Dear readers,
I am glad to present you the first issue of the electronic bulletin of the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office.
This new manner of communication was chosen for two reasons: our commitment to continue the talks on public administration reform and commitment to improve transparency and accountability for our work.
Properly functioning public administration is necessary for democratic administration. The public administration reform process leads to an increased transparency, accountability and effectiveness of governance bodies, as well as to ensuring a greater focus on the needs of the citizens and businesses. Also, adequately lead and professional civil service, better planning and policy coordination, reliable administrative procedures and improved financial management in the public sector are of crucial importance for the quality and dynamics of EU integrations, as well as general progress.
Public administration reform was expressly stressed in many international documents BiH took over, such as, e.g. Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and its implementation was additionally confirmed also by the Reform Agenda. Through this document, the authorities, among other things, committed themselves also on drafting the new strategic framework for public administration reform. The council of ministers of BiH entrusted this job to the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office. In the past period there was a series of workshops where we discussed with the representatives of the coordination structure the future activities and establishment of the work groups for draft of the strategic documents. Our plan was, by implementing public consultations, to discuss Our plan was to discuss the new strategy, by implementing public consultations, also with the representatives of the civil sector, academic community and the media, and with the representatives of the international community that helps and supports implementation of the reform processes. Therefore, we would like our partners and them to be informed this way on all the activities. Our vision is the administration that would work in the best interest of BiH citizens. It would be necessary to make steps forward towards removal of administrative barriers that are not in the function of efficiency, and that burden the businesses, as well as the citizens. In order to achieve that, implementation of the public administration reform must be quickened, and the results of the implemented become rather visible. That would not be possible without involvement of all the segments of society. Reforms must be implemented integrally, and the political parties and all the responsible institutions must finally take over ownership over the whole process.
The second reason is that in my work, I am guided by the principles of transparency, openness and accountability. These are important elements of good administration. Also, I stand for proactive transparency of publication of data on official web pages of institutions, because BiH citizens have a right to ask for information and to know. All documents, by the standards of transparency will be available to the public, and I invite you to continue to use the information from our web site www.parco.gov.ba which will be redesigned soon and additionally adjusted to the users of our services.
I am deeply convinced that in this, and the future bulletins you would find the useful information and that your participation, standpoints and views that you might offer us would be an added value to the process of public administration reform, and guarantee a success in its implementation.
Also, I would like to express a special gratitude to the German GIZ for the support they provided us within the Programme of strengthening of public institutions in BiH during design of this first issue of the electronic bulletin.
Dragan Ćuzulan,
Public administration reform coordinator