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STATE AUDIT OFFICE
GUARDIAN OF PUBLIC FUNDS

Implemented 52% of planned activities for public administration reform

16.03.2023
Слика
јавна администрација

STATE AUDIT OFFICE                                                                               

- Press Release -         

Skopje, 16 March 2023

                                                                                                          

Implemented 52% of planned activities for public administration reform

Indefinite postponement of passing new key laws, prolonged process for reorganization of state bodies, incomplete realization of planned activities and insufficient HR capacities

 

According to the new methodology for accession negotiations, public administration reform is part of the negotiation process within the Cluster - Fundamental Values. Therefore, SAO conducted performance audit on the topic "Public Administration Reform" to answer the question:

"Do activities taken by competent institutions ensure efficient implementation of the Public Administration Reform Strategy 2018-2022?

The audit ascertained the following shortcomings:  

  • deadlines for adoption of key laws for implementation of reforms in the public administration are continuously postponed. The procedure for adoption of the Law on Public Sector Employees, Law on Administrative Employees and Law on Senior Civil Service was initiated in 2019 and is still ongoing;
  • frequent appointment of acting directors. From 2018 to 2021, 52% of appointed managers are acting directors or their deputies, elected without public notice, which has an effect on the professionalization of senior civil service, the good management in public sector institutions and reduces the accountability of the procedure for selection of management;
  • lack of documentation on the method of Strategy planning and development. The documentation is not archived in MISA and the persons who managed this process are no longer employed in MISA, thus there is no institutional memory for the process;
  • adopted revised action plan for the Strategy implementation made changes to 33% of planned activities, defined new activities, changed implementation deadlines and performance measurement indicators, and reduced planned funds;
  • HR capacities for achieving reform objectives were frequently changed and insufficient. There is incomplete realization of competences of the bodies responsible for the reform process, and ineffective vertical and horizontal coordination and communication of all participants in the process;
  • Public Administration Reform Council is the highest political body for coordination of activities. From 2018 to 2022, six changes were made in its composition, due to constant structural changes in the Government. The Council has held only seven meetings in the period of four years, and from the last one in July 2021 until the end of 2022, no session was held;
  • total planned funds for implementation of the Strategy measures amount to 1.802.140.000 denars, i.e. around 30 million euros, and the largest share of over 56% is provided by EU funds and instruments;
  • out of 205 planned activities, only 106 activities were completed, i.e. 52%;
  • lack of transparency, accountability and monitoring of spent financial resources in the State
    Budget, because apart from MISA, other institutions have not opened separate sub-program within the Government Program K - Public Administration Reform;
  • lack of full assessment of the efficiency of the public administration reform process. Out of 79 indicators, only 28 performance measurement indicators have been assessed, i.e. only 35%;
  • MISA has not established systematized records for each Strategy activity, biannual and annual reports do not contain data on planned and realized funds;
  • the fourth Annual Report from 2021 does not contain complete financial overview but an analysis for spent funds in the amount of 1.111.359.000 denars, i.e. around 18 million euros, which represent 61% of the total planned funds for the period 2018-2022;
  • lack of IT system for monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the reform activities, thus conditions were not created for systematic collection and processing of information and data for evaluating the degree of implementation of public administration reforms.

Taking into account that functional public administration is a prerequisite for transparent and effective democratic governance, SAO has made recommendations to the competent institutions and the bodies for coordination of activities for improving, strengthening and creating efficient system of planning, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the realization of the activities of the new Strategy for Public Administration Reform 2023-2030, aimed at successful public administration reform as a strategic national objective.

Press contact:

Albiona Mustafa Muhadziri +389 72 228 203 [email protected]

Mijalche Durgutov +389 70 358 486 [email protected]

Martin Duvnjak +389 75 268 517 [email protected]