On Thursday, in premises of the European Union Delegation in BiH, representatives ofOECD/SIGMAhave presented the public administration principles, previously promoted in Brussels.
Event was organized for representatives of the institutions involved in public administration reform process in BiH, especially ministries and implementation structures defined through the Common Platform on Principles and Manners of Implementation of Public Administration Reform, including public administration reform coordinators in BiH, representatives of Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office as well as members of supervisory teams who are the partners of Coordinator’s Office in this process.
Melvin Asin, Head of EU Delegation Cooperation in Sarajevo talked about the public administration reform significance in the process of enlargement, determined through the new EU Enlargement Strategy for the Western Balkans countries and Turkey andKaren Hill, Head of OECD/SIGMA program talked about the objectives and focus of the public administration principles. She has pointed out that the principles of public administration represent the document drafted by the European Commission and SIGMA/OECDmutual for BiH and six countries: Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Turkey. According to her, those principles will be the foundation on basis of which the progress of countries candidates towards the EU in the area of public administration will be assessed as well as the tool for improvement and modernization of public administrations of these countries. Even though the principles are not obligatory, they have been created as guidelines towards the good governance and execution of the EU integrations requirements.
KeitKasemets,Senior Advisor for OECD/SIGMA policies pointed out that the principles relate to: strategic framework of public administration reform, drafting and coordination of policies, civil service and human resources management, accountability, providing services and financial management in public sector. These principles also include 19 key requirements out of which supervenes the total of 48 principles.
Martin Krievens, Senior Advisor for policies and OECD/SIGMA coordinator for BiH pointed out that the assessment of reform achievements on basis of indicators to be developed in these purposes, through the ex post evaluation to be implemented by SIGMA, shall begin at the beginning of next year. He said that on basis of surveys being drafted by OECD/SIGMA, BiH shall be expected to submit required data to be used for the reform progress assessment. As main partners in this process Mr Krievinsmentioned the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office, public administration reform coordinators and members of the implementation structure.
Semiha Borovac, National Coordinator for Public Administration Reform welcomed the acceptance of these principles of public administration and said that the Coordinator’s Office expects support from SIGMA through the analysis of previous implementation of public administration reform objectives through the revised Action plan 1 of the Public Administration Reform Strategy.
It was announced from the OCDE/SIGMA that the final results of reform monitoring shall be submitted to the European Commission in May and that it will be one of the key bases for preparation of the Progress Report of BiH.
This event, besides others, was attended by public administration reform coordinators from the Republic of Srpska and the Federation of BiH, StojankaĆulibrk andMirsadaJahić.
Public administration reform was defined as one of the three pillars of success on the way towards the EU membership, besides the rule of law and economic governance, which makes it one of the key conditions for membership in the European Union for the period 2014-2016.
Document “The Principles of Public Administration” in local language can be downloaded here, and in English here, or over the OECD/SIGMA website.