Public Administration Reform is defined as one of the three pillars of success on the way to EU membership, in addition to the rule of law and economic management, which makes it one of the key conditions for membership in the European Union for the period 2014-2016.
In 2014, OECD/SIGMA developed the Principles of Public Administration, which form the basis for the work of the European Commission in the field of public administration reform. The principles define what good governance means in practice and state the main requirements that countries should follow during the EU accession process.
Although the general criteria of good governance are universal, these Principles were created for countries that are seeking EU accession and that are receiving EU assistance through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). The requirements of the acquis, as well as other EU guidelines and instructions, are the core of the Principles in areas where the acquis has been implemented.
In other areas, the Principles are derived from international standards and requirements, as well as from good practices in the EU member countries /or from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). As a minimum indicator of good governance, countries should ensure harmonization with these fundamental Principles. The purpose of the principle is, therefore, to help countries which are joining the EU in identifying challenges and weak points in the functioning of public administration and in planning the necessary changes. Also based on the Principles, the European Commission will measure progress in countries.
The principles of public administration are common to BiH and six countries: Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and Turkey. Although the principles are not binding, they were created as guidelines for good governance and for meeting the requirements of EU integration. The principles refer to: The Strategic Framework of Public Administration Reform, policy development and coordination, civil service and human resources management, accountability, service provision and financial management in the public sector. The document contains 19 key requirements from which a total of 48 principles are derived.
The operational plan for the preparation of the new strategy envisages that these principles are incorporated into the Strategic Framework.