Encyklopedia Administracji Publicznej MW Pivot Skin

PUBLIC SECTOR REFORMS – in the 1970s, the public sector and public administration reforms were related to the crisis and changes in the welfare state, with the emergence – in response to the then economic problems – of neoliberal ideology and the associated diminishment of legitimacy of governments and the state. Increasing difficulties in public finance systems, the need for savings, an increasingly complex management environment, growing problems of bureaucracy control – these were the main reasons for reforming countries whose administration model was based on the Weberian model (→ Weber Max). Other important factors were the trends popular in those days, imitation, and pressure of international organisations (the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Monetary Fund, the European Union). In general, the most frequent reforms were made around and within the public sector, as well as the political system as a whole, and also within the scope of tasks of the state and administration (reduction). Reforms also concerned the structure (government and territorial authorities), organisation and management (procedures, processes, introduction of market and competition), people management and budget. In the context of public administration reforms, a typology is used in literature which defines individual countries as: precursors (early starters), followers and latecomers. Moreover, the following groups of countries stand out in literature in this context: countries with traditional models (Germany, France), third world countries and post-communist countries. Regarding the types of reforms, three phases of reforms are being discussed: 1. New Public Management (→ New Public Management) – aimed at introducing management instruments applied in the private sector to administrations (tenders, measures, flexible structures and contracts), 2. Governance – whose aim is to increase public participation in government and transparent, honest and accountable administration (→ good governance), 3. Neo-Weberian State – which tries to combine the strengths of the Weberian bureaucracy (strong state, the role of law) with the elements of New Public Management, contributing to the increase of administrative efficiency. The most well-known reforms include the decentralization reform in France in the 1980s, reforms that marketised the British, American, Australian and New Zealand administration, the German so-called new control model, and consolidation of local governments in the Scandinavian countries. The reforms of the public sector are criticized, for example, for: 1. inadequacy of theory (e.g. NPM), 2. bad implementation, 3. unforeseen side-effects (e.g. regarding officials’ ethics, corruption), 3. fragmentation of the state (executive agencies, separation of the ordering entity from the entity implementing a public service), 4. weakening of the public interest (emphasis on financial issues). (→ model of bureaucracy) [D. Długosz]