2007年-世界发展银行全球_Administrative_Capacity_in_the_New_EU_Member_States___The_Limits_of_Innovation__74页_824kb

Summary of "Administrative Capacity in the New EU Member States: The Limits of Innovation?"

Core Content

This report, authored by Tony Verheijen, evaluates the administrative capacity of the eight new EU member states (EU8) — Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia — two years after their accession to the European Union. The focus is on the challenges and progress in public management systems, particularly in the context of fiscal management, EU funding absorption, and competitiveness.

Main Challenges

• Fiscal Management: Most EU8 countries have not met the eurozone entry criteria, particularly regarding fiscal deficit levels.
• EU Funding Utilization: The new EU funding period (2007–2013) will provide up to 3.5% of GDP in structural funds, which is a significant challenge for effective absorption and use.
• Competitiveness: The EU8's competitive advantage, based on low wages and skilled labor, is under threat due to economic convergence and increased competition from South and East Asia.

Key Areas of Analysis

The study examines three main areas of administrative performance:

1. Policy: Performance management, strategic planning, and policy coordination.
2. People: Human resource management, including recruitment, incentives, and politico-administrative relations.
3. Systems: E-governance and the use of IT in public service delivery.

Main Findings

Policy

• Performance Management: Mixed results, with some countries (e.g., Lithuania, Latvia) showing significant improvements.
• Strategic Planning: Lithuania has made notable progress through strategic planning and performance management, while other countries lag.
• Policy Coordination: Weak in most countries, with only Lithuania and Latvia showing some coherence in policy formulation and coordination.

People

• HRM Systems: Limited progress in creating merit-based systems. Civil service salaries are still based on seniority and job security.
• Incentive Systems: Inadequate to attract and retain high-quality staff in a competitive labor market.
• Politico-Administrative Relations: Politicians have not fully relinquished their traditional control over civil service, leading to a lack of institutional reforms and weak horizontal management.

E-Governance

• E-Governance Development: Only Estonia has successfully implemented a comprehensive e-governance system, significantly improving its investment climate and business environment.
• Other Countries: Most are at early stages of e-governance development, with limited functionality and effectiveness.

Benchmarking Results

Good Practice Examples

• Lithuania: Successfully implemented strategic planning and performance management systems, leading to a more coherent and performance-oriented administration.
• Latvia: Adopted a bottom-up approach to policy planning, which has shown promise in improving administrative performance.
• Estonia: Achieved a high level of e-governance, enhancing transparency and the investment climate.

Success Factors

• National Institutional Context: Flexibility in institutional design was important, though not unique to the Baltic States.
• Drivers of Change: External pressures (e.g., EU accession, fiscal shocks) and internal crises have driven reforms, particularly in the Baltic States.
• Political Support and Administrative Continuity: Strong and consistent political support, along with smooth politico-administrative relations, are crucial for successful reform.

Conclusion

The report concludes that administrative capacity remains a critical challenge for the EU8, particularly in the areas of human resource management and policy coordination. While some countries, like Lithuania and Latvia, have made significant strides, the overall trend shows limited progress and the risk of continued inefficiency. E-governance has only been successfully implemented in Estonia. The study emphasizes the need for more comprehensive and sustainable reforms that align with European standards of merit, transparency, and equality.

Recommendations

• Develop more robust and merit-based HRM systems.
• Strengthen horizontal policy coordination and strategic planning.
• Implement e-governance reforms across the region.
• Ensure political support and administrative continuity for long-term success.