Increasing the transparency of public administration reform

The reform of the public administration is a fundamental requirement for EU accession and for increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of many different state, entity and Brcko institutions. The reform is guided by the public administration reform strategy and includes actions to improve strategic planning, public finance, human resource management, administrative systems, communication and e-government. The reform process is coordinated by the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office (PARCO) and to date 10 projects have been financed by Sweden and other donors such as Norway, Denmark, Germany, EU, and in previous phases the Netherlands and UK.

The reform aims at changing the current public administration characterized by low skills, non-merit based and un-transparent recruitment, poor public communication, under-developed financial control systems and lack of proper planning systems. The reforms have been very slow and the results are limited. The most recent EU progress report noted that “the public administration reform process lacks the necessary political support”. Implementation has been problematic, with limited progress in strengthening administrative capacity for legal harmonization and implementation of the acquis. The main reasons are said to be lack of skills, lack of financial support from the entities, overlapping responsibilities between the entities and cantons, the absence of a cooperative management culture and improper political interference.

The objective of the PARM project is to monitor and evaluate the reform process and its effects on citizens and the private sector. Investigative stories and public events are expected to raise awareness and increase transparency. TI BiH and CIN will focus on three issues: Human resources management in public administration, Management of public finances, and Transparency, accountability and integrity of public administration. Engaging civil society in should empower citizens to understand and engage in the process of public administration reform, leading to better results.

“The Government of Sweden will continue to support the Public Administration Reform, but that we expect more tangible results. Through the support to the civil society organisations Transparency International BiH and the Centre for Investigative Reporting, CIN, the intent is to put more light on what is working and what is not working. The ultimate aim is to creating conditions for more transparent, efficient and effective public administration in BiH that will be of service to all citizens”, according to the Swedish Ambassador, H.E. Fredrik Schiller.

Leila Bičakčić, Executive Director of CIN, welcomes the project as “the aim of it is to enhance the communication with citizens through a series of investigative stories, and thus contribute to the democratic dialogue between the citizens and institutions in BiH”.

The Executive Director of TI BiH, Srđan Blagovčanin states that “Public Administration Reform is a priority task for BiH, on which success depend the quality of life of BiH citizens, and for this reason civil society organisations should give their contribution to PAR implementation”.