, Bouckaert, 1995, p. 162). This paradox becomes one
of the main challenges of the decade (OCDE, 2001, p. 103).
Notes
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
www.eipa.nl.
www.eupan.eu.
EFQM Excellence Model, Common Assessment Framework (CAF), ISO 9000 Standards.
For more information about this model see www.efqm.org.
For more information about this model see www.eipa.nl.
For more information about this model see www.iso.org.
Quality Management and the Reform of Public Administration
95
(7)
According to Zurga, G. 2008. Quality Management in Public Administrations of the EU
Member States – Comparative Analysis, Ministry of Public Administration of the Republic
of Slovenia, p. 14, www.eupan.eu quality management elements are: Quality Management
Development, QM Approach at the State Level, QM strategy, strategic documents and
initiatives, QM Policies, Organizational structure for promoting quality, Excellence Models,
International Quality Standards, Quality Conferences, Quality Awards, Benchmarking,
Quality/Citizen’s Charters, Measuring the Quality of PA, Testing Customer Satisfaction,
Training for QM, Publications on Quality in PA, Quality Tools in PA Organizations,
Government Support for the Use of Excellence Models and Other Quality Tools in PA
Organizations, Sharing good practices.
(8)
Hellenic Ministry of Interior, Decentralization and E-Government, www.ypes.gr/en.
(9)
See Zurga, G. (2008). Quality Management in Public Administrations of the EU Member
States – Comparative Analysis, Ministry of Public Administration of the Republic of
Slovenia, www.eupan.eu.
(10)
Although the International Standards Organization has conducted researches on the number
of certificates ISO 9000, it has not created a centralized database of ISO certificates which
have been consulted.
(11)
Newsletter no. 2⁄2009, www.eipa.eu.
(12)
http://www.sgg.ro/docs/File/SGG/memo.pdf.
(13)
http://modernizare.mai.gov.ro/evenimentcaf/.
(14)
www.itap.gov.al.
(15)
To see the names of institutions and for more details see EIPA Database with the institutions
that were registered before 1 January 2011 (according to their project) using CAF,
www.caf.eipa.eu.
(16)
Heading of table undertaken and updated from Matei, L. and Lazăr, C., Development and
Regulation of Civil Service in Central and Eastern European States - A Comparative
Analysis in View of Good Governance, IIAS Conference, Helsinki, 2009, p. 21,
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1440099
(17)
According to Demmke, C. 2004. Working Towards Common Elements in the Field of Ethics
and Integrity. Study for the 43rd Meeting of the Directors-General of the Public Services of
the Member States of the European Union, EIPA.
(18)
1 – Principles stipulated in Constitution; 2 – Principles identified in Civil Service Act;
3 – Principles emphasized defining civil servants’ duties; 4 – Principles mentioned in Code
of ethics/Code of conduct.
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Greece
̇ www.gspa.gr
̇ www.mnec.gr/en/economics/National_Strategic_Reference_Framework_for_2007-13/
̇ www.mnec.gr/en/economics/growth_programme_2005-8/
̇ www.mnec.gr/en/economics/reform_programme_2005-2008/
̇ www.mnec.gr/export/sites/mnec/en/economics/National_Strategic_Reference_Frame
work _for_2007-13/ESPA_eng.pdf
̇ www.ypes.gr/en
Romania
̇ www.gov.ro
̇ www.dae.gov.ro/
̇ www.modernizare.mai.gov.ro/
̇ www.mai.gov.ro
Bulgaria
̇ www.mdaar.government.bg/programmes.php
̇ www.government.bg/eng/othe/index.htm
̇ www.mdaar.government.bg/docs/strategia_modern.pdf
Croatia
̇ www.uprava.hr/strat-en.pdf
̇ www.mfin.hr
̇ www.gov.mei.hr
Albania
̇ www.itap.gov.al
̇ www.mie.gov.al/
̇ www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/eur/lxwealb.htm
̇ www.moi.gov.al
98
Lucica Matei, Corina-Georgiana Lazăr
̇ www.keshilliministrave.al/?gj=gj2
̇ www.parlament.al/
̇ www.president.al/english/pub/default.asp
Republic of Moldova
̇ www.cancelaria.gov.md/lib.php?l=ro&idc=333&
̇ www.gov.md/homepage.php?l=ro
̇ www.parlament.md
̇ www.prm.md
Republic of Macedonia
̇ www.sep.gov.mk/
̇ www.vlada.mk/english/index_en.htm
̇ www.president.gov.mk
̇ www.sinf.gov.mk
̇ www.sobranie.mk/