| 1. Improvement of long-term, medium-term, and annual work planning for the Council of Ministers/governments and its connection to program budgeting and the European integration process. |
| 2. Strengthening of human resources capacities of ministries and other institutions of the Council of Ministers/governments. |
| 3. Improvement of the evidence-based decision-making system – enhancement of regulatory impact assessment. |
| 4. Improvement of the public consultation process and ensuring public involvement in policy-making. |
| 5. Improvement of cooperation between the executive and legislative branches in the process of planning and adopting policies. |
Policy Making and Coordination
Policy making and coordination are among the key functions of public administration that ensure responsible and effective management of public affairs. The management of public affairs is conducted through a policy development and implementation system that should ensure informed, inclusive, and transparent decision-making in the best interest of citizens and overall economic and social development.
The Strategic Framework for Public Administration Reform in BiH 2018-2027 and the revised action plan for public administration reform define the key reform requirements in this area through five interconnected fields/measures based on the Principles of Public Administration. These include:
- Establishing/improving the function of content coordination for policy proposals at all administrative levels and strengthening the institutional and administrative capacities to perform this function. This will ensure that policy proposals submitted to the Council of Ministers/governments for adoption are well-prepared and aligned with their priorities.
- Improving the system of strategic, medium-term, and annual planning aligned with budget planning and the European integration process, as well as strengthening organizational and human capacities for effective policy implementation in administrative bodies at all administrative levels. To establish an efficient and functional planning system, planned activities are aimed at the development/improvement of the legal framework governing the strategic planning system (long-term, medium-term, and annual planning), the development/improvement of a methodological framework for sectoral planning, strengthening capacities for implementing the strategic planning system, and strengthening IT support for the strategic planning process at all administrative levels.
- Improving the evidence-based policy-making system. Activities are planned to develop/improve the methodological framework for regulatory impact assessment and strengthen analytical capacities at all administrative levels through the improved use of analytical tools. This will enable policy makers to be adequately informed about possible options, the choice of regulatory instruments, the impact of regulations and policies, or the resources needed for implementation so they can opt for the appropriate solution. An activity is planned for the development and implementation of an information system to support the drafting of regulations, which would contribute to better standardization, transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of the regulation-making process. Support will be provided for establishing databases of all legal regulations adopted by government bodies at each administrative level, which would allow citizens free access to all laws and bylaws, including consolidated texts.
- Improving the public consultation process in drafting public policies, regulations, and other general acts at all administrative levels. This will be achieved by revising the legal framework that governs public consultations and public participation and by establishing/improving an e-consultation portal. This will enable greater public participation in the planning, development, and monitoring phases of policy implementation.
- Improving cooperation between the executive and legislative bodies at all administrative levels for better coordination of policy and regulation planning and adoption.