2010年-世界发展银行全球_Romania_-_Functional_Review___Center_of_government_93页_1mb

Summary of the Romania Center of Government Functional Review

Core Content

This report, prepared by the World Bank on behalf of the European Community and the Government of Romania (GoR), presents a strategic and functional review of Romania's central public administration, focusing on the Center of Government (CoG). The review aims to improve the Government's policy performance by strengthening the policy process and policy institutions, in tandem with public financial management reforms.

Main Objectives

• Strengthen the policy process and policy institutions to enhance the quality of public policy and public spending.
• Align policy and financial planning to ensure coherence and efficiency in government operations.
• Improve accountability through better monitoring, evaluation, and reporting mechanisms.
• Reduce reliance on ad hoc decision-making to create a more structured and predictable governance system.
• Streamline organizational structures within the CoG and line ministries to improve coordination and effectiveness.

Key Issues Identified

1. Linkages Between Policy and Financial Planning

• There is a lack of formal integration between policy and financial planning.
• The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) is not institutionalized at the line ministry level.
• The Fiscal Responsibility Law (FRL) mandates a medium-term planning horizon, but it is not yet fully operational.

2. Quality of Policy Formulation

• Policy documents and substantiation notes are of poor quality and not seen as critical decision-making tools.
• The process for preparing, consulting, reviewing, and approving policy and legal documents is not streamlined.
• There is a need to align national and EU policy processes to ensure consistency and coherence.

3. Ad Hoc Decision-Making

• The use of emergency ordinances and supplementary agendas remains high.
• The current system lacks structured advance planning and deadlines for policy and legal proposals.
• Ad hoc decision-making undermines the quality and predictability of government actions.

4. Performance Monitoring

• There is no systematic monitoring of policy and financial performance.
• Government decision-making is not supported by regular performance data.
• A robust monitoring system, including quarterly reports and annual evaluations, is needed to improve accountability and transparency.

5. Organizational Structure

• The General Secretariat of Government (GSG) is overburdened with too many direct reports and diverse functions.
• The Public Policy Department (PPD) and Public Policy Units (PPUs) are not effectively performing their roles due to lack of focus and support.
• There is a need for reorganization and realignment of functions to ensure efficient coordination and leadership.

Key Recommendations

1. Integrate Policy and Financial Planning

• Establish an Integrated Policy and Financial Planning Calendar for 2011.
• Align strategic planning with the Fiscal Strategy and annual budget process.
• Create a decision-making forum involving the Prime Minister and Minister of Public Finance.
• Implement a multi-year fiscal impact assessment tool for normative acts with significant fiscal impacts.

2. Improve Policy Formulation

• Streamline the preparation, consultation, review, and approval of policy documents.
• Enhance the quality of substantiation notes and ensure they are treated as essential decision-making tools.
• Strengthen the GSG's role in quality assurance by requiring written feedback on all policy documents.
• Develop guidelines and legal amendments for policy and legal documents.

3. Reduce Reliance on Ad Hoc Decision-Making

• Coordinate the Annual Government Work Plan (AGWP) through the GSG.
• Reduce the workload of government meetings by ensuring all items are pre-reviewed by central institutions.
• Implement a two-phase transparency process for policy documents, with each phase lasting at least 15 days.

4. Expand Performance Information

• Introduce a quarterly monitoring and reporting system for the AGWP.
• Publish annual reports on the progress of ministry strategic plans.
• Develop a performance monitoring approach for the Government’s strategic priorities in collaboration with MoPF.
• Establish milestones, performance indicators, and targets to track reform progress.

5. Streamline Organizational Structures

• Restructure the GSG to reduce the number of direct reports and consolidate functions.
• Strengthen the PPD and PPUs by increasing their focus on policy management.
• Consider organizational options to elevate the profile of policy management, such as appointing a State Secretary or Prime Minister's Advisor.
• Realign the reporting relationships of core coordination units within ministries to the GSG.

Implementation Challenges

• Political buy-in is essential for the success of reforms.
• Decision-making dynamics need to be restructured to ensure strategic focus.
• Collaboration between GSG and MoPF is crucial for coherent reform implementation.
• Line ministry resistance and implementation overload pose significant risks.
• Reform fatigue may occur if progress is not visible or sustained.
• Insufficient policy capacity and change of government could delay or derail reforms.

Conclusion

The report emphasizes that effective policy reform is not just a technical exercise, but one that requires strong political leadership, institutional capacity building, and cross-departmental collaboration. It outlines a clear path for reform, with a focus on integrated planning, quality policy formulation, reduced ad hoc decision-making, enhanced performance monitoring, and streamlined organizational structures. These reforms are expected to be implemented over the medium term, starting with the 2011 calendar and process design. The ultimate goal is to create a coherent, high-quality policy and financial management system that supports sustainable development and effective governance in Romania.