Germany – functional state with complex system
Management and expert advisors of the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office participated in a study trip to Berlin from December 16 to 2007, which was organised by the Technical Assistance Team to the Office. The programme of the study trip comprised of series of visits to legislative and executive bodies of Germany, both on federal and state level.
Very interesting and informative were the presentations of the work of the Bundestag and the Bundesrat, through which decision-making and law adoption system in a state with federal system has been presented. Concentration of absolute authority in one body is avoided by this system, and sessions of federal legislative bodies of Germany can be attended by the citizens.
By visiting the administration of the State of Brandenburg and representation of the State of Bavaria in Berlin, the participants of the study trip were acquainted with the system of division of authorities between the Federation and 16 federal states and manners of cooperation between the aforementioned levels of administration. Germany is currently implementing the reform of Federation, and many practical experiences and challenges with which Germany is facing are applicable to BiH as well.
Considering that public administration is within its competencies, unavoidable was the visit to the Federal Ministry of Interior, and after that to the Office of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. All the visits shown that Germany, although it has complex federal system, it also has well planned and efficient system of public administration, which is constantly improved.
Kind hosts competently answered the questions by the BiH delegation, which consisted of, besides the employees of the Office, the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers of BiH, the Secretary of the Government of the Republic of Srpska, the Coordinator in the Government of the Brčko District of BiH, and the members of the Technical Assistance Team to the Office.
Intensive programme of the visit allowed some time for visits to the landmarks of this three and a half million city, with rich and turbulent history.